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London Fashion Week may be over but tonight a virtual sequel will open featuring Sienna Miller's new collection.
The online catwalk will involve virtual models showcasing the actress and designer's new Twenty8Twelve range and will allow users to order the outfits.
Virtually Linked is recreating their Fashion Week shows on website Second Life.
The 25th London Fashion Week ended on Sunday after record sales estimated at more than £100 million. Virtually Linked hopes people will buy Miller's designs for hundreds of pounds per outfit after seeing them on the online catwalk.
Users can buy the clothes by clicking a link on Second Life which will take them to the designers' websites.
Virtually Linked spokeswoman Deborah Butler said: “This is really about mixing the real world with the virtual world. We believe that fashion is an important part of the virtual world, so we are working with designers to give them a way to take part.”
Second Life has a virtual recreation of London roads such as Kensington High Street, where users can buy virtual or real goods. More than £30 million is traded between the website's players each month, and an estimated 126 million people have used the service. Miss Butler said: “The designers we have worked with are really testing the water, but we are hopeful they will begin selling pieces online.
“We think if an outfit looks good enough, and is exclusive enough, it could sell for hundreds of pounds.”
The virtual models or “avatars”, will be controlled by Second Life users. Miss Butler added: “The biggest challenge was recreating the look and feel of fabric.” Miller said London women had inspired her collection, which includes stonewash denim, soft leather and crop tops.
Ms Grachvogel said: “I look forward to this being a regular feature on the London Fashion Week calendar.”
Reader views (4)
I would point out designer houses full of creatives as it is are already experimenting with alternatives to the norms as perceived up to now,notably Alexander McQueen and Louis Vuitton recently recognizing the nature of web 2.0 streamed their catwalk show to the web live, Marc Jacobs we believe has a facebook page that will be streaming his catwalk where members can comment as event occurs.
Maria Grachvogel who has been working with Lecra a company which has moved the virtual platform forward with regard design for many years now is way ahead of the curve with regard using new technologies in her industry, and that more than anything else is what drew us to her.
As with all new technologies it takes the few brave forward thinkers to experiment with others to move said technologies forward and for that we at Virtually-linked London thank Ms Grachvogel for her unwavering zest in this project.
The reason we held this event, in second life, was as a proof of concept exercise, to prove that the virtual platform which we perceive to be the next space we do business, and socialize on is the next big thing. Virtually-Linked Fashion week culminated in a "Best of" Fashion show in second life with live illustrations by Maria Grachvogel designs by Lost Dreams Designs, Lixeana Marcus, NILS ISLAND and Avebury , Models supplied by UNIQUE MODELS. Photos by AVENUE online magazine coming together to produce the images you see in article
- Julius Sowu, London, United Kingdom
As a Second Life model and Director of a Second Life modeling agency I am thrilled to hear about the virtual sequel to the real life London Fashion Week. Second Life has an amazing pool of designers whose ability to create increasingly well designed and realistic appearing avatar fashions is truly awe inspiring. When combined with the technical wizardry of the Second Life animators and runway builders, and the creative skills of the SL models and photographers, the results are virtual magic. As in real life, Second Life fashion and modeling are creative outlets that demand dedication and professionalism. Behind every avatar is a human being, and the Second Life fashion world is a meeting place for many creative minds.
- Redhairgenie Cabassoun, Toronto Canada
Thank you Anthony for the lack of good taste above. Clearly he thinks he is somebody in the business.
I am also pleased to see this link between the vitual world of Second Life)so important to many and its synchronicity with real life (RL). Where else will models regardless of RL size be given the chance to parade their or others creations.
Where else can artists and designers with flair create their fashions with little overheads. Where else can ordinary folk purchase the latest fashions.
As a builder of a model runway in Second Life and nothing remotely to do with fashion in RL I should know.
- Ian Smagulov, Uxbridge Middlesex
Sienna Miller. Talentless, totally talentless.
- Anthony, Esher, Surrey
