METRO Virtual Fashion – preview

A preview of the upcoming issue of METRO Virtual Fashion magazine, with the lovely Nemi on the cover. This issue is packed full of fashionista finds from around the grid… highlights include an editorial series on LeeZu Baxter Designs, RL travel meets SL fashion, our favourite hairstyles, a special tribute to Another Fundraiser, and more.

Also a reminder the deadline for getting advertisements to be included with this issue is March 1st, 2008.  The current full page ad rate is only L$1700 for this issue only… next issue it will be increased. See the website for more details on advertising. The first 2- page premium spread is already booked.

Alienbear Design – Intricate Stylishness

Alienbear Gupte designs jewelry fit for a princess… or a queen… or a diva… or even for a dressed up night on the town. Through known for her stunning formal pieces complete with glittering diamond tiaras, there’s a bit of something for everyone at Alienbear Designs. Model: Mui Mukerji, Alienbear Designs customer service rep and Metro supermodel. 

Princess Gelasia (shown here with green stones) is a diamond concoction fit for lost Russian royalty… the tiered design is truly classic.
Also in photo: Zero Style “Yaya” hair, CS Vogue skin – Champagne (Classic Glitter Silver 1)

The fiery Costa Rica set, with rubies to symbolize active volcanoes, was originally designed for the beauty pageant. Now it’s available for the public, complete with crown.
Also in photo: Allure Volcano The Arenal dress, Zero Style “Chocolate” hair, CS Vogue skin – Pure (Vamp/Seduce)

The Red Wooden Ball set, available as affordable separates at L$10 each at Bijoux Or, is a striking combination of glittering gold and bold red.
Also in photo: Analog Dog “Amber” hair, CS Vogue skin – Cashmere (Classic Glitter – Gold 1)

The Yuriko set features large chunky highly-polished stones with dark pearls for an antiqued feel.
Also in photo: CS “Whitney” hair, CS Vogue skin – Champagne (Classic Glitter – Silver 1)

Oriental Tang – Mui Fei set is everything you need to feel like an ancient Oriental princess. The detail in the hair pieces is especially stunning with tiny stones and floral designs.
Also in photo: Nicky Ree – Tang dress, Zero Style “Nicky” hair, CS Vogue skin – Champagne (Spring/Fresh)

Who better to model the Miss SL Universe set than runner up, Miss Hong Kong, Mui Mukerji? Now anyone can purchase this set to feel like a beauty queen.
Also in photo: Nicky Ree – Silva dress, ETD “Roslin” hair in Smoke, CS Vogue skin – Champagne (Classic Glitter – Silver 1)

METRO Virtual Fashion (vol 2 issue 1) accepting advertisements

METRO Virtual Fashion will tentatively be published on the first or second week of March… and we’ll be bringing you some of our favourite things from the virtual world of fashion in Second Life! It’s promising to be another large issue with the beautiful high-quality fashion photography you’ve come to expect, and articles written by the models on what they’ve found on the grid to wear.

The current advertising rates are frozen for the March issue only! After this issue, we’ll be increasing them, so don’t hesitate to take opportunity of this fantastic offer… METRO Virtual Fashion’s ad rates are some of the most affordable you’ll find anywhere. Click here for more info.

Ad deadline for receipt of payment and image: March 1, 2008.

We offer design services!

PhotoStage Launch Event + Photography Contest

Ananke Media Systems proudly announces the launch of PhotoStage, a revolutionary studio photography toolkit especially designed for the metaverse.

Please join us at spectacular Alexander Beach on 17th February 2008 at 12 noon SLT. A guided tour video will be shown, followed by a photo contest and the amazing music of Kromus Korobase.

During the photo contest you will be able to shoot our fabulous models and submit your photos to the judges. The winner will get a fully-functional PhotoStage, wall space at the unique NeAt trIcKs fREe GaLlErY to display their work, and a full spread on The Best of SL magazine.

Contact us for additional information at ananke.media.systems@gmail.com, and check out our website for the latest news and tips.

