Monday, November 19, 2012

Blogging Class

Hello there! If you're thinking to yourself "hasn't she already done one of these posts?" ... you're right! I have! And here I am doing another one! But this time it's for a different modeling school, Dallas Modeling Academy. Yes! I am back in class again! lol

Currently I am taking Intermediate classes, hoping to pass the test this Wednesday so that I can move on up to Advanced classes. While much of what we have covered so far is a repeat for me, I have picked up a few new tidbits that will be really helpful in the future. One of the things I discovered is it wasn't necessary for me to create a new Flickr account as part of my homework since I have had one since 2008! I had fogotten all about it because Yahoo had done away with the 360 pages! I only have one photo up so far but if you'd like to check it out here is the URL http://www.flickr.com/photos/27646067@N05/

On with the homework assignment! Below are a couple of shots I grabbed at the temporary classroom. DMC is building a brand new school for us and I'm hoping it will be ready by the time I start Advanced classes. I am looking forward to being one of the first students to graduate from the new build!

Onwards and Upwards!

Phedre



Here I am sitting at my desk. See! I am NOT asleep!


Our temporary classroom.
From left to right Lopez Fairlady, instructor; Me, hiding in the back; Ŧαε Мєαdoя (countryangelgrl)


Monday, October 29, 2012

Alice in Wonderland Revisited

It's time for the annual Masquerade Ball and I've just received my invitation. This year's theme is Alice in Wonderland. Naturally, my first thought was Mad Hatter! In the Syfy miniseries "Alice", The Hatter tries to help Alice in her misadventure but she refuses to trust him, even though they are on the same side. Later, Alice realizes that he is worthy of her trust. The two grow very close and eventually fall in love. Then Alice awakens in a hospital to discover she had been found unconscious. Only... what if she never left Wonderland? What would Mrs. Alice Hatter look like now?

I'm about to take you on a whirlwind shopping spree, so take a deep breath and let's go! First stop is Wishbox where I found this wonderful Crush dress in Lusty Red. Sheer silk petals adorn the decolletage, the rich velvet skirt, and the flirty stocking tops. Now it's off to Karu Karu to find that perfect pair of... oh my! These Victorian style lace up Tiffany ankle boots in ruby and black are just the thing! What's next? Why right next door is Arundel Design and an irresistable veiled top hat! Velvety smooth red silk roses, a jaunty feather and ruby red gems adorn the brim. Hurry now! We must get to Virtual Impressions for this beautifully designed Christine jewelry collection of intricate leaves and flowers set with black diamonds and rubies that is a must have! Oh dear! Look at the time! I'm late! I'm late! for a very important date with the salon! Bye bye now and thank you all for coming!





Style Card:
Outfit: Crush in Lusty Red by Wishbox
Mask: Civetta Venetzia Mask by Illusions
Hat: Veiled Steampunk Top Hat by Arundel Design
Boots: Tiffany Ankle Boots in RUBY by Karu Karu
Jewelry: Christine Jewelry Set in Black & Red by Virtual Impressions
Hair: Isabelle in Deep Black by Emo-tions
Makeup: .:Glamorize:. True Cherry by Micalia Darkrose
Nails: Deluxe FingerNails V4.6 By Jamman
Skin: Sharise Mocha Bare by Adam n Eve
Eyes: Elven Eyes in Leaf ~*By Snow*~

Sunday, October 28, 2012

Phedre and the CWS Fiasco

For some time now I have been keeping some things to myself. I can remain silent no longer. Others have given voice to much of what I will be speaking of and freed themselves, others are still trapped. If my words can help just one to free him or herself from the virtual prison in which they have found themselves, like myself and so many others, then whatever consequences these words may bring will have been worth it.

The virtual prison of which I speak is known in the Second Life fashion world as Classic with Style or CWS. Prison may be a rather strong or even inaccurate term to use in reference to CWS but for those who have been there and gotten out... it's a rather apt description. It's that sense of freedom when you have finally walked away that makes you realize just how oppressed you really felt. Perhaps I am being overly dramatic, perhaps not. Try to reserve judgement until after you have read my story.

My story begins the day I received a notice in the SF Design group inviting all to participate in the SF Designs Super Model 2012 competition, even if you weren't a model. While I hadn't done any modeling in SL since 2005 and there have been some changes since then, I had been kicking around the idea of getting back into modeling. This seemed like as good an opportunity as any to break the ice. Since I have purchased outfits from SF Designs I was already familiar with the designer. So I filled out the application and sent it in. I was a little surprised when my application was approved. Frankly, I didn't think I would even be considered since it had been so long since I had been on a runway. After all, there were many models in SL with more recent experience than mine. I was even more surprised when I was chosen to be one of the 15 contestants.

