Avenue RIVAL model search

I promised myself once the process was over I would post about the Avenue RIVAL model search. Avenue is the agency all models in Second Life aspire to be a part of. I was reading the magazine and admiring the fantastic stylists long before I decided to become a model myself, and I don't think I ever really believed I would be counted among their number. They only do open castings once a year,  I missed last year's, I think I was busy in RL when it was on, and if I'm honest, I probably wasn't ready then. So I had to have a go this year. The process involved styling 4 looks, submitting 4 photos, 2 runway shows and an interview. Not for the faint hearted! And I'm delighted, and very honoured, to say I made it!

The Devil is in the Detail

For the first round, we had to submit a headshot and a raw inworld full body snapshot in lingerie or swimwear, to show our shape - I'm not going to post my snap here, as I didn't even save it to my hard drive. For my headshot, I wanted something really strong, that captured the essence of my look - so I went for short hair, minimal styling and plain white background. I really wanted this to say "I am a model", and I was very pleased with the result.

We were asked to style 2 looks:

•The Devil is in the Details
- Simple & Minimal clothing in neutral color palette played up  with statement accessories such as Jewels, Hats, Headpieces, belts and more!

I ended up styling this look in a rush, because I'd misunderstood the instructions and thought we could choose between the 2 stylings - thankfully, the deadline was extended for everyone for 24 hours, so I had time to do it. Here's the style description I gave for the look:

This elegant sheath dress from Leverocci is brought alive with a seductive slit the full length of the slightly draped bodice, worn with opera length gloves from Miamai, accented with polished metallic accessories from Swallow and intricately detailed shoes from Diktator.

•New Baroque | New Romantic
 - Frills, Fringes, Lace Highly patterned. Over the top. Take this soft romantic look to the next level.

In contrast to the minimalist look, I spent a long time working on this one - and went through a couple of completely different outfits before I put together something I was really happy with. Here's what I wrote about this look:

Inspired by Dolce and Gabanna's Baroque Romanticism, this elaborate ensemble of ivory lace, tulle, organza and brocade comprises elements from Gizza, Voluptia and Chantkare embellished with ornate dress jewellery from Vintage Jewels to create a feminine, romantic appeal.

For a change, I'm not going to give detailed style notes for these looks - though I have listed the designer's I've used, and they're all easy to find through SL search, or look for links on other posts on this blog. I hope what I'm showing here is what can be done with SL fashion, if you're willing to try different ideas and mix and match not just whole garments, but pieces of garments, to get the look you want. I'd like to thank Avenue for giving me the opportunity to be part of such a stimulating casting process, and I'm really looking forward to what will come next!

New Romantic Baroque