There was great buzz about the very 1st virtual fashion week held in Second Life last February, but where is the 2nd Second Life Fashion Week in the uber-important fall showings?

A Fashion Runway in Second Life

It’s not much publicized, but thanks to Second Life’s equivalent to Vogue, Second Style, I have the schedule for at least a few shows (fashionably late, I must apologize):

• Sunday, 9/7 - The Art of Autumn Fashion Show, 1 p.m. Too late, sorry.
• Saturday, 9/13 - Styles for Seduction Fashion Show - 2 p.m. again, sorry.
• Sunday, 9/14 - Frida’s Fine Fall Fashion Show - 12 p.m. VISIT LIVE!*
• Sunday, 9/14 - Mondira Fashion - 1 p.m. VISIT LIVE!
• Friday, 9/26-Sun. 28 - Impressione Weekend of Beauty - more info

*You must be registered as an avatar and have Second Life installed on your machine to visit the live links.

By the way, I’m working on creating a public calendar
for Lipped Media so both I and any of you may follow
and better remember fashion events!

That is all that seems to be scheduled. The lack of a “hoopla”, especially compared to that of the last SLFW, is due to the 1st being sponsored by iVillage, a big company, which for some reason did not continue their involvement. It’s sad that support for underground and mass-participation / social/equality is low after initial *shiny* novelty wears off. It’s equality sad that a grassroots campaign didn’t keep what could have been (and I pray still will be someday) a phenomenon from growing, let alone prevent from shrinking.

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Like a good story, but unlike journalistic-style, you must read ’til the end for the “climax” of “drama”.

WireImage.com - Posh New 'Do Dominates News

Her very name-of-fame is literally defined as, “elegant and fashionable”, but Posh (Spice), or Victoria Beckham, gathered more media buzz attending events^ with her new* pixie cut hairstyle than her own debut high fashion collection - both of which went public the same day; Sept. 8th^.

*I do wonder what the daze is about, since the pop star is easily remembered as always sportin’ a similar coif in the 1990s with the Spice Girls. I’m also amazed at all the polls passing through the blogosphere questioning the style, for IMHO Vic is one of the few grown women who can pull off a lack of mane without looking boyish - maybe it’s because she truly does always dress so posh.

Perhaps there should be more stories about the first showing of her very own signature collection:

Sample…

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Following conventions, Mercedes-Benz (or their marketing team, or they being a namesake [for IMG Fashion if you're counting], the real fashion team’s marketing team) is campaigning this (New York Fashion) week to be election-themed. But will it be unconventional? Does the business of fashion want change and democracy? Are we to see indie designers given big shots, or fan submissions down the catwalks?

What the industry wants is not exactly inspired by Obama’s hope for change. Their idea of changing is putting on decade old trends anew, buying enough purses to swap daily, etc. Recycling and upgrading isn’t change, it’s all more of the same.

© 2008 IMG Fashion

The only thing I can say is this is a cute marketing play with colorful graphics.

There’s rarely even innovation among the favored fashion, when even most glorified designers put out nothing much that’s unique, freshly-flattering, or jaw-droppingly intricate. The IT bags today are mostly 2, 3, 4.0s of yesteryear.

Some of this is fine, and a lot of fashion is fun, but I do wonder, with slogans such as, “Hope. Change. Shoes.” which party, aside from coke-floating after-parties, no which political party is the fashion industry a part of? Hint: it’s a big business.

I suppose that’s why it’s all likely to be the same, because conservatism is that, and they do “proclaim” experience matters. New styles from fresh faces - why - those designers have no “foreign policy experience” (outsourcing to China for the cheaps), “no executive experience” (owning companies or just plain having wealth) - and in the economy we’ve been in — fair-trade, handmade, eco-grade, or any other trademarks of the (aspiring) leaders of our (fashion) future — can’t be done.

Does this mean Obama would help aspiring designers and even those wanting to dress with individuality? Well, it should help us afford our groceries, at least, which can’t hurt our business or shopping pursuits - except our chances at modeling - but supermodels are “huge” (tiny) members of the conservative big business of apparel, anyway - we don’t want to be that.

So as the fashion new media, what should bloggers cover in the coming weeks of elegance-on-parade? Would you review in the same old voice as the others of past, or reach for significant inspiration? Perhaps since the powers-that-be decided to - almost naively - dress the event in flags vs. cashmere, in message buttons vs. billboards or leaderboards - in this time of progressive change — should we show the same scrutiny as to presidential candidates? Even less strictly would be harsher than usual. I say so, because this is our business, our livelihoods, our class standing, our passion, and what we hope to be art - it’s important to us and it impacts us, but also the rest of the economy - and is therefore important to our nation, world, and this actual historic election.