Of course I had gone out and spent Ls on poses and a Balut HUD after I had found out what some of the changes from 2005 were. Money that quite frankly, I really did not have to spare. But I was having fun and enjoying a break from doing viewer support. Yes, I really am on the PH/FS viewer support team. Many seem to think that because I do support on one account and other things on a different account that means I'm not on the team when I am on my alt, as if I am not the same person on the other side of the screen. But that's another story. Anyway, here I am after that first round of competition watching the CWS blog like a hawk, waiting to see if I had "made it". We were told that the announcement would be up that day within a fairly short period of time. It wasn't. Not until the next day. See for yourself: http://cwsshows.blogspot.ca/2012/08/next-sf-super-models-audition-results.html The audition was held on the 26th... the date of the blog post announcing those who had "made it" is dated the 27th. That should have been the first alarm to go off.

But by then I had been told about UCWS. At the time it seemed like a good idea to get into the school if I could and learn the changes that had occurred since 2005. So I spoke with Anrol Anthony, CEO of CWS, in IMs about it. When she told me the price (10,500Ls) I was not only dismayed I was shocked. I'm on a limited income in RL and that amount is twice what I allow myself to occasionally purchase in Ls. Normally I budget for 2500Ls per month. I told Anrol I couldn't afford 10.5k Ls. I think she realized just how much I really wanted those classes because she told me to talk to DebbieDoo. Which I promptly did. Regardless of what others may think of Debbie, she is actually a generous person. It was because of Debbie sponsoring me that I was able to get into UCWS. And she has not once asked me for anything in return. At the time I didn't think much about it. I had spoken with my RL other half about the whole thing. He reminded me of how "agencies" had been run way back when and of what a scam they were. It was his opinion (and still is) that all agencies still operate the same way. My opinion differs from his. Obviously, there is at least one "agency" that still scams people and there are perhaps others, but I feel certain there are those out there who do not and actually deliver what they promise.

So. There I was, busting my butt in UCWS while at the same time trying my best to stay in the SF Design comp. Classes were held every day, 7 days a week, twice a day. You only needed to attend one class a day, which I did. I also attended a few "extra" classes, repeating some of the ones I had already taken. Without even the slightest doubt I know I had perfect attendance. I was even getting up earlier every day including Saturdays and Sundays just so I could log in earlier than normal and practice. Not only was I practicing each morning I was helping other students in my class. Some of whom needed the help badly.  I was more than happy to help those who needed it and even started announcing in group that I was at the school ready to practice and help others. No one else volunteered to do what I was doing (you could call it tutoring) that I ever saw. That's not to say no one else didn't. I just never saw it if they did. I did, however, see one or two announce once or twice they were going to practice if anyone wanted to join them. So, now not only am I busting my butt in class and in the SF Design comp, I'm busting my butt to help the other students who were so confused and felt so lost. Did I mind? Did I feel resentful? Not at all. I was enjoying it even if it was wearing me out. Two things occurred which were the real reasons I stopped busting my butt to help just a few days before finals and graduation. One of which was when I got volunteered for something. By that I mean someone else told some of the students that I would do something without even asking me first! It doesn't matter who or what and frankly, I've already forgotten who it was and what it was. What caused me to slam the brakes on was the fact I was not asked first. I already had enough on my plate. Fact is I would have offered even though I knew I would probably be taking on more than I should or even could. But I had to draw the line somewhere and because I felt I was being used by another student, I balked. Am I angry about it? No. Was I angry about it at the time? Not really. I even turned the whole thing into a joke then let it go.

About a week before, I had been assured by one of the three SF Design comp judges that I had made it to the next round which, as it turns out, was not really a competition since the three finalist are doing a pageant format; swimsuit, talent and evening gown. After having made it through the audition, the first round of competition and actually beating out some of the established CWS models, you can imagine how it felt when I discovered I had been eliminated. Mind you, this was after I had been assured by a judge that I would be in the next round. Up until this point in time I had not had any doubts about my abilities as a model. I had been successful as a model in 2005 and things had not changed so drastically as to render my abilities null and void. This is when the alarms really started going off. After talking with one of the instructors and another student on different occasions I was given a link by the student and asked my opinion of what was on the site. I went to the site (one I had never heard of) and spent several hours reading through everything that was posted there about CWS. I then told the student that had asked for my opinion what I knew; there was some truth to what was posted. Yes, that site is Agency Report and no I have not, do not and never will post on that site. Sorry to disappoint you Anrol but I am not Debbie nor am I ScamAlertLicious. If you had actually read any of the applications I turned in to you, you would know. Hopefully though you have trashed them all and emptied your Trash folder. Of course I expect you will read this, Anrol. Sooner or later word will get back to you about it. Do yourself a favor and don't waste your time trying to trash me in SL and/or harass me. It won't phase me one bit and I will report any harassment, griefing, etc, to LL. That includes all of your alts and anyone you bribe into doing something you know is wrong. There are some advantages to being a long time resident of SL as well as being on a viewer support team. You do get to know a few well placed Lindens.