See you there!

Metro Models is pleased to have a couple of our models featured in the event, and we hope you can make it out to play around with this great product. We use the PhotoStage at our own studio for fashion shoots and love its ease of use and many features. As well, I’ll be judging the photography contest along with two other judges… good luck to everyone who enters, I can’t wait to see what you end up doing with the setup!

How to get the most out of a fashion event.

NEW SHOOTS II (feat. GHOST! and Aphrodite Creations) was held this past weekend, and I’m pleased to say we had great attendance (Sunday’s show filled the sim) and the models, hostesses, and live MC/DJs did a spectacular job. It’s thanks to the great team at Metro Models that our fashion events run so smoothly and appear so professional.

Any event attended by large numbers of avatars puts strain on the sim’s server, and lag is inevitable. It’s unfortunate when this happens during a fashion show, because the entire point is for the models to rez. The good news is, there’s ways to cut down on lag!

Much lag is actually client-side, meaning, it’s on your computer, not the server. By understanding a bit about how your graphics settings in Second Life work, and tweaking them a bit for the show, you can have a much more enjoyable event experience. I’ll show you the settings I tell the models backstage to use… load up your preferences (Edit > Preferences, or, Ctrl + P).

Under the General tab, change “Show Names” to “Never”. You can just change this back after the show… turn it off once you’ve had a look around at the glitterrati attending the event.

Under the Graphics tab, change your Draw Distance to 64. If the runway or stage area is further away, you may need to play with this a bit… the Metro stage, however, will be visible at 64.

Lots of things to change under Graphics Detail! Turn OFF Vertex Shaders. Turn OFF Ripple Water (you won’t need it for a fashion show!) I leave Bumpmapping and Shiny on because some accessories will use them. Change Avatar Rendering to Normal. Set your Lighting Detail to Sun and moon only (the stage is ideally orientated to look good under either forced Sunrise or Sunset.) Change Terrain Detail to Low. Lastly, move all the Mesh Detail sliders to a mid-point.

Now, under Advanced Graphics, change the Max. Particle Count to 0. This will get rid of ALL particle effects for Second Life, including mist, bling, poofers, fireworks, and the like. You’ll probably want to turn it back on after the show, so when you do, just increase the count to between 2,000 and 4,000. You won’t believe the amount of lag particles cause on your computer.

You can also do your part by attending the show with minimal attachments and accessories. You won’t need your AO because you’ll be sitting down in a chair to watch the show. You won’t need your facelight because you’ve turned off local lighting anyway. You should check on your hair, shoes, and any jewelry you’re wearing to see how many prims it is… to do this, right click on your attached item, select “Edit”, and under general info that comes up it will tell you how many objects, and how many primitives your item is (if that info doesn’t show up, click the “More” button). But keeping your outfit low-prim and low-lag doesn’t mean you have to look like a new player!

In this outfit, my only prims are in my shoes and hair. I’ve avoided sculpty prims because they take so long to rez, and I’m wearing a non-prim skirt. The dress is by Paper Couture, and they’re a great choice for low-prim style because of their high-quality texturing and use of the skirt layer. PC also draws a lot of their jewelry onto the outfit, so you don’t have to wear anything else to accessorize. Because I’ll be sitting down to watch the event, I’ve put on some tights under my skirt for modesty and a layered look. To match the lace trim on the tights, I added some lace fingerless gloves. My shoes are simple black wedge Mary Janes I’ve had in my inventory for ages, and the hair is a 40-prim fashion-forward style by Calla. Full credits below.

hair: Calla Narcissus in Black
skin: TaP Vivant Lustrous 3 in Buff
dress: Paper Couture Railway in Ocean
tights: OPIUM Everyday grey lace trim leggings (tinted dark blue)
shoes: JHD Mary Jane wedges
gloves: homemade fingerless lace gloves (bug me and I’ll send you a copy.)

