Primtings Museum is a great Modern Art museum in SL. It displays artworks by SL artists reproducing famuos ones by RL XXth century artists. Lack of interest by public RL cultural institutions for this SL important work, whose support would be important for Primtings activity, is bringing the Museum to the end. To support this no-profit cultural institution, the owner launched a campaign to raise funds to pay the SIM tier. I met Primtings long time ago, and since that meeting it has been one of my favorite places in SL. I had a seat in the Hopper famous bar, i have been hanged on a tree near the Dalì melt clock, i did lived in my favorite paintings, enjoying an artistic experience impossible to live in RL. So i wanted to support Primtings in its campaign, and I decide to ask my friends to consider to do the same. Enjoy the Museum and support its life!
I cheated my readers (is there somebody who still reads this blog?), promising some months ago to restart this blog after few weeks of stop! But meanwhile MEB work increased dramatically: two new collections, the stunning Fall and the great Winter one needed care, many new stores were opened, a lot of shows required preparation. That’s the life of a fashion brand that follows growing up.
Then… great news for Melusina herself. I started since a lot of time to build small furniture for MEB shops, simple things, shelves, displays, tables. But managing textures and prims quickly became an addiction, for me (another addiction, after smoking, shopping and wandering around SL!) and I paired it to my passion for vintage. The result was to discover I can build acceptable Art Deco furniture, and in few weeks I found in my inventory more than 50 new items, coming from my own hands and mind: tables, chairs, rugs, lamps, room dividers reproducing famous 1920s-1940s furniture and accessories, or inspired to the sharpen shapes, rich materials and geometrical designs of the Art Deco style.
So born Melu Deco, my own brand. I rented a first store on January 1st in a nice land I found by chance. Bayou Noir is a New Orleans styled land, with a wonderful park, a nice vintage ballroom (the Satir) and pretty buildings. I did fall in love for it and I couldn’t resist to rent an empty store I saw in the central marketplace. I filled it by my stuff in just one day, and I did believe I finished yet.
But when my friend Jennyfer Miles saw it (she is the MEB top model you can see in the most vendors of our stores, but she’s too the owner of a nice land called Porto Venere, reproducing a very pretty Italian sea village) she proposed me to open another store there. I had the group of the SIM, since MEB had opened there a store I arranged whit special care, according to the elegance of the place, and it was easy to choose one of the nice stores in the center of the town.
So, Melu Deco starts with two awesome stores: after setting more than 50 MEB shops (you can see all them in a beautiful Flickr slideshow I put here below) I am able to mount a store in less than one hour, but I was frightened by the idea of arranging my own one, so I studied for a long while vendors, display arrangement, item choice, trying to make the best I could. If you visit my stores you can evaluate the results.
It was impossible not giving these news in my blog! So I decided to restart again ;) You all know that my aim was to tell the story of my work at MEB, but the time past since the last posts added so many things to that story that it’s impossible planning to tell all them in details, together with the news of my new activity. From now on, I decided to write three kind of posts, that I’ll mark by a subtitle out: the first ones will tell a summary of this wonderful last MEB year; the second kind of post will be devoted to Melu Deco and its news (after the first 70 items, that I actually sell in my stores, I have about 20-25 new ones almost finished!), the last kind will be the funny part of my work at MEB: combining items to propose new outfits, a game all our customers can play with a lot of fun
This post is too long to add what I planned to tell here: the description of Melu Deco inspiration and of the Art Deco style main features. I just address you to the post I wrote to open a group on the social network MOOLTO, but I can’t refrain to post here a slideshow of my new stuff!
Finally, who would like to visit my shops inworld, can follow these SLURLs to Bayou Noir and to Porto Venere.
I had to stop the blog some weeks, ‘cause a terrific pc crash that made me lose almost all last year’s data, even sl pics! I’m trying to recover them through the downloaded ones in my sl inventory or by my friend whom I did give them. Now I save my data copies every day, in a lot of devices (dvd, pen—drive, external hd…): this is the punishment for distracted people who don’t care to save regularly copies of their data; AFTER the disaster, they become maniac with copies and storage devices
Well, thanks to my friends like Sharron Schuman, that allowed me to use some of her beautiful pics to make my fashion show posts less boring than a simple calendar, I will be able to restart posting, and I’ll do it very soon.