Anyway... back to my story. As this is turning into a much longer blog post than I had intended, I'm going to forget about some of the things that happened and get to the heart of the story. As you will recall, Debbie had sponsored me to take the classes at UCWS and because of that I was determined that not only would I graduate, I would graduate with honors. I was not going to let Debbie down. I set my sights on being Valedictorian and I never told anyone. Even after the bombshell of how things really worked at CWS was dropped on us one day in class. As I said earlier I have it all logged... I log everything. Somewhere on my other pc I have SL logs going back several years. Local chat and IMs. But I digress. By this time I was no longer enjoying what I was doing. All the enjoyment was gone. I was spending all of my time in SL working on stylings, homework, etc and was barely logging into my other account except just long enough to transfer Ls. I was doing support solely on my alt and not by choice, but by necessity... if I wanted to graduate and do everything I needed to do... just to be in fashion shows. Forget pageants. I have no desire to be in a pageant. Especially after I found out just how much some of the CWS models will spend on them. More on that later.

Valedictorian... "To be considered as class valedictorian, a student must demonstrate a optimistic attitude and help his or her fellow students." http://cwsweekly.blogspot.ca/2012/10/congratulations-ucws-graduates.html
If you have read the previous entry on my blog then you already know, even after all the hard work I put in, the perfect attendance, the constant "Good jobs!" even when it really wasn't and all the long, long hours... I was not awarded Valedictorian at graduation. Instead I was awarded Best Blogger. Both awards came with a "scholarship" for the advanced classes. Yes, I was disappointed all my hard work and optimistic attitude was not recognized. I was extremely let down and highly discouraged by that time. On the other side of the same coin I am very happy my friend Kitty was awarded Valedictorian. Personally, I felt if anyone other than myself deserved it, Kitty did. As I understand it the instructors literally fought with Anrol so Kitty would be awarded Valedictorian. If you'd like to ready Kitty's side of things you can do so here: http://kittypicadilly.blogspot.com.au/2012/10/my-cws-truth-many-of-you-who-read-this.html
Does all that sound to you as if I am bitter and angry over not being awarded Valedictorian? Sorry to disappoint you. I'm not. It was simply another nail in the CWS coffin. Oh and btw... I'm no blogger either. Before attending UCWS I had never blogged in my entire life.

In a nutshell here is how things at CWS work. First, in order to be in a fashion show, you have to join one of the photo contests in order to be able to do the required stylings. The cost for one vote? 25Ls. Oh sure you can "double" your votes on certain days between certain hours... do you have two or three hundred US dollars or more to spare every month? Notice I said 200 or 300 US DOLLARS... not Ls. Why? Well, not only do you have to be entered in at least one "photo contest" to be in fashion shows (that only pays 200Ls per show) you have to be in one of these "photo contests" to have a chance at being in a pageant. See where this is going? Not only do you have to do the required 2 stylings per week to be in a fashion show you are also required, by Anrol, to attend no less than 2 practice sessions per week. We're talking anywhere from 4 to 8 hours per week. Not counting the time spent working to style the themes and coming up with a description that also has to meet certain criteria plus putting together pose sequences, buying additional poses because the ones you already have just do not fit the theme or the outfit, etc. etc. etc. For me all that time added up. I was spending anywhere from 12 - 14 hours a day on this stuff and more at times. Don't forget I was still in class, plus helping others, still having to write blogs which I had never done before, still practicing daily on beach and dome formations, plus the styling formation which you are not taught as part of the classes you paid for. Those are done separately and are "free". Free? That's a laugh. Nothing at CWS is free. You will pay for it one way or another. Unless you stop drinking the koolaide (as it was so aptly put on Agency Report) before it's too late.

