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.