The new beautiful

Long time without writing a word about fashion, magazines or models.

However, I'm not dead and burried yet.
Some things I noticed have been happening to some SL® Models.

A need, a kind of crave to look unique. I've said this often before: it should be the ultimate goal for a SL® model -  to have a  recognizable avatar  in a simple snapshot, with no name on it.

And a new generation of unique models has arisen. 
Some time ago, it came to my knowledge that a blogger who isn't very active inworld modeling or someone connected to her,  claimed that a very active and known SL® model 'stole' her image, meaning copied her look.

Let's go back a little in time and see what happened, regading the type of look that we are talking about.

I'm also going to post some images taken from some Flickr accounts to explain my point of view and I obviously state that the photos you are about to see aren't mine, the link to the rightful owners' Flickr accounts will be included.
I, therefore, do not own the rights to the images you're about to see, but I use portions of them,  according to DCMA Fair Use (the explanatory legal aspect can be read at the end of this post).

To have a 'different' avatar in SL isn't easy or better said, a recognizable avatar, without the name tag over it's head. In photos that is even more evident and clear.

The first SL® model I remember being very different and unique was Jesika Contepomi.

In the beginning of 2010, Jesika's face was already extremely recognizable; original image can be seen in the owner's Flickr.

A very square jaw and full lips, ears more to the the outer part of the skull , that she developped as her image until 2012.

 Full original image on Jesika's Flickr photostream.


Another SL® model, emerged with a very similar facial structure as Jesika: Anna Saphire.  Let's go back to 2011, this is how Anna Saphire looked like. This photo belongs to her and is used here for explanatory purposes only -  original image on Anna's Flickr photostream.

In 2012, Anna Saphire won MVW with a face shape similar to Jesika's.  The photo next is published in Anna's Flickr and the photographer was Daniele Eberhardt.

It's only natural that, with time, SL® models work on their avatars; after all, it's their jobs if they don't want to be 'look-a-likes'.

Anna's face remain unique, one of a kind; a work in progress since that first photo we see from 2011.
Here is a photo cropped by me,  taken by Falballa Fairey, published in Anna's Flickr, this year, last May.  Please, check the original photo.
All credits to the owners of these images. 

Going back to the beginning of this post,  I've heard that someone related to a blogger that takes photos and  publishes her work on Flickr, claims that Anna Saphire 'stole' her look, or better, copied her look.

It's extremely important to see the original photos and see the dates when the images were published.

This photo you are about to see, from that blogger I mentioned above,  was published in March this year.  Does Anna's avatar even look remotely like this?  To see the original image, please click here.

From March until July this year,  as you can see,  some facial aspects of this avatar were modified  - original work here - and some photos of this blogger suggest that she may look like another very distinctive SL models's avatar, not Anna's , nor Jesika's. 

It obvisouly depends on the skins that are used with certain shapes and with the growing illegal activities in SL®, such as copybotting, anybody can have a distinctive look in less than six months.  All that is needed is to work with a shape for some time and there we have it: a distinctive look a unique avatar's shape, however strangely similar to some very known SL® models.

Just by following the timeline, it's really easy to see who actually copied who.
It was brought to my attention later that the person who had  accused Anna Saphire of copying this look eventually apologized.

A good thing to do, surely. But the attitude of accusing in the first place is nothing more than a call for dramatic situations.  These situations should be ignored.

These accusations, the copybotting, illegal activities in SL®, all these point not only to harrassment,  but also trolling. Either way, they should be ignored and all models that have worked years to come up with a different look should just ignore any type of accusations.

The reason to ignore and move on is simple: most trolls* and content thieves in SL® are after some kind of recognition and if possible, extreme attention. To stop it, every illegal copy of a shape, skin or outfit, should not be revealed and should be dealt legally. So far, LL® have failed to protect creators who pay to be in Second Life®, which means so far they have failed to protect their own customers.  Nothing that a good group of lawyers can't fix. All this should be dealt in silence, in a legal manner and it has to be done in the USA.