As for how the voting works... out of curiosity I logged in on my main, popped over to the voting area and dropped 100Ls on my photo expecting the vote count to go up by 4 since its supposed to be 25L per vote. I got a whopping ONE vote for 100Ls. 100Ls divided by 25Ls equals 4. Hmmm... Needless to say I didn't ever vote again.  The so called boost voting? Two votes gets you one boost vote but only if you drop a minimum of 500Ls. I still have all of the CWS the notecards I was given. I'm not deleting anything. Instead I am boxing everything to do with CWS in one box and keeping as a reminder to myself and for future reference.

Don't get me wrong. The school at CWS is a very good one and I did have fun. I enjoyed the school very much as well as learning what had changed since 2005. The instructors run the school and for the most part Anrol does stay out of it. She's already gotten your 10.5K Ls. She is simply lying in wait for you to graduate so she can scam hundreds of thousands more Ls out of you. That is, if she doesn't pounce on you before you graduate. There are those models at CWS that will dump as much as 400 US dollars a month or more trying to be in the top 10 of those photo contests so they can be in a pageant... and then dump a few thousand more Ls on the pageant itself, if not several tens or hundreds of thousands of Ls. $400US is a half month's rent for me. Is the 10.5k Ls for just the school worth it? For some it may be, for others like me who have limited income or low income... I would recommend looking elsewhere. Better to be safe than sorry. Was Debbie's sponsorship for me to attend classes and graduate worth it? I have to answer that "yes". Oh, did I forget to mention that after you pay the 10.5K you also have to pay for the Huddles, walks, and mandatory poses IN ADDITION to the 10.5K? No? Well, now you know. And something else, after graduation, you have to buy even more mandatory poses for more formations. Where do all the Ls go for these purchases of mandatory poses? You guessed it! Anrol herself. In fact the mandatory poses you need to purchase after graduation, you have to ask Anrol for them.

Something else you should know. It's a somewhat minor thing but one that needs to be mentioned. Keep in mind that all these "little things" add up to something much bigger. Anrol believes she has the right to dictate to you and all CWS models as to whether or not you can hide the CWS groups on your profile. Even if you happen to experience the server glitch that sometimes occurs where all or some of your groups that are NOT actually hidden show as hidden... Anrol will try to tell you that it is part of your "contract" that you must display the groups at all times. I never signed a contract of any kind. I was never provided with a copy of this so called contract nor has one ever been shown to me. There is no contract, written, verbal or otherwise. It's just another one of Anrol's control tactics. That's right. I said it. Here let me rephrase it for you. Anrol Anthony is a scam artist as well as being a control freak. If you do take classes at CWS do not allow yourself to become another one of her co-dependants. Take your classes, do the homework, graduate (with honors if possible) then get the hell out! And if you do hide the groups, stay as far away from Anrol as you can. In fact, do yourself a favor, don't enter any photo contests or any stylings while you are taking classes.

While I did spend somewhere around 50K in Ls on poses, outfits, accessories, etc I was one of the luckier ones. As of October 25, 2012 I am no longer a CWS model. I completed all the stylings I had scheduled for myself (with a little help from friends, thank you so much) and attended a "seminar" offered by Anrol on the 25th. The first of its kind. What was the seminar about? It seems Anrol has had a "change of heart" and wants to help her models find work outside of CWS. *coughs* The exact opposite of her previous policy of not allowing "her models" to work outside of CWS. Her "advice" on auditions was actually good but it's also common sense. But that was just the first part of the "seminar". The second part... how to earn 25,000Ls per month blogging. Get 5 designers to subscribe to your blog and charge them 1000Ls for each blog (5 per designer per month) you write about their creations and you can earn 25k Ls every month! Good luck with that. But before you start you might want to check out just how many people out there are doing the same thing... and how long they last. Very few do this long term and even fewer make any money at it. By the way, Anrol plans on holding these seminars once a month from now on... but!... they are only for Advanced or "Doctorate" students of CWS and limited to 18 people. There were 12 of us at the first one. And the "seminar" was done in voice. Draw your own conclusions.

There is so much more I could say, so much more of my story that really should be told... However, I'll just leave things as they are. I'd much rather put it all behind me and move on. Hopefully I will be able to do just that and not have to spend any of my time filing ARs and dealing with griefers. Now that I have thrown off the yoke of oppression, the sensation of freedom is exhilarating and I intend to revel in every moment of it.

So... what's next for me? Am I giving up on modeling? Far from it. I have applied and been accepted at another school and will be taking intermediate and advanced classes. On top of that, I've been hired as an experienced model at an agency. Not bad for someone who hadn't auditioned since 2005.

