The BlakOpal Anastasia Gown in four colors

It's been a while since I have posted any news here. After the busy holiday season, and other busy times in RL, I decided I needed to take some time away from the virtual sewing machine. It was nice to be able to get some things done in the tangible world, but now it's time to get back to what I love … and that's making beautiful fashions! It can't be denied. *g*

So I am very excited to be able to present a beautiful, full, flowing gown I have named the BlakOpal Anastasia Gown.

It has an amazingly full skirt, with lots of layered tulle, accented with embroidered details, silk roses, and finished with rows of gathered lace. The bodice has a long-waisted tabbed corset that flows out from the waist with more rows of lace that hang over the top of the skirt. The corset top can be worn with or without the shirt underneath. Sheer with embroidery at the shoulders the sheer silk top is gathered into very feminine ribbon bows at the shoulders. The outfit is finished off with sheer lace embroidered gloves, thigh-high floral-patterned stockings, and panty.

This gown is designed to be as beautiful in motion as it is at rest, with full crinoline petticoats that peek out as you sweep across the dance floor. It comes in four color combinations … 

The Anastasia Gown in Black & White is beautiful in it's contrasting light and darks. With a black and white corset set off with black undershirt and gloves, and an overlay of black tulle over white satin skirts.

The Anastasia Gown in Black & Red takes the overlaying of tones and adds lots of sexy color. The red silk skirts are overlaid with black tulle with accents of white silk roses, and silver and black gathered laces and satins at the hem. Simply beautiful in it's rich detailing. 

The Anastasia Gown in Black & Purple takes things in a darker, more gothic direction with all black detailing on the tulle, lace and silk roses over a deep purple silk skirt, with a corset in shades of purple brocade with black lace and details. 

And at the opposite end of the color wheel is a gorgeous Anastasia Gown in White with tones of white and cream layered in lace, tulle, and embroidered details, and accented with white lace gloves and sheer top, and stockings.

I hope you get the opportunity to see these gowns in world. If you happen to see me wandering about the shop, feel free to ask me to model it for you. I'm always looking for a reason to put this gown on. *g*

Have a great day!

=^.^= blakopal

BlakOpal runways show at Menswear Fashion week

I want to give a big shout out to all of the models who made todays BlakOpal Menswear Fashion Week runway show a success. The show lasted 1.5 hours, and we had 8 of the hottest male models showing off our clothes. We were well represented by (in order of appearance) Dragonbird Amiot, Mangioso Lohner, Cape Harbour, Liam Netizen, Lexi Vargas, Apollo Call, Locked Semaphore, and RicoRacer Flux … all models from the Siren agency, and our announcer was the lovely Lexie Jansma, the owner of Siren.

This was our fourth runway show and I was a bit apprehensive after a previous show didn't go off as well as I had hoped (let's just say i was cringing several times during that show, hoping that it was just me seeing the mis-matched outfits. *oof*). Having a bit more experience under my belt, i tried to be a bit more proactive about making sure things were going to go right, without being too much of a 'stage mother' (lol). We had a short list of male models we enjoyed working with and asked for them by name (Lexi and Locked, thank you!) and went so far as to put photos of each outfit in the packages we sent over to make sure the guys had an idea of what the outfit was supposed to look like. Not sure if this helped them at all, but it went a long way to quelling my fears!

The guys all looks fabulous, with each outfit looking really great as each model took to the stage and made their way around the runway. I spent the show busily cam-ing and snapping photos, trying to get just the right angle to capture everything just right.

... and that leads me to my one gripe of the show: the staging didn't seem to be very well thought out. The stage building was interesting, they did a nice job getting it to look a bit steampunk, though the textures on the wall were a bit too busy for my taste. Often the outfits were lost against the dark colors.

But when the models moved away from the stage things got even worse. The models headed in opposite directions along the circular track around the audience meeting up again on a raised bridge at the back of the audience, which was fun, but there were no backdrops! so the models were either viewed against a very dull blank horizon, or against the mall filled with shops. They could have easily put up some interesting backdrops to shoot against, which would have made it feel like more of a special event. (In comparison, The London Fashion Week runway shows we did handled this much better.) In addition to that, the bridge at the back had a very large railing at the front of the platform, which made it impossible to get any decent shots there.

i really wish the people running this show had thought a bit more about creating an environment that would show off the outfits and models a bit better. It could have had a much more theatrical feeling without too much more effort. (gripe over)

I don't mean to dwell on the negative here, but I think it's worth mentioning in the hopes that this will be better thought out in future shows we do. I do appreciate that a lot goes into putting these shows on, and I am grateful to everyone for putting their time in to make it a great experience.

I hope we had a few new converts in the audience, though with the high number of ladies present, I think they may have been there to more gaze on the models (and who could blame them!). Thanks again guys, and Lexie for a great show. I now can happily look forward to our next runway show without fear! *smiles*

=^.^= blakopal

Here's a selection of some of my favorite shots from the show … and this link will take you to the flickr set of show photos taken by Tillie Ariantho for Siren.

Dragonbird in the Airship Pilot outfit

RicoRacer in the Nexus Pirate

Dragonbird in the Desert Expedition Suit

Cape in the Levant Suit

Apollo in the Bentley Fur-Trimmed Coat outfit

Locked in the Nighthawk Suit

Cape in the Peacock Feather Suit

Lexi in the Cogsworth Suit with Animated Steampunk Gears Wings

Liam in the Ivory Feathers Suit

Announcing: The Nexus Clockwork Pirate

At long last (and i mean long!), I am very excited to announce the newest addition to the shoppe: the Nexus Clockwork Pirate! An outfit that has been assembling itself in my head for a few months now, the Nexus combines two of my very favorite things, steampunk and pirate clothing. Designed as a classic pirate outfit, it includes lots of highly detailed and animated parts that gives this a decidedly steamy twist. It seemed to me a natural fit, since we are in the age of piracy of both the air and sea, certainly pirates would adopt mekanisms to help them in navigation, and survival. Like the mekanical arm with navigational instruments and rotating gears, and the gem-powered metal belt tied at the waist with rope.

This outfit is stylish and very detailed, with armored shoulders draped with sheer fabrics, and sturdy tricorn hat topped with several ostrich plumes (which are tintable to match your heraldry, if desired.) On the back is the power unit, with several rotating cogs and glowing gems, with tubes and wires leading in to the body.

The buckled front jacket is built with sturdy pieced leathers to withstand the harshest elements. Remove the solid leather shirt from beneath, and the outfit is tantalizingly sexy, with a gladiator-esque look.

The Nexus Clockwork Pirate comes in two color variations, black or brown.

And men, you will be happy to know the outfit includes a pair of low-top boots (or are they high-top shoes? i can't decide.) Which have stacked leather heels and soles, and several straps of leather with a metal buckle at the ankle. The boots are also available separately, in either black or brown.

All outfits are available now in the shoppes in SL (SLURL), and on xstreet. Photos shot on location at the amazing Steelhead Shanghai.

Happy pirating!

=^.^= blakopal