Couture Conundrum Has Moved

Thanks for reading Couture Conundrum. Please click here to be directed to our new blog home at http://gabby.inworld.sl

Be sure to update your readers and link pages!
More Photos and Info After The Jump

A Girl Can Never Have Too Much Makeup!

I will admit that I am a wee bit addicted to make up. In SL, I collect skins like some collect art and in RL,a trip to Sephora is practically a religious pilgrimage. So when I started the Creators Stamp Rally at Kurotsubaki, there was no question as to what I would buy in order to receive my first card.

The Makeup Belt by Kurotsubaki is 252 prims of beautifying goodies. From lipsticks and eye shadows to lash curlers and a blow dryer. This belt is a makeup snob's dream come true. My fellow makeup aficionado, Jezabell Barbosa commented immediately that the eye shadows reminded her of Dior...and I couldn't agree more! You can pick it up at their main store and then travel around to the other stores participating in the CSR, stamp your card and pick out a fun gift. I haven't filled my card yet, but I'll be sure to let you know what I choose when I do.

I also started playing around with some photo editing techniques. Adding some lens flares, playing with the lighting and shading, experimenting with some brushes...inspired and guided by my friends Ana Lutetia and Tucor Capalini. The photos above and below this paragraph are what I came up with. What do you think?

Style Notes:
Belt: *KUROTSUBAKI* Makeup Belt
Panties: Long Johns Underwear - Boy Undies for Men in Red
Shoes: Urban Bomb Unit - PornStar Xtra Hi-Tops MultiColor v2
Socks: SiniStyle Designs - SiniStyle Tube Black
Jeans: Armidi Limited - A001 Jeans (Light Industrial)
Shirt and Scarf: =DeLa= Tank Top "Jessie" in Red w/ Nostalgic Strip Scarf
Earrings: Paper Couture Disco Earrings
Hair: Deviant Kitties - Machete in White
Hair: House of Heart - Earth in Rosewood
Skin - Fleur Vivant Bronze 3 Feline
Skin - ::Tuli:: Elizabeth (sunkissed) - Shy (br)
Lashes - MMS Photoshoot Eye Lashes
Nails - Fleur Nails Regular Dark Set in Red and Coal
More Photos and Info After The Jump

Shining In Chrome

Iota Ultsch of Tres Jolie Haute Couture has released her Chrome gown and it is a work of art created in honor of a dear first life friend of the designer.



Iota shared with me the touching story of her friend, who is battling breast cancer. The metallic texture of the dress represents the strength with which she has faced her disease and the metallic intervention against her body. The single exposed breast symbolizes the beauty of the feminine form and the vulnerability one feels when faced with the loss of such personal magnitude. A full-coverage version of the bodice is also included for the more demure.



The digitally generated design of undulating liquid chrome moves beautifully about the body. The belt is accented by Mother of Pearl medallions and horsehair tassels which add an earthiness to the otherwise industrial textures. This gown is central to Tres Jolie Haute Couture's current collection which is inspired by Iota's love for, and work in, the architecture industry.



Iota includes all of the accessories necessary to complete the look as it is intended, with a tall collar of polished chrome, large, but simple, hoop earrings and a contemporary take on the bindhi.

You can find this, as well as other Tres Jolie Haute Couture styles, at the main store in Slusteria. Iota Ultsch's designs range from classic to couture and each is exquisitely detailed and flawlessly finished. Be sure to visit Tres Jolie! and say hello to Iota while you are there...you won't be disappointed.

Style Sheet:

Gown and Jewelry: Chrome by Tres Jolie Haute Couture
Hair: Machete in Black and White & Piper in Black and Grey both by Deviant Kitties
Boots: Latex Boots by Yummy
Skin: Fleur Vivant Bronze 3 Feline
Nails: Fleur Nails Regular Dark Set in Red
Eyes: Mid:OceanBlue by Glanz
More Photos and Info After The Jump

Couture Conundrum is Moving!

It's official! Couture Conundrum is moving away from Blogger and to a new hosted site generously provided by my very dear friend, Marx Dudek.

Please update your links and bookmarks to include the new address: http://gabby.inworld.sl
I'll see you there!
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Hair Fair 2008: Let The Countdown Begin

Only ELEVEN days to Hair Fair 2008! Have you been saving your Lindens? If not, you will want to start now! With close to 90 virtual stylists participating, this year's Fair promises to be bigger and better than ever!

