On the Fringe

A recent conversation surrounding one of this week’s SLsecrets regarding diversity, or lack thereof, in Second Life had me thinking about the diversity within my own inventory.

I typically don’t stray too far from the avatar or character of Dahlia that I’ve created, at least where hair colour, eye colour, and skin tone are concerned.  The main reason for that simply being continuity, though it’s not unheard of for me to wear variations of any of the aforementioned once in a while.

That being said, while the quantity of choice may not be there for ethnic skins, there is quality to be found.  And what better way to hit the fringe than with GiGi Couture’s soon to be released open front sweaters! Look for them hopefully by the weekend.

My left look isn’t much of a departure from my usual, but the skin itself is made by Aoharu.  While the skin is not noticeably Asian and even lends itself easily to a more European style, the body detailing is so hyperprocessed that it almost resembles high quality manga.  It may be a stretch to call that a cultural feature of the skin, but paired with a wide range of makeups including geisha specific styles, this is a skinline which I feel deserves its place in the quality diversity category.

Beauty Avatar’s latest skin release revealed even more choice and their Diana skin in particular caught my eye as a beautifully diverse option, though the highlighting on the face may not be to everyone’s preference.   I should mention that each of the various skins at Beauty Avatar have a face designed and drawn specifically for that particular tone, no simple re-tinting and re-selling here.  I used the exact same shape for both of the above skins, so the difference in the facial design based on skin alone is remarkable.

I guess my outlook on the whole diversity thing is a bit of a catch22 – because there is less public demand and options for ethnic skins it becomes the minority, but if the opposite were true they would no longer be considered diverse.  I’m the kind of girl who often likes things to be under the radar.  If you’ve ever been pissed off to hear your favourite song on a cd announced as the artist’s new single then you know what I mean.  Embrace your diversity and be happy it is exactly that – diverse!

Oh, and speaking of embracing.. Giana Paine has struck boho gold with these upcoming sweaters.  They will be available in 4 textures, each with a fringe/no fringe option (who says no to fringe?) so they are sure to add a bit of diversity to your winter wardrobe.  Definitely my favourite piece of her expanding line thus far.

READ MORE FOR STYLE SHEETS

L-R

Hair: Kin – Enid (Blonde) | ETD – Naoko (Elika’s Brown)
Skin: AOHARU – Lisa17 (Fairy Fantasy)2 | Beauty Avatar – Diana Black Skin 02
Eyes: MMS – Dark Brown Eyes
Lashes: Redgrave – MoulinRouge
Sweater: GiGi Couture – Plaid Winter Sweater | Winter Christmas Sweater
Panties: Intimizzio – Kawaii Flower Mesh Lace Panties (White)
Hat: Cachet – FURhat (Tan)
Glasses: Decollage – Geeky Agelay
Necklace: luc fashion jewelry (formerly Earthtones) – Heartwood Necklace
Poses: *TorridWear* – Vain 02 | Vain 04

~ by Dahlia Eilde & Nicolas Sinatra on December 18, 2008.