To make it simple, they are outdated, part of the past.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 Sad, outdated, not at all fashion related.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.
8 comments:
Obviously everyone has their own opinion, and you certainly have a right to yours. However, you should make an attempt at collecting facts that support your opinion as you choose to voice them publically in a blog for everyone to see. You have made several unsupported statements. A professional fashion critic would never do that in RL. Style Kingdom is non-profit. Therefore, all styles represented in the magazine get free publicity. Models and photographers get paid by the owner himself. Those "same old" photographers are a few of the best in secondlife and are utilized by most people when submitting contest photos and are for many other publications for that their reputation and outstanding work. There was one mistake in the photo that you referred to. Sorry, people make mistakes even in RL publications, which this is not. Style Kingdom was created to give new and unknown models a fair shot at showcasing their skills to the fashion industry while also featuring models who are on the rise or who have made a name for themselves already. Each individual is treated fairly across the board so that those with talent, but cannot afford to attend academies and get certifications can still have their talent seen. What is actually sad and outdated is the bashing and badmouthing of good hearted people with the best intentions who offer fair opportunities to others without profiting or gaining from it, while there are agencies, magazines and other platforms that profit greatly and do not pay their models enough to even cover the costs to style for their participation.
Much appreciated for your comment Jade.
This is my opinion, obviously you have yours, you are partnered with the owner of the magazine, I get it.
Read my article again, I never mentioned anything about who is being payed or not.
The 'same old' photographers I talk about - and this is probably hard for you to understand - I'm not saying they are not good, I'm saying their photos are old fashioned. Isn't your magazine about fashion? Fashion is all about being new, doing something new. That's all I said, read again.
Your magazine has an outdated layout, people are tired to see fashion magazines looking the same, for years in SL©. That's what I am saying.
I have no clue where you got the idea that I'm talking about people being payed or not. And mistakes like the one you made, I bet you won't make it again. So, see my article as positive, instead of focusing on things I never even mentioned. I never said any of you had bad intentions, what I'm saying - read the article again, if you will - is that it's outdated, aesthetically. That is my opinion. I can see that you have no idea what a real life fashion critique does. You should read more real life fashion blogs and - now that we're talking about magazines - check real life magazines as well and you'll see how outdated and 'old' you are, professionally. Yes, even if this is 'just' SL©.
Again, much appreciated for taking you time to answer.
Thank you for choosing to read and review Style Kingdom, out of all the magazines currently in SL.
My team & I read your points and redid the outdated layout. Please have a look at our latest magazine.
http://issuu.com/style_kingdom/docs/sk-vol6-march2014-boho
By the way Fashion Critique, since you like to compare SL and RL, fashion critics in RL always state their REAL names so even though this is I quote, "just SL", maybe you should start revealing your SL username when you write all these critics.
I'm betting this comment won't be published by you because you're in a way, a bit of a coward who hides behind the SL Fashion Critique blogspot profile name to criticize anyone you wish.
Many people wonder why you don't dare reveal your SL username. Scared of being critiqued yourself because of who you are?
BOSL magazine must change name to WOSL magazine. WORST of SL.
NO Fashion Pages
NO Good Models
NO Good Writers
NO Good Sponsors
NO Good Photographers
NO Class.Period. Extreme Low Quality from Page 1 to Page N.
Worst magazine on grid.
IMHO Style Kingdom better than WOSL magazine.
Appreciated for your comment Sal. Your opinion is clearly stated.
Much appreciated for your comment Dougie and for your opinion, too.
You mention my identity (or the lack of it) and the way I compare RL to SL.
We all know that SL is, per se, a world of anonymity . The user name in SL doesn't mean you give away who you really are.
Women log in SL with male avatars and men with female.
Some even engage in a personal emotional relationship with another avatar and eventually end up hurting that person for real, affecting their real emotions.
That is deceit to the extreme, because of the personal and close contact, many times entering their real lives though other platforms other than SL.
In my case, I could tell everybody my SL log in name and that says nothing about who I am. SL is anonymous by default.
What seems to bother people is that my blog is opinionated and people may agree with me or not. I watch and observe the modeling world in SL and write about what I see since 2009.
It's my opinion about a certain activity, I don't dwell on each human beings' validity, if this person's actions are wrong or right, morally speaking. That was never my intent. I don't criticize people. I watch, observe and then give my own opinion about a specific field of work within SL.
If you remove yourself from the equation, you'll notice that I only compare SL to RL fashion in terms of quality. Nothing more.
I've been critiqued, threatened, you name it, because people take my words personally, coming from a Fashion Critique Blog in Second Life© - which is, like I said - anonymous in its essence.
Who you are Dougie, is no concern to anybody outside SL. It's nobody's business. I hope this clarifies that even if I publicly stated my inworld name, that would mean nothing.
My writing style seems to affect people somehow and I get it; however, my only goal from the start has always been to improve quality in the modeling scene in SL.
If you or any other agency/magazine owners decide to take it personally, it's your prerogative . It's not personal towards you or anybody else.
This is a blog about my opinions on a very specific field of work in SL.
If I like something, if I see quality in it, I'll mention it; if I see something that lacks quality, I'll write about it.
Ultimately, it's a matter of opinion. It's a choice to read what I write or not, agree with it or not. Polite comments like yours are, and will always be, welcome in my blog.
Hello again Ms Fashion Critique, Style Kingdom did a 360 degree revamp in our layout for our 2nd yr anniversary edition.
Do take a look when you can and feel free to critize it based on the things you do not like with our new layout lol
http://issuu.com/style_kingdom/docs/vol10
My only request is to not attack me personally about my interview :)
Thank you!
Once more, I do appreciate your comment Dougie.
I'm glad if , for some unknown reason, any of my posts or comments, may have contributed to raising the quality of your magazine- or any magazine, for that matter.
However, in your interview, you explain how you got from one place to a new platform , a new level of fashion print quality, that means you did it on your own.
Kudos for your interview! I mean it! The fact that you clearly state that your avatar is male but you are female in RL was an act of an extreme honesty - which is so rare in SL©. That is the human part I usually don't comment or post; my job is modeling and fashion related.
In this case, what you did was brave, honest, human.
But that's not what matters to me, as a fashion and modeling oriented blogger. It matters to your emotional partner, who seems to be a brave and courageous person, to push you forward in not being ashamed of who you are. Proud of yourself!
I see that in your most recent magazine, you had the cooperation of other fashion and modeling agencies; again, kudos for that! The layout improved, indeed!
And most of all, I'm truly impressed that you don't come here to bash my critiques, you actually engage in a sort of communication, free of aggressive dynamics, no matter my post about Style Kingdom.
I do appreciate that even more!
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