In SL®'s fashion scene, it's important that most successful models know they will be eventually harrassed; they just need to be very aware of this: let all accusations fall into silence. No answer, no reply.  If necessary, in terms of Flickr, users can report or flag content published by others that belongs to them.  In SL®, however, it's not that effective. Stealing creator's authorship has been regular for years and so far LL® hasn't dealt with it in any way, shape or manner. 

*Trolls : online slang to define people who - very fond of large audiences - stir up  drama abusing their online anonimity. To stop them, the first step is to publicly ignore them, not making one simple comment or answering to any provocation. Trolls reveal  sociapathic tendencies because they show no remorse, therefore they are imune to any common reasoning or logic argument, which means there is no point in even answering to them once.  Trolls usually thrive in online forums or public chat places, or websites where people can add comments. They have adapted to SL, in this case it's called 'harrassment';  we can stop this harrassment just by ignoring any contact made by any of them, wether it's on open chat or in a private message.  Next step is to mute them. Each and every one of them.  They are relentless and gain energy every time they get an answer to one of their comments. The only way to stop them is to completely ignore them. Not one single word.

** The images I used here belong to their rightful owners, with links provided to the original body of work.  This is not a copyright enfringementent according to DCMA Fair Use - Title 17 › Chapter 1 › § 107.

L'Homme Magazine - The authority in SL's men's fashion (?!?!)

'The Authority in SL's Men's Fashion'

 This is the subtitle of L'Homme Magazine for June 2013.
Let me write it again:  'The Authority in SL's Men's Fashion' (?????)

Whose authority, may I ask?

Zachary something [I forgot his last name] 's authority?
Are we talking about SL fashion regarding a boy in his twenties who pulled together a magazine he thinks it's focused on male fashion?

I'm not even going to have link to the magazine; for sure you'll find it and take a look at it if you haven't already.

Good news is that Zachary  states in the first page of the magazine he's going to step down as Editor-in-Chief.  Last thing the fashion community in SL needs is a kid to run a fashion magazine in SL.

In graphic terms, imagery is regular; this Zachary person is well connected. He got some 'famous' SL photographers to pull the magazine together; again, I'm not going to say some names, because these 'famous' SL photographers are extremely popular, yet that doesn't mean they are very good in fashion photography. They can be good at PS, sure!

These photographers have created quite a reputation in their Flickr accounts; liking their photos or not is a personal opinion. Maybe one is worth mentioning - Marcopol Oh who is actually  a visionnaire and more artistic in creating his imagery.

There is a section in the magazine that is quite childish, fashionwise,  called Paparazzi. The paparazzi 'victims' are a couple of models in SL , that, again, may be considered popular; however, this particular section, the way I see it, has nothing to do with fashion. It's a SL couple with their SL child.  The outfits' description is there, indeed; here, the photo quality decreases greatly.

There is also a spread called Road Trip. The photos were taken by a SL male model that has achieved quite a good professional reputation in male fashion and is, in RL,  a woman - Hikaru Enimo.  Personally, I have no problems with that.  In the first pages of the magazine, the SL photographer Petra Messioptra [who we all think is a woman in RL, but we can't tell] poses with her male avatar. 

And finally, I'd like to mention Marcopol's vision on a fashion spread that is really editorial; photos taken with a white or black  background, focused on the model and his style.  Here is what we could easily see in a RL fashion magazine -  the concept of an editorial spread.

Basically, this edition of L'Homme magazine is this person's goodbye - Zachary, I mean. Being focused greatly on SL fashion for years,  having attended myself many fashion shows, having read several SL fashion magazines, I don't even  know who this Zachary character is.

He may have been Mister Virtual something. I'm done even considering pageants as part of the fashion scene in SL.  If he was, that explains me not knowing who Zachary is. 
Indeed I mentioned his age - he is around his twenties, that I was told - just like most of you I'm well connected among the fashion/modeling world in SL and people talk. Nevertheles, I have never met or seen any fashion show with this male Zachary ' model'.

