Xen's Pen
Fashionable ramblings from Xenobia Foxclaw's virtual pen.

Are you familiar with the real life swimwear designer of SHAN, Chantal Levesque?

If not, check out her website at http://www.shan.ca. Go–see it now–it takes a moment to load, so be patient–then come back please. I’ll wait.

Here is Chantal in Second Life. Pretty good likeness, don’t you think?

SHAN represents the best of real world, upscale swimwear around the world. Now join me in welcoming Chantal Levesque and her Dream Team of SL Designers to Second Life. It’s true–a RL designer has broken into SL. The team has done a marvelous job of keeping the vision of the RL designer in the SL clothing. Chantal and Whistle Wheelwright, SL designer of Chantal’s real life designs are enjoying a moment in the sun.

If you would like to see a show, don’t expect to see a mass invitation. They do small shows and attendance is by invitation only. The intimacy allows for almost lag-free shows where you have a really great chance of seeing every design presented. If you would like an invitation, drop a notecard to Parisian Skytower or Mika Palmyra.

Above is the RL photo that comes in the folder with the clothing. Below is a photo I took of me wearing the Ibiza bikini/skirt. Whistle Wheelwright, part of the SHAN SL team, added the SHAN logo to the photo for me.

Here is another example:

Above is another RL model wearing a SHAN design and below is me in the same SL design. I am delighted with the look.

There may be no doubt about which of the above photos is RL and which is SL, but the SL examples are so much like their RL counterparts that it is really amazing. The careful attention to detail in bringing the RL SHAN beachwear into SL will undoubtedly make it a big hit. What is even more fun is that you can buy any of the SL designs for your avatar and then go online and buy the same RL design for yourself.

I am not going to tell you the story about how this wonderful team came to be. I’ll leave that to the team at Maniera Magazine. I happen to know they are working on an article, so I’ll leave the details to them. In the meantime, go visit one of the SHAN stores and pick up a swimsuit.

Wearing this swimwear now is helping me, one of those in the northern hemisphere who wants to forget it’s winter by walking around SL in a bikini. Join me and let’s  find an SL beach and enjoy looking like a million dollars wearing designs from SHAN.

Styling Credits for Second Life Photo 1

Swimwear: SHAN – Ibiza

Skin: Cupcakes – Seduction/London (Sienna/Candy) (Not in the store; contact Mimi Coral)

Hair: Damselfly – Mynal (Brown Dusky)

Eyes: Bower Bird – Everyday Eyes Hazel (Closed, but send a notecard with details to Charm McAndrews if you are interested in purchasing)

Eyelashes: Miamai – No Alpha Lashes No 6

Fingernails: FineSmith Designs – Painter

Pose: agapee

Photographer and Model: Xenobia Foxclaw

Styling Credits for Second Life Photo 2

Swimwear: SHAN – Barbarella

Skin: Cupcakes – London (Cameo/Candy)

Hair: Damselfly – Stasya (Brown Mocha Spash)

Eyes: Bower Bird – Everyday Eyes Hazel (Closed, but send a notecard with details to Charm McAndrews if you are interested in purchasing)

Eyelashes: Miamai – No Alpha Lashes No 6

Fingernails: FineSmith Designs – Painter

Bracelets: Caroline’s Jewelry – Ara Bracelet (Silver)

Sunglasses: Made by hayato Alsop of Fab !/aikane  (Not in the store)

Pose: Body Talking

Model and Photographer: Xenobia Foxclaw

The other day I stopped by The Graceful Lily to see Talia Lefavre’s new shop. There were some free gifts and a small hunt going on–small enough to keep my attention. I found four of the five hidden lilies. I’m sorry to say the hunt items have been taken up, but I want to share them with you to show the quality and creativity of Ms. Lefavre’s work and because you can buy them even though you can no longer get them as hunt items.

The quality of the items is excellent and I had a great deal of fun trying everything on and taking photos. One of the great aspects of this designers’ outfits is that they usually come with options like two tops and two skirts or two tops and two pairs of pants. Then there are often collars, shawls, belts, and/or cuffs. Mix-and-match is the name of the game with her designs and that makes her outfits very flexible. Many pieces are adjustable via a menu and all pieces are copyable, so if you want to mix and match items and make folders of them, you can then mix and match them again and make a new folder with all the pieces copied into the new folder–what a time saver. Then there is the way the fabric in the skirts move. I was mesmerized watching the movement as I changed poses. I got a couple of shots that demonstrate the movement, but you can’t really get a feel for it until you see it in person.

The Opening Day Gift (5L): The Lily. This one is still out. I love the large, calla lily pattern on the black fabric and the belt in a different but complementary pattern. The upper part of the bodice and arms of the blouse are in a solid white, and the contrast is quite striking.

The Free Gift from The Graceful Lily (0L): Black Lace. This one is still out also. This short number with spaghetti straps that cross in the back and a short, lacy black skirt that moves beautifully makes me want to dance.

Hunt Prize One: This is the one I didn’t find.

Hunt Prize Two: Beaded Belle (300L). Ruffles like the ones in this short dress of peach beaded fabric with dark blue underneath always remind me of the rhumba, samba, and other sexy Latin dances. It doesn’t show a lot of bare skin, but every motion you make is repeated in the movement of the ruffles.

Hunt Prize Three: Subtle Sunshine (500L). The color combination and movement in this gown are downright mesmerizing. Shown are two combinations, but change the collars with the skirts, take off the collar, wear the skirts together. There are lots of possibilities here.

Hunt Prize Four: Gold Digger (550L). This is one outfit that came in lots of choices for combining the pieces. Solid black pants work well with the black-with-gold striped fabric as well as with the black-and-gold patterned fabric. Pieces that include two skirts, two blouses, pants, cuffs, and much more.

Hunt Prize Five: Soft Winter Greens (Set III) (370L). These pieces look so comfy and are so very well designed that I want to take a walk to look at the fall foliage or curl up with a good book or maybe go shopping. I like this one so well that I may just have to buy the Soft Winter Greens in Sets I and II. If you missed the hunt, just pick up the fat pack and save a bit of money.

I just had to buy one of the items on sale at a special price: Autumn Poplars (550L). The fabric is gorgeous, the two tops (one with spaghetti straps, the other strapless) and two skirts can be mixed and matched, and again the movement is amazing. I had to take two sets of shots on this one–a set with the short skirt and another with the long. This outfit is on special right now for only 200L. Grab it while you can.

By the way, there was one red lily set out for the hunt and the lucky finder received the Drop Dead Gorgeous set that has many pieces and normally sells for 1300L and the Liberty multi-set that is plastered all over the wall to the left as you walk into the store sells for 2000L. Great prize!

Outfits: The Graceful Lily (See each outfit description for price)

Hair: Cake–Afterglow (Blonde) (375/color)

Skin: Cupcakes–Seduction (Copper/Glimmer) (1000L/skin)

Eyes: InSight–Dark Brown Eyes (75L)

Shoes: Basevi Moda–Color-Change Stilettos (Color changed with the outfit) (345L/double pack or 445L/mega pack)

Poses: Striking Poses (50L/pose or 400L/set–usually 10 in a set)