SL fashion weeks declining

I've had the opportunity to watch a recent fashion week in SL.  I took some footage of some shows and below you can watch the last show, before the final one.

There are several aspects to consider here: I've stated over and over again that it's my true belief that the closer to RL, the better a fashion event will be inworld - obviously considering SL limitations.
In RL, all new collections from many designers are released in fashion weeks all over the world, for the first time.

In SL, there have been fashion weeks since the time Modavia was still an active modeling agency. They used to do their fashion weeks at the same time as NYC Fashion week - around September, at least,  I had the opportunity of watching them two years in a row.

Then Avenue did two fashion weeks as well, within a year period.

This latest fashion week I watched was a wreck.  Total flop.
What I saw was an agency that is screaming to the entire SL modeling and fashion scene - we are here, we are alive, we never stop.
Eventually, in this urge to show themselves as a very active agency, the results could be seen, not only in this latest fashion week, but also in the previous one this same agency organized.

Both sets were terrible, in my opinion.
This latest one was some kind of cathedral.  What is the problem with a cathedral as a fashion set for a fashion week?  In itself, none.

However, the way the building was texturized took all the attention away from the clothes.  After all, thinking from the perspective of a designer, you would want your collection to shine.  It was visually impossible. All colors, details, materials were outshined by the whole building's textures.  No matter what those models wore, the outfits didn't shine at all.

In the audience area,  the place was packed with logos of all designers represented in this 'fashion week', piled up without any consideration of space and basic aesthethics.

Then, the performance of some models on the runway brought me back to why I decided in 2009 to create a quite opinionated blog.  How is it possible that after all these years, models keep repeating the same mistakes, over and over again?

Again, I observe this craving for 'fame', instead of working models, like a regular job, just as it is in RL.   What is most unfortunate is that the more ´famous´ the model is, the worst she performs on the runway.   I have to say that the male models I watched did a very good job, though.

This time, there were situations that we simply cannot  blame on lag or other circumstances; circumstances depending only on SL viewers.

Pose repetition - it's not lag.
Arms up and pointing - it's not lag.
Empty runway for about five minutes (!!!) - that is not lag!

As soon as you have the opportunity to watch the video of the whole show, you'll see what I mean. This show took about an hour (!!!)  in a fashion week!  The runway was empty several times and that's not lag.  It only speaks of the poor organization of this ´fashion event´.

I did my best to edit the video in real time.  You will be able to see time go by and nobody on the runway at least on two different occasions.

As usual, I write my comments on the video. It was very sad to watch this show, situations  repeating themselves, after all the years I've been writing this blog.

There are no names in the video. I name no models.
Just watch, if you have the time and the patience.

I have the complete footage of the final show of this 'fashion week', too. I just wondered for some time if it was worth it to spend my time editing it.   Eventually, I came to the conclusion that it wasn't worth it.

If you didn't watch the final show of this 'fashion event', in the end, they brought to the runway all the staff that was backstage, naming who did what.
I was flabbergasted!  That isn't important! Only in SL this seems to be accepted as a 'regular thing to do' after a fashion show!

Every fashion week for real, by the end of the show , will bring to the runway THE DESIGNER! Not the staff that was backstage!  I mean, was this for real?

Have you ever seen a real life fashion show where they actually bring out the show manager - yes, the guy who is wearing a headset and sending models out? All backstage people,  in a real life fashion show - especially the stylists that are prepping models -   are wearing a hearing device that will allow them to listen to what the manager is saying and how much time they have to completely set up a model, ready to go out!
Then, models go out and in the end the designer goes out too.

But not here, no! Let's bring up all the agency's staff!  Sad, truly sad to have such a distorted vision of what a fashion show really is!  It's not about the agency! It's about the DESIGNERS!

Here's the video, forgive some of my slippy fingers ( yes, typos) sometimes on the comments.



 I've been informed there are more 'fashion weeks' coming up in SL.

One of them will have all shows at 10am SLT.  All shows?   Do they mean that they will have several shows, during a whole week ( that's why these are called Fashion Weeks), in several locations - meaning several shows each day, always at 10am?

Or do they mean they will do a fashion week with ONE show per day?  THAT is NOT a fashion week.  It won't be!

Another modeling agency in SL in desperate need to show some activity?  Looks like it!

SL Fashion Magazines going down - Style Kingdom is a Kingdom with no style

It's very clear the great changes that have been going on in SL©, regarding fashion magazines.
To make it simple, they are outdated, part of the past.

Still, some people see fashion magazines like a money making machine, because there are ads and it's part of an economy.

However, the quality of those magazines is very questionable.  Print modeling in SL is changing into another directions and that is definitely not through the 'old sames old' magazines, then hosted on the website Issuu.

Here's a good one to take a look at:  Style Kingdom.
First of all, what is Style Kingdom? How does this 'magazine' reach the next level in SL© fashion?
It simply doesn't.

Some of their photographers are the same old photographers. Nothing new there.  So, what's new?  Nothing, actually. The layout of the magazine is not updated, every RL fashion magazine has the best staff to keep the layout renewed, always taking into consideration that they are fashion magazines, with a very specific target.

With major changes going on in SL© Fashion, Style Kingdom set up a model casting some time ago and I was informed they are actively looking for more staff.  What for, I wonder?

What I wanted to show you is a huge mistake that cannot happen, if we are talking of a fashion magazine.  This would never happen in RL.

I hereby declare the original work of the cropped image I'm about to show you belongs to Style Kingdom Magazine and the full photo is the work of Pam Astonia as a photographer. No copyright infringement intended, as a blogger.  This photo doesn't belong to me and  I'm using just a  portion of it  according to DCMA Fair Use (the explanatory legal aspect can be consulted on the web and also in some of my previous posts) to express my opinion about it.  The link to original work is provided here.