It's a very good decision of his to just go away.  Being so young, it's unlikely he has the personal and professional maturity to do a good job and there would be a good chance that he could get the 'Editorial Clarity' disease (another one that is in his twenties) - 'I'm a nobody in RL; but hey, people know my SL name'. Laughable, of course!

To read L'Homme magazine this month,  is like going through Flickr. Some photos are average - considering that more and more SL fashion photographers are raising the bar - always taking into consideration that I'm talking about fashion and fashion magazines, not talking about PS effects. 

Farewell, Zachary!  Take your time to mature and eventually be good at what you want to do. 

A fashion limbo on SL Magazines

Fashion has evolved very much in SL over the past couple of years.  Fashion shows and designers' showcases have become more realistic - apart from one or two Agencies that keep on providing low quality services.

I do believe that the closer it is to RL, the more quality both client and seller will have in SL.
Lately, many SL Models have created their own fashion blogs, fortunately for the rest of us, because in general SL Fashion Magazines are now in a limbo - nothing really new or stands out.

Print work is done by SL Models themselves. Some are very good at it, others are not but we do have a good range of fashion blogs to chose from, to read and to enjoy their aesthetics.
This situation - I believe - has been putting SL Fashion Magazines in a place where we almost don't need them.  The importance of a magazine in RL fashion is huge. Magazines make trends, their staff is carefully selected in order to provide services that no other magazine has.

What I see happening now in almost all SL Magazines is that models are actually promoting themselves, instead of  being just a model. Meaning what?

In every RL Magazine staff the role of Fashion Editor is pretty much what everybody wants and only a selected few get. That's the person who has that catchy eye and finds designers, models and photographers that make trends.  One 'simple' editorial article changes a model's life, a photographers' life, the magazine's success. That's the person who isn't obviously a model, but has to know everything in the fashion industry and move extremely well in all social circles.

In SL this so important role in every fashion magazine doesn't exist, per se. It's portrayed by SL models.

As an example, Leah McCullough is working very actively in print, both with her own magazine - Haute -  and being the Creative Director of Avenue Magazine. 
On the other hand, Avenue Magazine has now Anna Saphire as fashion editor, as far as I could see in their latest issue.

There are several problems here, one of them being Anna Saphire isn't really a fashion editor.  She is actually promoting herself as a model in the magazine.  Try to go through the latest Avenue Magazines; it's becoming extremely boring to see the same print female models: wether we see Anna or Absinthe or Leah or Miaa. Avenue Magazine is becoming a nitch of a few, the same featured models over and over and lastly, there is a boring aesthetic to it: every photo, every editorial looks the same as the last one. We don't really know which month we are looking at. It all looks the same.  And why? Because they are all the same, same models, taking their own photos.  It's not even a matter of finding a design that is cohesive.  There has to be variety!

And here is where the role of fashion editor takes over.  To provide a secure and professional attitude,  the fashion editor shouldn't be one of the models at all or remove herself from that position.  The fashion editor moves always in the background, stays backstage and finds the best models, the best photographers for the magazine.  That's the person with that eye that no one else has,  the fashion editor has a vision that isn't obviously centered in herself.

Another example - this one being exactly how it's supposed to be - is Avenue's Lifestyle Editor, Umberto Giano. We go through the magazine and we read all the lifestyle articles, with a quite good variety of topics.  Where is Umberto? In the background. That's his job, his place.
When it comes to fashion, things are different and many of us, readers,  are now wondering why.  One of the reasons for this boredom can be the fact that the models featured at Avenue Mag take their own photos, which saves time, true. But this is not good for the overall magazine.