To make this post less tragic, I will stop for a bit the history of my work at MEB and I’ll jump to present time, to show some astonishing outfits of the new Fall Collection, released by MariaElena in these weeks and that was shown yet at the International Fashion Day (managed by Glance) and at Modavia Fashion Week.
In the sequence, I’m mirroring Sorbonne, an outfit that recalls the intriguing atmosphere of the French bistrot, but that - if worn with jewels and proper hair - can be an elegant interpretation of casual wear, thanks to the precious silk of the pants and the soft color of the sweater. No doubt about the elegance of Riviera: once more wool and silk, but in smoother and lighter colors and a touch of provocation in the tight and short line of the top. Tiffany is the feast of the contrast: black velvet and cream silk for an outfit made by a straight jacket and a soft pleated midi skirt: I wear it in a ballroom, there, despite it is thought for the elegance in the work days. In the last pic I put Penny on a stormy background. It’s to say that even rainy weather can be agreeable if we wear this wool traditional kilt, made original by the asymmetric line and paired with a velvet dark brown jacket worn on the naked skin. Boots are the natural complements of such an outfits, and MEB Grunge ones are exciting with their wonderful rawhide texture and their comfortable heels.
The manager’s life is not only work, of course, but even in my private life I feel very well wearing MEB clothes . I play with the single items to experiment new outfits, but the play risks to be endless. Once I wrote that MEB catalogue is like a painter’s palette, from which people can choose colors (and shapes) to “paint” his own wardrobe. Here are some pics to show how I use these dresses in my everyday life (and to show my friends, my places and my vanity) ;)
At the theater with my beloved friend Alexin, an Italian designer who shares with me her SL since our very first days. I wear the Pandi black outfit, made more elegant by pearls, white hair and black stockings.In the second pic, I play modeling with Laura18 Streeter in the astonishing Striking poses store. She wears MEB Jennyfer, while I did compose an outfit by joining the Saigon blouse and the Rodeo white pants.Below, a moment of relax at MEB store. MariaElena is talking with our friend Ergosumma23 Amat, and she seems not aware that her CEO is relaxing ;) She wears a brown version of Pandi outfit, while I’m wearing Barbara, one of my favorite casual ones.Again Ale in the last pic: we are on the top of a lighthouse, after dancing in a 50s style parlor at Mandalay. My outfit is one of MEB best seller, Giselle, that I wear with black pearls by Jennyfer Miles and white boots by Bax Cohen (I have been an amateur photographer, so I love so much black and white…)
How a manager does look in the night? MEB leather jacket Baires or Gold, sunglasses, foulards… what a difference with the bottom left picture, token before going to work, were I wear the Pepe jacket, with its almost military look! Top right I’m wearing the Romy sleeveless outfit, without accessories, for a walk in the nice market land Macos Mall, where MEB holds one of its stores.
Being the old MEB main store too small for the growth of the brand, MariaElena decided in April to renew the palce. Thanks to the genius of Aiyki Takakura, the builder, a new big store born in few time. Two floors, smooth colors and an astonishing tubular structure to bear a modern glass roof, in the same place in which the old store was (CZESTATE, Kua Nui).
Ground floor is dedicated to show MEB classics and new collections and decorated by two nice fountains and by a cascade; at the right center of the space lays a runway, a promise for the many forthcoming events that the brand will organize. First floor shows casual clothes, separates, accessories and an exposition space called Fashion & Art. As usual, a large corner of the first floor hosts the nice Pandora Runo’s furniture shop. Thanks to our friend Zhora Maynard, sculptress of lights and shapes, the store shows also some of her works.
The new store, a more comfortable space for receiving customers and spend time chatting and watching clothes with them, was opened with a nice party, where all MEB’s friends were invited, and where the models Giada Oh, Maura Taurog, Kellykelly Vendetta, Beckybloom Beaumont, Silviax Johin and Memole Giha have been testimonials of the brand wearing some of the best known MEB outfits.
MEB Staff (MariaElena, Melusina, Pandora) in black clothes, dancing at the opening party. Below, thwo artworks by Zhora Maynard: Dragon Power and Esencia
Maura Taurog wearing the MEB beige raincoat; Giada Oh wearing the elegant dress Austen
Main entrance, a moment of the party, one of the fountains, and a pic of the old store.