Onwards and upwards!

Phedre

P.S. Those of you who did drop Ls to vote for me on the International Model photo contest... I'm sorry you wasted your Ls. Had I known you were going to I would have told you not to. Thank you for your support.


Friday, October 26, 2012

A Little Catching Up

Hi folks! I've been neglecting my blog as of late, mainly because I have been so busy I haven't really had time to post anything. So... I will be playing catch up for a while.

The good news is I did graduate from UCWS on October 5, 2012 and won a "scholarship" for advanced classes by making Best Blogger. Here's a copy of my "certificate" and my scores. Yes, I'm posting my scores. I'm rather proud of them!

Scores based on 1-10.
Styling Formation-  10
Poses- 9.5
Creativity in Styling-10
Description- 10
Following Instructions-10
Blog Post-10
http://phedrelefevre.blogspot.com/2012/10/will-phedre-succeed-or-phedres-phollies.html
Pictures in Blog Post- 10
Body and Shape- 10
Skin- 10
Final Grade: -----------------89.5/90 = 99% = High Pass!
Comments: Gorgeous fall outfit! You followed my instructions perfectly in your fall styling. One or two hands went into your sweater but mesh isn't always helpful with our poses, and then again your rl hands would probably fall into sweater somehow :)
It's no problem if we don't hit the dot exactly due to lag, the most important lesson is to pose where you land so it's not noticeable to the audience and you did just that.
Your blog is awesome. I like how you incorporated yourself in your pictures and the post was nice to read as well. Great job!
Yay \o/ me! *grins*

I'll be working on putting things together to show you some of the stylings I have done in the past few weeks so stay tuned!

Phedre

Monday, October 1, 2012

Will Phedre Succeed? or Phedre's Phollies

Today was my finals testing at UCWS... I'm still shaking from the nerves but I'm glad it's finally done! I was so nervous that for the first time I actually fell off the stage at the last stop on styling! Ok so a minor lag spike hit just then but still it was embarassing. Ah well. Life goes on. I'm praying I have passed. I worked so hard and would not like to think I will have to do it all over again. But even so it was an experience I will never forget! We all worked hard, long hours to get to this point and had fun doing it!. There is only one place left to go and that is onwards and upwards!

Laylah Lecker was my examiner. She was really sweet and helped me to laugh off my nervousness. Instead of being a chore, she made it fun! Thank you so much Laylah! I don't know what I expected but it was definately no where near as bad as I thought it would be! lol

I'd like to take a moment of your time and show you the wonderful stages I hope to be debuting on in the future. There are five in all. So take a deep breath and let's get started on this whirlwind tour!

First up is the Ballroom Venue, a place I had never been before today. I was suprised to find that floor of the stage actually changes colors! The most impressive feature, in my opinion, is the fact the audience is seated not in the same sim but across the simline! As we all know fashion shows tend to be quite laggy. This arrangement goes a long way towards reducing lag for audience and models alike!

Ballroom Venue
Next up is the Beach Venue. It is a comfortably appointed outdoor stage over looking the beautiful blue waters of the sim. More fun in the sun for us all!

Beach Venue
Now we come to the Black and White Venue where many of the CWS fashion shows are held. The runway is an unusual feature as it divides a lovely pond filled with both black and white swans. The grace of these creatures cannot help but enhance the grace of the models as they walk the catwalk! If I had to chose a favorite I think it would have to be the Black and White Venue!

Black and White Venue
And here we have the Dome Venue with it's majestic entrances of three stairways. Two huge fountains adorn each side of the center stairs, the water splashing down over the upraised knee of the "model". This is also where graduation is held for each graduating class of UCWS. Hopefully this Friday you will all see me on that runway!
Dome Venue

Last but not least is the Red Venue. This red carpeted runway features tiered seating for the audience and is richly decorated with golden accents. There will always be a place in my heart for this runway as this is where I first learned of CWS When I entered the SF Design Super Model competition.

Red Venue

There you have them folks. All five of the beautiful and spacious runway venues of CWS! Simply the BEST!!
Until we meet again!

Love ya bunches!

Phedre

Thursday, September 27, 2012

Midterm Madness at UCWS

Dear readers... today was one of those days that started off rocky yet ended in triumph! A bad morning in RL turned into a success in SL! You never know how things are going to turn out so keep your chins up and keep moving forward!

Yes, today was midterms at the University of Classic with Style. And despite a couple of mishaps....


... are you ready?...