New Shoots II – Alaska’s Picks

New Shoots II will feature the best in up-and-coming talent from virtual designers… I’m excited to show this fabulous stuff and want to give you a preview of what’s to come! The show is running Saturday Feb. 9th (tonight) at 7 PM SLT, and again Sunday Feb. 10th at 12 noon SLT.

GHOST!’s “Tip” dress is a couture gown with a hint of mystery and darkness. The razored fluffy skirt, striped gloves, and sequined top have excellent detail in the texturing. I also love how this fashion photo turned out, it’s one of my favourites with the high fashion pose and the model’s statuesque form. I found it suited the dress well. Model: Lalaine Lafontaine.

Aphrodite Creation’s “Vintish” pump comes in a variety of unique combinations of colour and texture. I just loved the retro feel of the round toe, stiletto heel, and alternating green and brown patent leather. These shoes add a touch of retro class to any outfit. Model: my own legs.

GHOST!’s Valle Dark dress is a true show-stopper of a gown with a long train of fabric and lace , asymmetrical top, and gathered fabric detail on the shoulder. We’re giving away 1 copy of this gown at tonight’s show and again at tomorrow’s. Sadly, I’m not eligible. Model: Gamp Lane

Aphrodite Creations’ Greyceful gown (shown here in “Noon”) is a lovely soft velvety textured dress with many ways to wear it. Here it’s shown with a black fur trim, scarf, and shorter skirt option. The colour is such a rich, emotive teal blue. Model: Kyra Nemeth.

That’s just a taste of what we’ll be showing at New Shoots II… we hope you can join us for the fashion show!

Featured Model – Queenie Extraordinaire

We’re taking a break from showing the newer, up-and-coming models and are featuring a couple of the virtual modelling worlds’ veterans, starting with the fabulous Queenie. I first met this lovely lady through Palomma Casanova’s DoveVogue modelling agency in 2005, and have worked with her ever since. I met up with her for a short shoot and a chance to ask some quick questions about her start in modelling… to which she gave highly detailed and excellent answers.

You’ve been in Second Life for a long time. How did you originally get started in virtual modelling?

Queenie: This question actually made me dig through my inventory!  I applied to DoveVogue back in December of 2004 and I believe it may have been the only modeling agency in SL at that time.  One of my best friends, Daphne Molinari, was pretty involved and I thought it sounded like a so much fun, so with her encouragement I applied.

What have been some of your modelling career highlights?

Queenie: Surviving each show without having my blood pressure go through the roof? LOL I take it seriously, preparing my poses and “look” for each outfit the moment I have the clothes in my inventory.  But, that’s not what you asked.  Highlights…Le’ Cadre Fashion Week in Septemeber of 2005…it literally was fashion “week” and we were doing 3 shows a day.  I remember all the rehearsals, three different stages with three different walks and some being much more complicated than what most of us do nowadays.  Preparation was grueling at times, but in the end we had a LOT of fun and pulled it off quite well.  Another time that really sticks out for me is the ONE fashion show I organized.  It featured 5 designers I think (hey, you were one of them, Alaska!) and it was for Second Life’s Birthday in June of 2006.  It was fabulous and I think Moo Money has a video of it floating around somewhere, but in order for me to try and pull something like that off again I would need to quit my RL job because I was up until 5AM for a week straight preparing.  Finally, each agency I have been involved with over the years has been a highlight in itself; they were all good experiences as well as learning experiences, and I have met many wonderful people through all.

Aside from modeling, what else are you involved with in Second Life?

Queenie: Pretty much everything I do is at least some sort of off-shoot of modeling or fashion.  Originally my main profession in SL was as a DJ and manager of a radio station which I stepped back from about a year ago after some major RL changes.  I do miss it, but RL is different for me now and it’d be hard to step back into a committed schedule.   I do enjoy blogging fashion, something I had started doing on my own sometime in 2006 and now do with The Rummage Box alongside some truly fantastic girls.   I recently took on the role as a Marketing Representative for ASpiRE!’s New Designer Showcase…I have wanted to become more involved with one or more of the agencies I am with and the opportunity came up for this role which was small enough and manageable enough for me to juggle.  I am also the one and only customer service gal for DE Designs; and I say it like that because some people like to “impersonate” staff of stores throughout SL…shame, shame!   I have also been involved in some machinima as far back as March of 2006 with Bedazzle (seemingly now defunct?) as well as more recently with Millions of Us.  That’s always great fun too and something I’d like to do more.