Anna Saphire should excuse herself from being in the magazine as a model, month after month. As fashion editor, she should find new paths for Avenue Magazine that don't include photos of her, nor Absinthe's nor Leah's or Miaa's.  Avenue has had a recent casting for new models, so what is going on that only three or four of them are actually in the magazine, featured month after month after month? How come?  Where is that Avenue mag that used to have several models featured each month? All different?  It almost makes us go back to the times of Modavia Fashion Directory in which one of the models featured was the owner herself, Poptart.  That was never Dea Mills' idea for Modavia. Poptart used to give a very diplomatic excuse for this 'designers ask for me, so I model'. Now Avenue is doing the exact same thing. Promoting a few that are obviously part of their staff members.  Does this look good for you?  Not for me. Does this happen because designers - who pay for their articles - ask for Anna or Absinthe or Leah?  I don't think they do; even so, there can be exceptions, of course. But to have the same models featured over and over and over again, this sounds more like a comfort zone than a 'designer's request'. 

I know SL isn't exactly RL, but for sure, Avenue Magazine has had better days. There used to be  a variety of imagery that would keep us interested in reading more, next month and the next.  Somewhere, Avenue has lost it's track and right now, even before the Magazine is out, we all wonder, in which style are we going to see Anna Saphire in, or Absinthe or Leah, or Miaa in the next magazine?
It's very unfortunate that this is happening with a magazine that was the best fashion magazine inworld. Was, past tense.

Not to mention that , in my opinion, there is a clear conflict of interests in Leah McCullough's case; she has her own magazine, as she is now hiring staff, so I assume that Haute Mag is moving up. Where does that leave Leah as Avenue's magazine Creative Director?

What will happen to Avenue as soon as Leah has her own team formed and ready to print?

Maybe we're watching a new era arising in the fashion print panorama.
Is Avenue going down because of their own choice of staff members? Probably. Feeding egos has never been a good business choice.
Let's see which magazine is going to be the next big thing,  That's fashion, indeed. One day we're up, next day, we're gone!

Scrips kids all over the grid

Most of you know that I've been steady posting about SL models and runway shows.  This time, I'll address something important.

I've been informed about all copybotting that has been going on and the constant sim crashing  during fashion shows caused by a group of people in SL.

About copybotting, there's nothing you can do, it's up to Linden Lab to solve this. Creators in SL can  only report abuse, all the nine yards and then wait. It's understandable the feeling of frustration regarding these situations.

SL Model's shapes have been copybotted  and again, nothing we can do about it, unless keep filing reports, opening tickets.

However, there are lots of things we all can do to prevent our SL accounts from being cracked.
Let me start by telling you this:  this group of people are NOT hackers.  A true hacker would resent what this group of people are doing. A hacker can access websites, email accounts, whatever. He will take a look, and leave without touching anything. This IS a hacker.  That's why the most famous hackers have been hired by several government departments all over the world, to keep their websites safe. No one better than a hacker to do that, because a hacker knows how to catch traces that have been left behind by another hacker. And actually track his/her physical location in the planet.

This group of people that are copybotting in SL are just script kids. We cannot stop them from copybotting or crashing sims.
But we sure can do our best protect ourselves, our SL accounts.

First thing and this is very important:
- they operate by instigating fear.  It looks that they can do it all, but actually, they can't. 

And now you're asking: how did they crack SL accounts and even withdraw money from several SL residents' bank accounts?
Simply by social networking and social engineering.  It's simple, but it takes time, lots of time.  This is a huge group of people, sitting in front of their pcs doing absolutely nothing but this, for years. 

Just as an example , in real life, you all probably remember a guy that cracked actress Scarlett Johansson's email and published several of her private photos.  I read an interview with him and he was very clear: he was just the regular guy, unemployed, sitting in front of his pc all day long.  And just by chance, he started to look for celebrities' emails, using their names and searching all he could about their personal lives. Celebrities are extremely exposed, publicly. Eventually, the easiest email for him to crack was Scarlet's. He just found out her email address and kept trying different passwords until he managed to get the right one.  All done by social engineering - he just tried a couple of her private life info, as password, and he got the right one - and this took him a lot of time, according to him.  From then on, once he opened the actress' email, there were tons of other celebrities emails there; people she contacted with and so he did the same with some others. And why did this happen? Because he could. He had everything: time, access to the actress private info - which we all can just by googling it - and kept trying passwords with her private info. 