Here is the official Press Release:

HAIR FAIR '08
August 22 - September 7, 2008

The 3rd annual Hair Fair will soon be under way! We are very pleased to have almost 90 participants this year, spreading across four sims. The Hair Fair will be sponsored by Rezzable, who have donated the islands for this charity event.

Hair Fair donates proceeds to Locks of Love, an organization that donates wigs to children who suffer hair loss due to cancer, burns, and other conditions. This year, all designers at the fair will donate 50% of one style to the charity.
We will also have donation kiosks placed around the fair, where you can donate directly.

Landmarks to the event will be posted on our website, and to the Subscribe-o-Matic group as we near the event. We'll have many events this year, including Bandana Day, the Fashion Show, quizzes, and the Flickr Contest. Joining the Subscribe-o-Matic will give you the benefit of being the first to hear about these!
Please head to Hairspray to join the Subscribe-o-Matic group. There are also other Hair Fair Subscribe-o-Matics around grid. For a complete list of kiosk locations, go to the SOM groups page

Our Subscribe-o-Matic was generously donated by MSo Lambert. Thank you!

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To find out more about events and news, please join our Subscribe-o-Matic group.

To learn more about the Locks of Love charity, please go to http://www.locksoflove.org/

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ChairWoman - Paisley Poindexter
Participant Coordinator - Mikayla Kohl
Events Coordinator - Serendipity Nerd
Building Coordinator - Washu Zebrastripe
Charity Coordinator - Sasy Scarborough

Don't miss out on the Bandana Day and other great events this hard-working group has planned!
More Photos and Info After The Jump

Of Content Theft and DMCA's

I was reading Ryker Beck's blog today and came across the open letter to Content Creators that she composed with Sasy Scarborough. Because I believe in the importance of their message, I asked Ryker's permission to reprint it here:

Who Has Our Backs?

In the past months, and most recently, it has come to light about yet another DMCA filing between designers. That’s not what this post is about. What we’d like to address here is the “keeping things quiet” aspect of these situations.

We completely understand the need for silence when dealing with said issues. However, one thing that has consequentially occured from doing so is that many, many bloggers are continuing to post on items they are unaware may turn out to be stolen. This is painful in the end for not just the designer - and we totally share your pain in this - but also for the many bloggers who have showcased/reviewed the products, filling their blogs with praise for the items, only to feel let down in the end and ultimately have their own values questioned.

Such widespread covereage on the SL blogosphere also leads to more customers/readers considering the products in question for purchase, and again the bloggers do feel very responsible for that. As many designers know, if a blogger at any time suspects an item’s integrity, they will immediately contact the designer to make them aware of the situation. In a lot of cases, this is what leads to DMCA’s being filed. Not everyone can have eyes everywhere to see their own content has been stolen.

But who looks after us?

Second Life fashion bloggers are valued and sought after to showcase items for many designers, but that is where the respect seems to end. We hold designers in such high regard. If we were told via IM or notecard that something was amiss with the content of one creator over another, we would be perfectly capable of keeping that to ourselves should you request that. Naturally, further blogging on the items in question would cease to occur. We understand that designers dealing with the trauma of having their work stolen may not have considered alerting the bloggers as a course of action in the past, but now is when it is crucial to stand united in this and feel more like a community than ever before.

Keeping it to yourselves is what is letting many content thieves get away with thier thievery. Without an undisputable display of theft, these “content creators” are able to continue producing, and in doing so they will inevitably use bloggers and fashion feeds as tools to spread the word. Bloggers, like designers, also spend many, many hours behind closed doors compiling blog posts and genuinely working hard on their own written content. We don’t always see and hear everything. In the past, too many newer bloggers have been attacked in comments on their own blogs because they weren’t aware of theft with a particular store. That in itself is reprehensible. If you know something the blogger doesn’t, IM THEM and let them in on it. If you don’t want to consider it as helping the blogger, at LEAST think of it as helping the designers that have been stolen from.

We hope that people will help us in the future by letting us know, privately and anonymously if necessary, that there is questionable content making its way around the blogosphere. We have no interest in spreading gossip! But we DO have interest in, as well as obligation to our readers to know about, content theft. Hopefully, in the end, we will not feel like we have to rip our blogs apart and delete older posts (which will consequentially punish other designers who were mentioned and linked to) in order to hide what has been done innocently.