This type of mistake shouldn't happen in a quality fashion magazine. Do you see it?

The Style Credits aren't right.
Shall we see?

- Dress Into the White and Fur Shawl - where is the shawl in the photo?
- Palma bracelet with hud - where is the bracelet?
- Hair - B429 in grey - is it grey?

Where is the reference to the bag the model is wearing in the original photo [they were so detailed about the complete look, us readers, we are missing the bag] . Where is the reference to the ring?

This only shows what the panorama in the so called  'fashion magazines' in SL© is like. Sad, outdated, not at all fashion related.

I guess this SL© magazine is more concerned about 'showing work' very quickly, as if this meant success;  it doesn't.
It only shows the entire fashion and modeling community in SL© who to not work for, especially if models and photographers are after quality.
This particular release was a photographers mini special, according to the owner.

And that's it. Nothing new, mistakes in several aspects of the magazine, one of them being the so very outdated layout and this humongous mistake in style credits that should never happen - not even once, in a magazine that wants to take SL© by surprise, as in the next big thing.

It's not and I doubt it will ever be.

Scala - the phoenix emerging from the ashes

I must say I was quite impressed [ and excited too, a breath of fresh air]  when I knew that some of the previous staff members from Avenue started their own Academy and Models Agency - Scala.  

Those of you who have been reading me for years,  know I'm going after SL fashion shows and focus greatly on runway walking and posing.  As the fashion community and activities started to change, I started to follow print work too. 

Scala Models Academy is run by one of the best SL professional models [with an extensive career, that I have followed] - Seashell Dench and by the well recognized and reputable Model Trainer Kryptonia Paperdoll.  

The fact that Scala started their activities with teaching,  speaks highly to me.  Training is the most important thing for a SL model and these two highly respected members of the fashion community in SL started right where SL models most need right now.  What to do, where to start, when everything in modeling is changing so fast?  Training, obviously. 

They were extremely smart and cleaver to start giving to models what they most need right now. This only shows me that they mean to help new models to have their careers going, as opposed to some egotistic activities or self-centered 'famous' models that , I believe have started something connected to "luxury", this week,  I believe?  

Another Model's Agency that didn't really impress me, that much.   
Trying to see what's going on among the professional model's community, I can't help wondering: this new Agency that sent out their press release this week,  is full of  'famous' (?) models as members of their staff. 

I really don't want to mention their names here, they don't need publicity - they made sure by their professional activities that it's all about them, not helping others.  

I can give the example of one of them, Anna Saphire -  I wrote about her before, regarding the work she was doing at Avenue Magazine.  From a certain moment on, there was Anna Saphire all over the magazine, month after month after month. Boring! That's when Avenue Magazine started to go down.   

People don't change easily, so, I'm guessing this new 'Agency' run by Anna Saphire will also be all about herself.  They released a website, where their models will be able to post,  it doesn't seem like a blog, but more of a website.  

They also mention in their press release they are a 'boutique-style agency'  and that brings me back in time when another 'famous' SL model created a 'boutique' group of models that went down as fast as it came up. It has been done before, this 'boutique' concept.


In opposition, Scala emerged focusing on other models, not on the owners of the Agency and Academy. 

It's going to be interesting to see how this goes, because all this means the end of Avenue, as these two groups of people came from  Avenue - now dead and buried. 

Scala, however, surfaced as extremely humble [with no 'luxury' or 'boutique' concept attached to it] in their press release, efficient in their communication  - first, they started teaching. Well done! 

Then, I was able to read a note on Scala FB page,  by Seashell Dench. 
The mindset of Scala seems to be a total refreshment in the fashion industry.  First business target - create jobs and pay people for the jobs they do.

She mentions Scala won't give people tags, unless there is actually a job connected to it.  So, these people from Scala, have a clear goal: change mentalities [according to Ms Dench's words].  Models and people that want to work in the fashion industry must be payed and not invited to SL Groups, to get a tag - if I read it correctly. 

This stunned me, really.  This is a complete twist in the way models see their careers in SL.  I too see may tags in fashion events and believe me, I know that so many times, a tag is the result of nothing. It's just a tag, not a job. The way Ms Dench put it, I think  SL professional models are going to experience how this amazing perspective unravels. 

I saw people being sad, because Avenue ended; now I say, I can't wait to see how Scala is able to relate to a community that has been based on fake jobs,  egotistic attitudes - when models just love to be the next 'it-girl'.  

In a toxic environment, where words like 'luxury'and 'boutique' sound fashionable,  I really want to see this shift of mindset in SL modeling, that seems to be Scala's main focus - models work, they get payed; creation of jobs, not tags. To impress by the work done, focus on improving professional SL models' careers and also seems like they are  giving away the 'luxury' and 'boutique' ideas to those who are really after showcasing themselves, just like Anna Saphire did when she took over Avenue Magazine. 

Just one minor detail I saw at Anna Saphire's new 'project's release and I quote:

"(...) models will stand out as they are the most skilled, talented and unique models in the industry, ready to work with the designers and ensure they are extremely well represented."  

This needs a clarification: a Model's Agency represents Models, not designers.  
But again, this was probably written in the wrong way and conveyed the idea that Model Agencies represent designers. They don't. They represent models and then have contracts with designers [as it is done on SL - in RL it's different]. 

Not a very good marketing strategy, conveying the wrong idea right from the start: Model Agencies 'representing'  designers. Strange, to say the least.  Model Agencies represent models to then, be hired by designers.
But well, we will see where all this will go. 


For me, Scala really got my positive attention. I'll be around, as usual.