Lesson here? Never use any of your private info as password; no pet's names, no birthdays, no mother's maiden name, nothing of this sort.

 About this group of kids that are operatingg in SL, many of them are among the groups they're targetting. If they attack SL models, you can be sure that you know some of them very well, probably trust them enough to just talk about your private lives.  And this is where social engineering becomes important; they know that most people use easy-to-memorize passwords, usually connected to their private lives, things they like, birthday dates and so on.
First step is NOT to trust anybody  and I mean nobody!  Don't share your SL password or your private life with anyone in SL.
Remember, this group has been in SL  - some of them - more than the most of us have.  You probably got used to seeing them around for years, so you trust. DON'T!

Follow me here:  some time ago, a member of this scrip kids' group managed to send out several models' shapes through a well know SL Group.  Everybody thought how did he do that? He didn't have permission to even send notices in the group, so he must be able to change any group abilities and permissions in SL, true? False! They simply can't!

How did he do it? So simple!
One of the group managers invited the avatar for a couple of minutes and gave him the ability to send out notices. And then, after doing what he wanted,  the kid left the group.  Quietly. It looks like he is so powerful that he can even change things in SL groups. NO, he can't. Neither of them can. They were enabled to do that.

What they do have in 'friends in high places'. Yes, they are among you, SL Models and Designers. You have seen some of them for so long in SL that you got to trust some of them and this is how they do it.

Bear with me here: if they really could do everything in SL, why don't they do the same in other SL Groups? Why did they do it only this once or twice?
Because they could! Because someone inside that Group (or Groups) gave the avatar permission to send out notices for a couple of minutes. Simple! 

The question remains - how do they crack SL accounts, crack email addresses and even withdraw real money from several people's bank accounts?

Social engineering:  think about this - how many of you have your SL email addresses with your SL name? Let's say your SL name is Marie Claire; they will try every email account related to this name; they will do it in several email providers - marieclaire@hotmail.com, marieclaire@gmail.com, marieclaire@yahoo.com and the list goes on. Why not doing it? They have time and nothing else to do!

Don't you wonder why they are doing this exactly now? 
Why not before?
Simply because it took them years to have some of them inside the groups they target, trustable people, people you have been dealing with in your SL; it took them years to make some of you trust some of them.  

Why do they attack some people and don't attack others?
Same reason, because they can. 

How to make them work hard to attack you?
- Change your passwords frequently.   SL password, your email password, everything that connects you to SL.
- NEVER use the same password twice. Your SL password should be one and your email account should have another password.  If you blog, the password should be different too. If you can, change email addresses frequently, as well.
- Protect your private lives. Those of you who have been attacked think! Who did you give personal info to?  Who do you trust enough in SL to actually talk about your personal information?
- Get in touch to your bank NOW!  Ask your bank NOT to allow any transaction with your credit card without your pemission. NONE! Not even 5 bucks! The bank must ask you personally if there is a transaction going on.  

All of these suggestions will not stop them, but believe me, they will work harder to attack you.  We all can make them work double time! If they spend, let's say,  12 hours sitting by their pcs, they will have to be there for 24 hours non stop to actually manage to attack you or withdraw money from you.  It's a huge group of people we're taking about and some of them are among you, for years.

Now to another topic. If you see my blog's name - Fashion Critique -  in any other website than this one, I can assure you that it's not me.  As I stated before, I only posted in another website once and it was years ago. From then on, I only write here and nowhere else. 

Back to the subject, I hope this helps, really! Protection on the web is never enough. 
What would be great was to just ignore them. Let them do what they want, and just ignore. Take all measures to report, over and over. Then,  proceed to mute, if you're contacted privately and move on. Let them fall into oblivion!  They're just kids, they may throw a temper tantrum, but they'll get over it.

Another SL Fashion Show - is this really fashion?

One more fashion show I watched.
And recorded in real time.