Sincerely,

Ryker Beck & Sasy Scarborough

...Thanks, Ryker and Sasy, for having our collective backs.
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Everything's Bigger & Better in caLLiefornia

Callie Cline has finally opened her new store in caLLiefornia and I have to tell you, the new build is a shopper's paradise...and it's not even completely finished yet! From the light, bright and spacious design to the elegantly ornate decor, not a single detail has been overlooked.


From the outside, the new building is sleek and whimsical, much like the designer herself. You may or may not know that when Callie first started designing, she wanted a store dominated by skull designs. Over time, though, her styles have evolved through glitter and gowns to vintage cocktail. Her current releases are eclectic and daring, fun and fashion-forward.
Step inside and watch the magic unfold before your eyes. The massive staircase and chandelier that are the focal point of the store's interior were once the standout features of the Opera House on the Intempesta Nox sim. Both were created by Sue Stonebender and Baron Grayson, and was acquired by Callie when the Opera House was destroyed in October of 2007.
When Callie won the staircase at auction, she didn't know what she would do with it, only that she had to have this piece of SL history...partly for it's historical significance and partly because it was Sue who introduced Callie to SL and Baron is an artist whose work she greatly admires.

As soon as Callie rezzed the staircase, she knew she wanted a store around it and called on Moxie Polano to help. Together, they, along with Barnesworth Anubis, created, moved, textured and retextured walls and floors and windows, then moved them around again until the current structure materialized. Callie calls her new store a work in progress, and you can hear the excitement when she talks about how inspired she is by that prospect alone.
Each room is themed...there is the "pink room", "wild room', "aquarium" (for swimwear), "dark room", "runway room", and each showcases a different aspect of Callie's eclectic personality and diverse tastes. And because the store is so large, Callie will be able to finally release the designs she has been working on for the past year that she just has not had the space for until now. And watch for the store to evolve over time, because now, when she gets bored, she won't have to build, she can just redecorate a room or two!

The rooms on the lower level feature Callie's ready-to-wear collections and the caLLie cLine HOME store. Here you will find the new Create-a-Dress Cruise Collection, accessories and her fun and funky casual styles.
Take the staircase to the second level and you will find the formal gowns, couture collections and Callie's own line of intimates.

Callie is planning a proper grand opening event for the fall and will begin hosting fashion shows on the grand staircase. She also intends to start the "rock-n-fashion" events as the new shop has a huge open space perfect for events without a lot of product in the way. In the future, look for artists whom she admires showing their work in the store.

But the really exciting part...watch for Callie to also introduce her brand new poses, skins, hair and shoes!

Take this opportunity to visit the new caLLie cLine store at caLLiefornia and discover the style and design that is beautifully, and unmistakably, caLLie cLine.

More Photos and Info After The Jump

More Love For Marie

Tesla's new Marie Heels truly are fantastic. I just couldn't resist taking some more photos to show you how exquisitely detailed and beautifully designed they are.
The Maries, created by the one and only Tesla Miles, come in ten color combinations, with the toe cap in a color or tone complimentary to the rest of the upper. The colors range from a basic black, with it's grey, almost silvery toe cap, to a Torley-friendly watermelon, whose green and pink add playfulness and whimsy to a summer wardrobe.
Look closer and you can see evidence of Tesla's talent. From the stitching, even on insole, to the subtle shine on the buckle, no detail has been left to chance. The highlight and shading on the leather texture itself adds a depth and richness not often seen on the grid. The shoes feature a resizing script, as almost all of Tesla's designs do, to insure a perfect fit on any avatar. The moderate platform under the toe and the vintage-like T-Strap create a shoe that is grounded enough for casual, daytime wear, yet elegant enough for formal evening wear.

I'll stop for now and let you run on over to Tesla and pick up a pair or ten for yourself.
More Photos and Info After The Jump

Oh, What a Beautiful Morning!

That is what I started singing, literally, when I logged in today and found that Tesla Miles had left a little gift for me. Well, not a little gift by any means, but all ten pairs of her brand new Marie Heels. Few things make me happier than new shoes, and new shoes from Tesla...that definitely takes the cake.

With so many color combinations to choose from, I was faced with a little conundrum: What to wear with these gorgeous T-strap pumps? I rummaged through my hopelessly unorganized inventory until I finally gave up and headed to NovoCaine for some quick shopping.

