Thursday, December 31, 2009

2009 Mariko Magic Honor Roll

It’s the year’s end and also the completion of the first year of Mariko Magic: Fashion in Second Life. And I'm very happy with the attention and success that the blog has enjoyed over this year. Mariko Magic is not your typical fashion blog. It's never about what is new in the stores. It’s about the thrill of finding that special outfit that creates magic for us. Grace and Sophistication. Sensual and Sexy. Cute and Whimsical. There are many elements that mix and flow to create fashion magic. It takes a special talent to get it just right. Over the year, Mariko Magic discovered and featured a rare collection of magical fashion designs.  Each post in my blog is a homage to the design and its creator. And, at year's end, I'd like to feature the entire collection once again for another round of applause as the 2009 Mariko Magic Honor Roll.  So, in alphabetical order, allow me to present this year's honor roll:

Click on the pictures to enlarge them for better viewing



     ALB Dream Fashion
     Item: ALB Anna
     Designer: Analee Balut



         Argrace
         Item: Argrace Beanie
         Designer: Rika Owen
         Item: With You (top)
         Designer: Air Winx




              Armidi
              Item: Lima Trenchcoat
              Designer: Juju Armidi



       Baiastice
       Item: New Yippie (top)
       Designer: Sissy Pessoa






             Bijou
             Item: Gig
             Designer: kotobuki jewell



         DrLife Silk Girl
         Item: Skins
         Designer: Leena Ying
 

          INDI Designs
          Item: Rebecca
          Designer: Jamie Holmer
 

        Jador Fashion
           Item: Apala
           Designer: ziamola Loon

Lady Thera's Art & Fashion
Item: Vincent Van Gogh Spring Blossoms
Designer: Thera Taureg
 

Lemania Indigo Designs
Item: Russian Snow Princess
Designer: Lemania Indigo
 

   Madame-Haute Couture
    Item: More or Less
    Designer: Madeliefste Oh
 

     MEB Fashions
      Item: Anette
      Designer: MariaElena Barbosa
 

MEB Fashions
Item: Sorbonne
Designer: MariaElena Barbosa

Prism by Journey
Item: Fierce
Designer: Journey McLaglen

Staged Skin and Fashion
Item: Staged Summer Suit
Designer: Dezi Jarvinen

TRUTH
Item: Tropicana Halter Dress
Designer: Truth Hawks

And  lastly, I want to thank you, the readers of Mariko Magic and its syndicated posts. I write to inform and to entertain and to share with you the magic of fashion in Second Life.  I am looking forward to your readership in Mariko Magic's second year.

Thank you,
Mariko Nightfire


Thursday, December 17, 2009

Russian Snow Princess

Russian Snow Princess at Lemania Indigo Designs

I have been wanting to photograph this fabulous creation for some time. The outfit is Russian Snow Princess and was designed by  Lemania Indigo, designer and owner of Lemania Indigo Designs. Lemania is a highly prolific designer, and the main store of Lemania Indigo Designs abounds with gowns, dresses, and outfits influenced by Lemania's love of Classic Hollywood movies. The collection is a unique blend of retro, nostagia, and modern that will appeal to women of style.

Click on the pictures to enlarge them to their original size.


I first saw Russian Snow Princess in a series of photos featuring my friend Annyee Lindman who is a model at Lemania Indigo Designs.  Annyee, modeling the outfit, was breathtakingly lovely in the photos. That was last February, and Russian Snow Princess had been withdrawn to make room for the spring fashions. Happily, the outfit is available once again for this winter season at a price of $560L. With winter scenery coming to many sims, I now had the opportunity to take my own set of photos of Russian Snow Princess.




A snow princess needs lots of pretty snow. As if bowing to the demands of the princess, my dear friend, Jaysun Dagger, created a magical winter wonderland around his island residence. Jaysun has a discerning artistic eye for the beautiful and the sublime. I am  thrilled over how well Russian Snow Princess photographed against Jaysun's gorgeous winter scenes. As always, my photos are marvelously windlight free.

Russian Snow Princess comes with corset, pants, gloves, stockings, footwear, a fur hat and a number of fur pieces, a flowing flexy skirt, and a prim skirt. By enlarging the photos, you can appreciate the exquisite details of this extraordinary creation. And imagine making a beautiful statement strolling the season's winter sims dressed in Russian Snow Princess. There are other looks available with this outfit that are very suitable for indoor wear. By replacing the large flexy skirt with the prim skirt, you can create a look that is elegant and sophisticated. I love dressing down to just the top and pants to create a casual sexy look that is perfect for snuggling against your special someone before a warm fireplace.




I was feeling very Anna Karenina. So I also wanted to photograph Russian Snow Princess in a European city with an appropriate historical ambiance. Jaysun brought me to the perfect backdrop. Second Life is wonderful. It even had falling snow. It is a homage to Bruges, Belgium by the talented SL builder, Painter Meriman. Very picturesque, Bruges is called the Venice of the North. I got the ambiance that I wanted. The period buildings along the recreation of the city's canals made for a great photo session.