Even though a SL fashion show is an event - unless it's a big time event - it should be a short event.

I've written repeatedly about the more SL fashion comes closer to RL, the more quality there is in it. In RL, a fashion show takes around 12 to 15 minutes. It's a showcase of clothes.
In SL, we all have accepted naturally that if a fashion show isn't long, it's not good. Not true. Long fashion shows are boring, unless there is a wow factor in it that makes us enjoy the full experience.

In this show, the runway was huge, it was a stairway and models had to stop several times along the stairs. There were long periods of time when the 'stairs' were empty and by the end of the show, more than half the people had already left.

It was really boring.

To start with, this particular fashion show was organized by a SL model that also manages a latino blog - El Diablo Viste Second Life.

In the beginning of the show, the hostess informed us all who the models were going to be - she provided a kind of info of every model in the show; I don't understand why the audience had to know all about the contests the models won or those they participated in. A fashion show is never about models!

In SL, it seems to be frequent creators just provide the outfits for a fashion show for models to shine or just because a SL model agency wants to put up a fashion show. But fashion is not about models; in SL many people get this wrong.

It's never about models, it's about designers and their creations.
Only after giving us a no need 'story' of all the models, did the hostess tell the audience about who the designers were. In this case, I'm guessing that all SL designers provided the outfits for free, just for one person to put a fashion show together and have models shine.

These situations should stop in SL. To take it to another level, SL designers should create their collections, just like RL and then yes, have fashion shows to showcase them. Pay SL Model Agencies to hire their own models and all the expenses that come along show producing.

At the same time, there is Sydney Fashion Week going on in SL. Short shows, exactly how they are supposed to be, showcasing several designers creations that were created (or should be) for this season or the next and showcased during a fashion week. This is as close as we can get to RL fashion. Not long boring shows, produced with free outfits from several SL designers, put together only to have some SL models shine.

In the best case scenario, a fashion show in SL should showcase one designer and be short. SL clothes creators should pay to have their creations showcased and models should be very well paid, as well. In RL, fashion involves an entire economy. Model Agencies hire the best models they can have and models are paid big time!

I'm in favor of SL fashion weeks. Let's keep it real, this is how it works in RL.
I perfectly recall AVENUE Mesh fashion week; short shows showcasing the latest creations done with mesh - a whole new concept for creators in SL. Modavia used to hold their fashion week at the same time as NYC Mercedes- Benz was happening in RL.

Long fashion shows are extremely boring. Like this one I recorded - Goddesses of Olympus. What was the idea behind it? Is this a fashion trend that nobody is aware of? This is the game inside the game. Personally, I'm completely against this. This isn't fashion at all.

Mercedez-Benz NYC Fashion Week 2013 Spring collections is starting on September 6th. Plus the several European Fashion Shows that are scheduled to September as well. Do we have SL designers ready to create an entire collection for 2013 Spring/Summer season? Because by now, if we do it correctly in SL, autumn/winter collections 2012/2013 should already be out there and released!
I guess this is only me dreaming of having the best of the best in SL fashion.

Here is the video of this 'Goddesses' show [I wouldn't call it fashion, because all outfits are already out of date, fashionwise in SL].

Apart form some cut and editting I did, this is a recording in real time. Boring, so boring!

I also wrote my own comments along the video, should you have the patience to watch it fully. And I actually stopped recording before SL models last walk. 50% of the audience had left by then.

Not classic, no style

I have been trying to avoid writing about this particular group of people. I don't know what to call it but they say they train SL models, so it should be like a 'model academy'? Actually, it's a University of Models!!

I hear people complain about paying lots of money and being treated unfairly and by now you must have guessed that I'm talking about Classic With Style.

There is a SL mentality thing going on like forever; at least people talk about a lot about it which is 'making money in SL'. Making money or have an income in SL is as valid as making money in RL. There's nothing wrong about it.

However, the whole purpose of me writing this blog was always about quality. Making things better in terms of SL modeling.

