Rock chick gone gaga in space...or, styling on the spot!

I did my second class at Miss Virtual World Academy yesterday. It was a class called "From model to diva" by Miaa Rebane, Miss Virtual World 2010. The main focus was on redefining "diva" in a positive way. I won't try to explain how here, if you want to know, enroll for the course!

Part of the class focussed on make-up and accessories, and we were given an on the spot styling task. Our challenge was to start from a base outfit of black, and use jewellery and accessories to create a look which we could describe in one line.

Now,  I often spend a lot of time putting a look together, so for me, on the spot styling is just a bit scary - but I have to admit, sometimes working fast and making snap decisions can create a really bold, strong look, that could well get lost in nuances given a few more hours of fiddling.  This was the look I came up with.

I called it Rock Chick Gone Gaga in Space. I originally described it as casual chic - but as Miaa quite rightly pointed out this was no way a casual outfit. I should have called it avant garde or high fashion. My starting point for the look was the top I was already wearing - a black backless sheer top, part of an outfit from .S H I. I was originally wearing brown leather shorts from So Many Styles, so I swapped them for black, kept on my Osakki leggings, and added boots from Miamai Black Label. So far so good, black base all done.

Now for accessories. The first thing that popped into my mind was a new avant garde futuristic necklace/collar I had recently bought from sYs and never worn...so I popped that on. Perfect! Dramatic, great shape, adding emphasis to the shoulders, and the monochrome colour scheme worked brilliantly on the black base. The pom-pom sleeves come in black and white options - I dithered a bit over my choice, but in the end decided on white to give contrast, frame the collar, and draw light to my face.

Next was skin, hair and nails. I wanted an edgy, high fashion hairdo that was in proportion to the outfit - not overshadowing the fluffy shoulders of the sYs collar, but with a bit of height. Another new purchase, as yet unworn, came out of my inventory - the Rockeuse hair from Plume. Just right.

I knew I needed a pale skin with dramatic makeup, and I wanted to bring some colour to the look, so I pulled out one of my latest favourite skins from Glam Affair - Gio in Pale. The red eyes and lips against the pale creamy skin make a perfect foil for the stark monochrome clothing. I added ultra long red nails from Mstyle to give a touch of red at the fingertips.

Finally, earrings. Again, I wanted something edgy and high fashion in keeping with the look. I tried Solar Bloom in black from Gems and Kisses - and they worked! I added the bracelet as well, on my left wrist, to give a bit of interest on the arm. I like the way the spikes echo the spikiness of the fur sleeves and my long eyelashes too.  Job done! And what did I learn? Sometimes working fast can get great results, as I work instinctively. And I really need to sort my inventory better if I want to be able to style great looks at the drop of a hat!