I do hope that you enjoyed this long look at Russian Princess. Be sure to explore the extraordinary breadth of fashion magic at Lemania Indigo Designs. At the mainstore, there are very friendly and helpful models displaying the day's specials. The specials are very good deals. And there is always a nice group of devoted customers, self proclaimed SL Divine Divas, at the store. It is a fun place to shop, and I might see you there.



Lemania Indigo Designs Main Store:

Painter Designs:

The photos were taken at the residence of Jaysun Dagger and at Painter Designs. I would like to thank Jaysun and Painter Meriman for allowing me to photograph their properties.

Sunday, November 15, 2009

MEB Photo Contest Winner

My Winning Photo

I received a notice from Mimi Juneau that Mimi's Choice, along with MEB Fashion, was sponsoring a photo contest with the prize being MariaElena Barbosa's newest creation, a fabulous formal gown called Red Carpet. I had my eye on that dress since its introduction, so I just had to enter the contest and try for the prize. A few days earlier, I was scouting a most magical location for a future fashion post.  Located in the Bentham Forest, the location was deep woods with a cold stream and colorful giant mushrooms. The visual impact is breathtaking. I had the perfect location. I now needed  to find the perfect outfit for this location.

And I found it among the MEB Fashion Collection at Mimi's Choice. The outfit is called Sorbonne. Sorbonne is part of MEB Fashion's 2009 Fall Collection and was featured in the MEB World Premiere Runway Show. Sorbonne consists of a light brown high neck knit top with a great texture and black silk pants.  Sorbonne is casual, but sophisticated.  Its very, very sex, very.  Sorbonne is priced at $490L.

The hair that I am wearing is called Maryanne and is available at Alli & Ali. The hair is available in 11 colors. I am wearing Flame. Maryanne is priced at $175L for one color. The 11 color multipack sells for $650L.

Well, I did the fashion shoot and sent my picture to Mimi. Click on the picture to enlarge it for a better view. The photo is wonderfully windlight-free.


My Photo on display at Mimi's Choice

I was teleported to Mimi's Choice and behind me was my photo on display. I was the WINNER. My picture was selected by Ludwig Prinz, a well known Second Life photographer, which made it even more special. I was so thrilled and excited.  And my prize, MEB Red Carpet, is absolutley gorgeous. I got to wear it right away. First, at a Shantu Selene performance at the Moments Embrace Ballroom. And then again at the opening of the Hallelujah Azul Art Walk. I would like to thank Mimi Juneau and MariaElena Barbosa for a truly wonderful moment.




MEB Red Carpet


Alli & Ali Designs Main Store

Bentham Forest:

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Moorish Dreams - Staged Summer Suit

Staged Summer Suit Set


'You look like Barbara Eden's wicked sister in I Dream of Jeannie.' That was the first time I've ever been described as wicked; but, Gwen meant it as a compliment. Lovely and sexy Barbara Eden played both Jeannie and her dark haired sister in that classic tv show. And the outfit that I was wearing does have an exotic Arabian Nights look to it. The outfit is called Staged Summer Suit Set and is at Staged Skin and Fashion.







The Staged Summer Suit Set was designed by Dezi Jarvinen, owner of Staged Skin and Fashion. It is priced at $395L and is available in a wide range of colors - red, lavander, blue, green, white, beige, dark brown,and black. I am wearing blue. The set comes with short and long pants and a jacket that comes with or without a tank shirt which makes it a fashion choice for both summer and early autumn. Inspired by Gwen's remark, I took this outfit to the Moorish sim of El Andalus with its re-creation of the famous Alhambra. Click on the pictures to enlarge them for better viewing.


The Alhambra in Second Life


For over seven centuries, from 711 to 1492, regions of Spain were ruled by Muslim conquerors from North Africa who gave the Iberian peninsula the Arabic name of Al Andalus. Moorish Spain was glorious. The Moorish city of Cordoba was the most cosmopolitan city in Western Europe at the time of the Muslim domination of Al Andalus and famous for its great Jewish philosophers. The fabulous Alhambra, built by the Moors in Granada, is one of the world's great architectural treasures.




Adding some fashion magic to the enchantment of the Alhambra

On a hill overlooking the city of Granada lies the Alhambra—a magnificient palace-citadel complex that was the jewel of Moorish Spain. The Alhambra dates back to the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries and is famous for its series of courtyards with their slender columnar arches, fountains and light-reflecting basins. The most noteworthy is the Court of the Lions named for the twelve lions of the courtyard's fountain.