I ended up watching several videos on Youtube from this 'Classic With Style' thing. I still don't know what it is. It's not clear and transparent publicly.

What is this?


The classiest idea I have of women wearing classic night gowns is NOT club music and having them club dancing. I don't know about you but all I feel is this weirdness. I keep thinking of RL fashion shows and this is not even close. Once you watch this video, you all can see how 'famous' all these models are on SL. I personaly haven't heard of any of them.

Fashionwise, I do believe that the closest SL gets to RL, the more quality lies in it, especially since there are RL designers investing in SL, creating in SL.

The big issue seems to be new SL models - or SL models wannabes - pay too much to join this Classic With Style thing.
The rough truth is that people need to invest in themselves to learn. This happens everywhere in RL, from high school to college. Even in RL, we all have to pay for some kind of training we may need. I don't quite understand why people complain about paying.

But, but - and this must be taken into consideration - payment must be fair in relation to what kind of training you're going to get!

The marketing strategy behind Classic With Style is extremely unprofessional, to say the least!
In their blog - they call it Modeling University - they clearly state that you will be famous after graduating as a model. (!!!)

I mean, really? How long has Classic With Style been around and how many of their 'graduates' have been famous models in SL?
This is something nobody can promise or even promote! No company, no model agency, nobody can, because 'being famous' is hard individual work, no matter how good SL models are.

The whole concept of their blog, the videos on Youtube, everything Classic With Style shows is everything but stylish and classic.

When we open their blog, we see their CEOs photos. The quality of the photos is terrible and the avatars take me back to my first year in SL. I mean, are you serious about this?

I don't know about you but I'd love to watch a fashion show produced and executed by Classic With Style, a graduation show maybe? Something that's really related to the work real models do.

For dancing, there are groups in SL that do that, they don't pretend to be models, they're dancers. It's fun , I know, but maybe take the gowns out and do a well produced video of your dancers (not models).

And another thing is professional fashion models aren't 'hot', no matter how beautiful they are or how curvy they may be. Doing the 'hot contest of something' is to lower the models to the quality of a low life dancer, with swimwear, prim hair and old basic skins (some of them oily skins!!!).

We all know that in RL there are more comercial models and high fashion models. Depending always on what the designers are after to showcase their visions and creations.
Again, I don't see high fashion designers in SL connected in any way with Classic With Style.
And no, wearing a gown doesn't make you stylish nor classic. It takes so much more than that.
Style is from head to toe. Starts from hair to the tip of your big toe. It's in the attitude, too.

Remember, not everybody can be a model, just like not everybody can be a doctor or a teacher.

I took the time of going to Classic With Style several places and it's public, so here is their application for eventual 'alumni':

Now Accepting Enrollment Applications
Classes starting soon. If you have a love for great art and a passion for modeling—why not consider a career in modeling.
University of Classic W/ Style have it all for you.

Professionals can choose from a variety of career paths in:
If you desire to pursue a career in modeling, the University of Classic W/ Style can teach you the skills you need to get started.

➤~ Modeling
➤~ Photography
➤~ Blogging

Fee for 3 weeks class: 10,000 linden, to be paid directly to Anrol Anthiny.

Fill in Application below and send in to Anrol Anthony:

Don't miss your opportunity to get UCWS training.
Don’t settle for anything less.
* Hands on
* Taught by professional executive instructors
* A recognized name in the modeling, owner is the guru in fashion.
* Available in several tracks
* Real world experience –in modeling
* Guided by a support system of faculty, networks, and alumni
* Succesful and Established Fashion Business since 2008
Located in 2 Sims
* Weekly Fashion shows.

We hope you will all understand that this is a business - however, it is also our goal to make modeling fun and something you will all enjoy.

Very well. Let's see. I'm usually on top of the latest news regarding modeling in SL and I have never watched a fashion show produced, organized or put together by this group of people. Have you? It's clearly stated in this application:

* Weekly Fashion shows.