The Natsuki Obi Dress is the latest release from Novo Zimerman and Caine Lewinter, and is available in ten color combinations. From the delicate rouching on the bodice to the fit of the bow-belted skirt, every detail of this short, strapless dress is finished flawlessly. And the Earth version that I selected is a perfect match for the Chocolate Caramel Marie Heels.
But I couldn't stop there. I really wanted to show you more of Tesla's shoes, so I picked up the amiYumi Halter in Mink and the fat pack of Frayed Tops to show off a few more of the Maries. Then I camped out on Torrid's steps (well, the Step Pose Set, anyway)in my favorite jeans from Maitreya, and took a few pictures.

Go directly to Tesla and pick up these great pumps, and then take your happy feet over to NovoCaine and pick up some new clothes to go with them. It's Saturday and that is reason enough to splurge a little! Happy Shopping!

Style Notes:
Dress: Natsuki Obi Dress by NovoCaine
Shoes: Marie Heels by Tesla
Halter: amiYumi Halter in Mink by NovoCaine
Tanks: Frayed Tops by NovoCaine
Jeans: Raw Jeans by Maitreya
Necklaces: *MM Luxe* Stranded Disc Necklace and *MM* Hot Lips Charm Necklace by MiamMiam
Earrings: Glam Earrings in Wood by Creamshop
Manicure: Dark Sangria by NyteRave
Hair: Lydia in Blonde by ETD
Skin: Fleur Vivant Bronze 3 Feline
Eyes: mid : FreshBlue by Glanz

More Photos and Info After The Jump

I Am A Fashion Assassin

A few weeks ago, Iota Ultsch sent a very special gift to her Tres Jolie group members with the following message:

"Are you a fashion victim or a fashion assassin? Get Dressed to Kill in Tres Jolie!"

Now, I will freely admit to being a little out of touch the last few weeks, but to have missed this?!? I must have been living under a rock. Why, you ask...Because the gift was this amazing Dressed to Kill Umbrella! And not just any umbrella, mind you, but a fire arm fit for a fashion assassin masquerading as a gun! Yes, weaponry and weather-proofing in one very fashionable accessory!


While I was photographing Torrid Midnight's Paraplu pose set and AO, I was chatting with the Tres Jolie group, and asked Iota to suggest a frock to go with my red paraplu. When I arrived at her boutique on Slusteria, and Iota graciously offered the umbrella I had missed out on, I knew instantly that I would be doing a second umbrella post. This time with Iota's Rouge Metallique dress as the star of the show!

As the name suggests, the frock is metallic in texture and hued in a vibrant red. The bodice features an offset neckline, perfect for framing the included choker. The skirt moves beautifully, as though made of silk, but it is the creative way in which Iota has used something as industrial and architectural as metal, softened it, and created a gown that is, at once, high-fashion and completely wearable. Iota also includes a gorgeous pair of pave diamond earrings to complete the ensemble.

Iota suggested these white patent ankle boots from Bax Boots, and they are perfect. They are also scripted for infinite customization. Wear them with or without the lace topper, change the color of the soles, the heels, the grommets, the laces...the possibilities are endless.

But there was one problem. How to shoot a photograph of myself using the umbrella as a weapon. If there is a way to take a photo of yourself while in mouselook, I don't know it. So, I called on fellow Tres Jolie group member, Applonia Criss to help out. She graciously provided the photos I needed and we spent some time chatting about her in-world magazine, NuView. Wow! What a passionate and creative person she is! I'll be sure to tell you more about Applonia and NuView really soon...I might even do a couple of articles for her! Wheeee!

So, don't be a fashion disaster. Everything you need to look and feel like a Fashion Assassin is available at Tres Jolie. And if you ask really nicely, maybe even add Tres Jolie to your profile picks, I'll bet Iota will give you the Dressed to Kill Umbrella, too!

Style Notes:
Dress and Jewelry: Rouge Metallique by Tres Jolie
Shoes: Ankle Boots White Patent by Bax Boots
Skin: Fleur Vivant Bronze 3 Feline
Hair: Davina II in Blonde by ETD
Umbrella: Dressed To Kill - Tres Jolie Group Gift
Top two photos by Applonia Criss

More Photos and Info After The Jump