The walls are covered with richly beautiful ceramics and plaster work, and the romantic enchantment of the spaces are enhanced by interior arches that serve a purely aesthetic purpose. The architects of the Alhambra wanted to cover every space with decoration. No decorative element was enough. Well, I wanted to make a contribution with  my own decorative element - some wonderful fashion magic.

The Staged Summer Suit is for casual wear. So you are not shouting "Look at me!" when wearing this outfit. But, it's attractive charm will garner you more than your share of attention and compliments. I was pleased with how well this causal outfit looked displayed against the glory of the Alhambra.  It says much for the graceful composition of its design. So it is well suited for a variety of occasions. Imagine how well it would do when worn in your favorite coffee shop, at a live performance, or for a walk in a garden. The long and short pants and the jacket with/without a tank top will give you four different looks. I just love the sexy look with the short pants shown on the left.



DrLife has been expanding their selection of hair styles. The quality of the designs and textures are first rate. The style that I am wearing is called Leah.ld and was designed by Diana XueElla and recently updated by Leena Ying, owner of DrLife. Leah.ld is priced at $350L and that gives you a entire collection of colors including black, blonde, brown, cherry, dark blue, gold, red, and silven. Its a great deal. Leah is one of my favorite hair pieces. It goes well with many occasions and dress from formal to club to casual.

Hair by DrLife

The Alhambra, Court of the Lions

Mariko Nightfire provides it all - fashion magic, a history lesson, and a travelogue all in one blog post. And, as always, my pictures are windlight free. I do hope that you enjoyed this look at Staged Summer Suit, and I hope that you visit the Staged Skin and Fashion Mainstore. There are many great designs to see there. And a trip to DrLife is always worth the visit. And tell Leena that Mariko sent you.




Staged Skin and Fashion Mainstore:

DrLife SilkGirl Main Store:
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Aquel%20sim/96/229/33

Photos were taken at Al Andalus
Al Andulus:
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Al%20Andalus%20Generalife/219/134/40

Alhambra in Second Life Video:






Saturday, September 19, 2009

Fierce by Journey

Fierce Gown at Prism by Journey
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I had plans to attend the Costa Rica Independence Day Ball and needed a formal gown. The ball was one of a number of events celebrating the second anniversary of Cost Rica. Costa Rica Sims is possibly the most beautiful estate in Second Life and contains some of the more prestigious addresses on the grid. Costa Rica advertises itself as providing 'the luxurious experience of living in harmony with nature and being surrounded by the best Second Life has to offer.' Naturally, the ball would be a veritable fashion show of formal gowns by Second Life's top designers. I was putting myself in a situation where my fashion sense would be put to a severe test.
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Every woman attending a ball wishes for a gown that will shine the spotlight of the evening on her. Attracting that spotlight requires a gown that is dramatic and original; yet, elegant and graceful. Sounds like a search for the Holy Grail of fashion. But I found it. It is called Fierce, and it was designed by Journey McLaglen of Prism by Journey Woman's Clothing, Bal Harbour. It's priced at $380L. Fierce juxtapositions the exotic stripe and spot patterns of two great cats - the White Tiger and the White Leopard - to dramatic effect. The stark contrast between the black patterns and the white background and the interplay of the tiger stripes and leopard spots immediately sets you apart in a sea of formal gowns. The originality and drama of this gown may attract attention; but, its beauty and flowing elegance will keep it on you.
.The ball was a marvelous affair. As expected, fashion statements were being made by the ladies (and the place was crawling with Miss Virtual World finalists). One of the highlights of the evening was the announcement of the winner of the Best Parcel Award which went to WK Ganesvoort. WK's residence and grounds are truly magnificent. I was thrilled for WK and also for my dear friend Jaysun Dagger who designed the interiors of the manor house. After the ball, a number of people gathered at WK's place for some more dancing. I took advantage of the opportunity to take pictures of my gown using WK Ganesvoort's wonderful garden and residence as background for the fashion shoot. Did my fashion sense pass the test that evening? I did receive many complements for my dress. But you be the judge. Click on the pictures to enlarge them for a closer look.
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It was also important to have the right hair style. I found the perfect hair at DrLife. Not only does DrLife make the best skins in Second Life, they also make some of the best hair. The styles and the quality of the textures are outstanding. The hair I am wearing is called Mei Wave and was designed by Leena Ying, the owner of DrLife. Mei sells for $350L which gives you a complete set of hair colors (Chocolate, Dark Blue, Dark Brown, Black, Blonde, Gold, and Red). I am wearing Black.
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I hope that you enjoyed this post. If you are in the mood to shop, try stopping by Prism by Journey and DrLife. There is fashion magic to be had.
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Prism by Journey Woman's Clothing, Bal Harbour:http://slurl.com/secondlife/Bal%20Harbour/88/59/22
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DrLife SilkGirl Main Store:
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Aquel%20sim/96/229/33
.Again, I would like to thank Mr. Ganesvoort for inviting me into his home and allowing me to take these pictures.
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