How does Classic With Style advertise their fashion shows, because the information is not as public as it should be. I mean every fashion show in SL is advertised in several ways, through some public fashion and modeling related SL groups. How come we don't see any of these weekly fashion shows? Perhaps it's just me. Have you seen any?

Not to mention their blog, website and Youtube channel. I haven't seen any fashion show from this group of people on Youtube (nor inworld , for that matter). Yes, the girls sure dance on video, but a full fashion show?

I'd like to have an invitation from Classic With Style to watch one of your fashion shows. I'll be there, for sure. And of course, I'm guessing all models in SL would like to watch it too. Can we all have an invitation? That'd be nice!

A RL treat for all SL models

My last post was about the first MVW 2013 photos and how the first pre-finalists are going to be chosen.

We all know that SL can be a separate reality, the one we want to create, although in terms of fashion and modeling, in my opinion, it should be as closest to RL as possible.

So here you have an example of one of Ford Models - Anna J.

You'll see her portfolio, as a print model and also take a look at her polaroids. Polaroids are the very raw photos the agency takes when a model casts. From those polaroids, as simple as they are, a RL model starts developing.

Clients start looking for a certain type of model and the agency will send them the polaroids they have of that model.
And this is the beauty of RL modeling. It takes a very good eye to chose a real good model from such a simple snapshot. That's why in RL there are model scouters; they scout models for a living, young girls who have all the possibilities of becoming professional models.

The first thing they do is, they just have a glipmse of the girl. They spend lots of time looking at her, observing her and then contact her, directly. On the spot.

This is how it happens in RL to so many models that were just 'found' at the mall, supermarket or having a drink with some friends.

How could we ever have this in SL? It's such a different 'world'.

And here is the thing about MVW, now that a new search is about to begin. MVW organization isn't looking for 'THE' model. They are looking for a beautiful avatar, that can already be a SL model or not. That's the concept of any beauty pageant.

I've written about this over and over and SL models don't seem to learn. MVW is a beauty pageant - like RL Miss Universe. It's not a search for a high fashion model, even though there are several styling challenges throughout the pageant itself.

In RL, a model doesn't style herself. There are stylists, makeup artists and designers that prepare everything for them. They just have to put their personalities into everything. And the outfit shines through, or the jewelry, or the shoes.

SL is, by definition, a world where we can recreate ourselves. So, it's only fair that people behind MVW organization play it by their rules. Just keep in mind that even in SL, there are beauty pageants and there are model agencies. And both are very very different.

Just like RL, a SL model is exactly that - a model. Not necessarily a pretty face but sometbody that can somehow put an outfit on and convey emotions with it.
This is the hardest thing for a SL model to understand - models can be 'ugly' in the classic meaning of the term. Actually, they should if they want to be different and stand out among so many lookalike avatars.

If you're a SL model and you want to work inworld, you really have to stand out and I don't mean be 'beautiful'. Be yourself. One of a kind.
Applying to beauty pageants is a choice. But be sure that's the second life you want for yourself.

If you have that sense of style in you and you want to become a model, go to castings. Apply to several SL model agencies, send your books, send notecards to SL model agencies' owners.

Look at what SL designers do: they have an insight, an idea, they know what the next season's looks are in RL, the next trends and they apply that idea to their creations. They do research a lot! Why don't SL models do the same thing?

I'm guessing no SL model googles Miss Universe pageant. That really doesn't matter for a RL model nor for a SL model.

Here's some food for thought. Why do SL models want to be in a beauty pageant? Just ask yourselves that question. For fame? To have a 'name'?

And watch how a RL model lives and works. How modeling is a job, like any other. It requires that you have something special, or else, in SL, anybody could get a great shape, a good skin, have the most outstanding avatar and be a terrible model. That something 'special' can be seen in SL, it can be felt by those who have a catchy eye for fashion.

Fashion, even in SL, is an art. Not many people can model high fashion in SL. If you can, then do it and forget about beauty pageants.

Immerse yourselves in RL fashion and modeling. Forget about winning or losing. Modeling is extremely competitive as it is, already. And that happens in both lives.