MariaElena proudly walking on the new store’s runway
Winning a contest, best voted among other 30 awesome avies, Giada Oh became the MEB Face 2009. She wears MEB clothes with natural feeling, so she became protagonist of ads and books promoting the new collections, and represented MEB on many runways. It is a pleasure for me shooting Giada, whose poses and expressions give worth to MEB clothes.
1. The very first pic of Giada, wearing Tayra jacket, the night she won the MEB Face 2009 Contest 2. Giada wearing the evening dress Demoiselle
Giada wearing the three different versions of the Pandi outfit
To present the Spring Collection, besides other outfits, was LookElite, the model agency leaded by Fia Bonetto and managed by my close friend Laura18 Streeter. In the framework of its splendid sky runway, its models - among which was Laura herself - gave a crowdy public the taste of MEB Spring.
The poster and the LookElite runway
The public and Laura wearing Demoiselle
The Barbara outfit in the runway; MariaElena and Laura smile at the end of the show
The same collection was then presented at SLCN TV (now Treet TV), in a exciting show made for Fashion Spotlights by the models of Moda Agency and presented by Harlee Lane and Nyte Vargas. You can see or download the entire video at http://archive.treet.tv/moda-fashion-spotlight-meb-designs-0
The TV owner and manager, the designer and guests at the show. Three colors for the Laura outfit
1. One of the top outfit of MEB formal catalogue: Jane Austen, made by a light lace short dress and by a lace-like short jacket. 2. Tayra blue coat, a classic among MEB afternoon outfits. 3. Giselle, the best seller outfit of the Spring Collection.
Some MEB Spring Collection 2009 outfits: Pandi black, Juliette, Ballerina and Henriette, worn by Giada Oh (mannequins); location: Alchimia;
At the very beginning of Spring, MariaElena gave all us the surprise of a new collection. In few weeks she created a lot of astonishing outfits, that quickly became some of MEB best sellers. That is not surprising, looking at the seductive simplicity of Giselle or Jennyfer dresses, or considering the futurist painting inspired Ballerina and Henriette, or even the elegance of Laura, Giada and Leonore. Complete the collection Pandi and Juliette, set at the opposite points of a scale between provocation and graceful kindness, and the stunning Demoiselle, the only long dress in MEB catalogue.
The MEB Spring Collection 2009 (models: Jennyfer Miles and Giada Oh)
Jennyfer Miles mannequins wearing some Spring Collection outfits: Giselle, Jennyfer, Laura blue, Leonore.
Several shows in the first months of 2009 for MEB, that took part in many ones in different lands where the brand keeps a store, but also proposed its owns, with well known Model Agencies.
Annemarie Perenti is the owner of Best of Italian Style land, a place where you can really find the best of Italian fashion. She did ask MariaElena to present her dresses in a very informal event: no runway, no formal presentation for this Showcase that did look like a tea at home with friends :) MEB outfits, did match very well to this style, being thought for everyday life. A photo show of the event was made by the great fashion reporter (and model herself) Sharron Schuman, and is avalaible at http://www.flickr.com/photos/sharronschuman/sets/72157613443609724/.
MEB took part in two important events. First, the Fashion Weeks organized by Runway (few of us in fashion world would believe that these would be the last public event made by that great agency, animated - as well as the Runway Magazine - by the passion of Maggie Mahoney and Ocean Bates).
Then, the great happening called FuturRoma, an homage to the Futurist art movement in the year of its centenary, hold in RL and SL in Rome, thanks to the hard and passionate work by Mexi Lane and Patrizia Blessed.
Runway Fashion Weeks, February 2009: the poster and a moment of MEB show
FuturRoma 2009: the two MEB dresses made by textures from futurist paintings (Henriette, texture by Enrico Prampolini; Ballerina, texture by Giacomo Balla); an image of F. De Pero's New York, whose 3D reconstruction has been one of the frameworks of the fashion show.
1. The very first pic of Giada, wearing Tayra jacket,
The poster and the LookElite runway
Runway Fashion Weeks, February 2009: the poster and a moment of MEB show
FuturRoma 2009: the two MEB dresses made by textures from futurist paintings (Henriette, texture by Enrico Prampolini; Ballerina, texture by Giacomo Balla); an image of F. De Pero's New York, whose 3D reconstruction has been one of the frameworks of the fashion show.