Do you have a favourite designer or a fashion icon that inspires you?

Queenie: Every single designer or creator I have blogged has inspired me in some way.  I wouldn’t have blogged them if they didn’t.  I always cringe when questioned about favorite designers because inevitably I leave someone out that should have been a no-brainer.  Anyone who knows the slightest thing about me however knows that DoC Eldritch of DE Designs is my number one and it has nothing to do with the fact that I model or work CS for him…modeling for him came after I was already a fan, and the CS role came much, much later after a long and trusting relationship had been built.  His classic designs are like wearable art, which I have seen others try to do and it just never compares, and his recent evolution into more everyday-wear has been very exciting!  As for fashion icons?  Well, some of my favorite bloggers to watch include Carissa Crimson and Milla Michinaga for their crisp, clear pictures and the fact that they can make a burlap sack look hot.  Also my fellow Rummage Boxer, Kitty Lalonde, for being totally over the top (sometimes too much so!!  LOL) with her humor and original photoshopping skills.  There are plenty of others I admire greatly, but these few are my top picks.

What advice would a model pro like yourself have for someone new to the world of SL modelling?

Queenie: Oh lordy, where to start?
1. Choose your poses wisely!  I swear I am going to do a blog post on poses that need to be wiped completely from SL’s database.  There are some wicked old ones out there that I still see used so often that are just horrid compared to the vast assortment of fantastic ones we have access to these days.  Watch out for those “broken ankles”, tip-toes, unnatural positions, and poses that distort the outfit you are modeling.
2. When you receive your outfits for a show take the time to put together a look and poses that best complement the outfit.  Some outfits or designers may call for a wilder hairstyle, but a general rule of thumb is to NOT wear hair or accessories (IF accessories are allowed) that overshadow the outfit.
3. Do NOT panic!  We all lag, and we all make mistakes.  In most cases the lag will break (if the sim doesn’t crash first lol) and as far as mistakes go most of the time the audience will not even notice unless you call attention to it.  Take a deep breath and keep going.
4. Be up-to-date with a variety of hairstyles, well-made shoes and fresh skins.  No, this is not cheap and not every modeling agency pays beyond getting to keep the clothes, but I see modeling in SL as a hobby, and many hobbies do cost some money to maintain.
5. Most importantly in my experience: BE RELIABLE.  Just ONE no-show model can throw an entire fashion show into disarray and chaos.  Yes, RL happens and most people are forgiving and understanding of that, but try to find a way to let someone know ASAP if you are having problems.  Do you have a friend in RL who plays SL that can log-in and give a message?  An email or IM of someone involved?  When you sign on to model, even in a virtual world, it’s a commitment and people are counting on you.

Excellent advice! Queenie’s outfit list will follow in comments, I forgot to ask her what her awesome outfit was!

NEW SHOOTS II – A Fashion Showcase

Metro Models is pleased to announce that NEW SHOOTS II, a fashion showcase for new designers, will be running this weekend at the Metro event stage and features the extraordinary new talent of Triangle Caudron of GHOST! and Aphrodite Outlander of Aphrodite Creations. Please join us at one of two shows to see the next generation of fashion design talent.

When:  Sat February 9th at 7:00 PM SLT and
Sun February 10th at 12:00 noon SLT

Where: Metro Event Stage (click for SLURL)

We suggest coming about 10 minutes early to secure a seat, and suggest removing all extra scripted items from your avatar, including colour change accessories, HUDs, and Animation Overrides. For the best light for photography, we suggest forcing to Sunset in the World menu. Thank you and we hope to see you there!