WE ALL PASSED!!! WOOOOOT!!! *does the Happy Snoopy Dance* :oD

So now it's on to bigger and better things. Finals are next week but after today's midterms I am confident that we all will pass finals as well. Now is the time to really practice hard and as often as possible!

I am so proud of all of us! And we made our instructors very proud of us as well! I feel giddy as a school girl. lol Here's a few snapshots of midterms. In the words of Will Smith as "J" in MIB.... We made this look good!!


Phedre
Midterms Styling 1920s Theme

Midterms
Styling 1920s Theme



Midterms
Rayne, Kitty, Indi, Phedre, Angel and Baybee
 

Monday, September 24, 2012

Are We There Yet?

Good afternoon! While I have a few moments before class begins today, I wanted to share a couple of pics I managed to snap during the hectic moments of midterm practice. It's a lot of hard work but it will all pay off in the long run. Midterms are this Thursday and we are all going to pass with flying colors. Yes! We are! Come Graduation Day I just know we are all going to be on that runway with our smiling, shiny faces, so proud of ourselves and what we have accomplished! It will have been a long, hard but oh so rewarding three weeks. And worth every moment of it!

Much like becoming a dancer for a large ballet company, being a model takes learning new routines, new methods and hours upon hours upon hours of practice, practice, practice! That is just what we have been learning at the University of Classic with Style. In addition to learning all the above we have also been learning how to sequence poses, how to blog, what, where and how to look for those little things that can make such a big difference. There is so much more to modeling than just walking down the runway and whipping out a few poses!

I want to take a moment and thank all of our instructors, Debbie, Vicky, Lisana and Laylah, for all their patience and encouragement, insights and a myriad of other things. I also want to thank my classmates for working with me and putting up with my tyranny during our impromptu practice sessions! It was a dirty job but someone had to it! *RUNS!!*

And now for that big group hug I just know you all have been waiting for.... *HUUUGGSS!!* Alright, which one of you was putting the habeaus grabus on me this time?! ;op~ lol  I'm kidding! I'm kidding! You've all been wonderful and I will certainly miss being in class with you all and all the fun we have been having. But all good things must pass and we all will be moving on to bigger and better things! I wish you all much luck in everything you do and will cherish the memories.

Love ya bunches!

Phedre

Dome Practice Sept 21, 2012
Dome Practice Sept 21, 2012
Dome Practice Sept 21, 2012

Saturday, September 22, 2012

Paris Metro Couture Fall Collection at CWS

A few days ago I was given the assignment to blog about today's fashions show for Paris Metro Couture. Being the sometimes devious little mind, I went off to Paris Metro for the first time to do a little "recon". After looking around for a few moments, I came to the conclusion that here was one of the high quality designers of Second Life! Everything I saw was absolutely gorgeous!

I never expected to bump into any of the staff so late in the evening but that is exactly what happened. Who should I happen to meet scattering fall leaves to the four winds in the store but the designer, herself! She was very kind and helpful when I explained to her who I was and why I was there. However, this blog post isn't about Paris Metro's designer... it's about her latest creations! So... on with the show!

Ladies and Gentlemen, allow me to present a few of the stunning creations in this year's Paris Metro Couture Fall Collection. Rich colors, exquisite fabrics and patterns, delicate laces and demure ruffles weave masterful combinations to give us these eye catching, breathtaking gowns. From sensuous necklines to silhouette waistlines, the spotlight will be on you!

Elemental Ruby Mermaid Gown
Modeled by Ms sweetyuna Wendel
Photo by Ms Phedre Lefevre
Elemental Silver Earth Gown
Modeled by Ms Tiffani Celestalis
Photo by Mr Steve101 McCullough
Feast French Lace Gown
Modeled by Ms Sidney Abbot
Photo by Ms Phedre Lefevre

Frill Of It Gown in Coco
Modeled by Ms Liberty Lighthouse
Photo by Ms Phedre Lefevre

Frill Of It Gown in Midnight
Modeled by Ms Nina Brianna
Photo by Ms Phedre Lefevre
Frill Of It Gown in Ruby
Modeled by Ms sweetyuna Wendel
Photo by Ms Phedre Lefevre
Golden Leaf Gown
Modeled by Ms Mesange Acacia
Photo by Ms Phedre Lefevre
Le Linen II Gown
Modeled by Ms DebbieDoo Tigerfish
Photo by Ms Phedre Lefevre

Pollen des Fleurs Gown in Plum
Modeled by Ms Laylah Lecker
Photo by Ms Phedre Lefevre

Silken Mountain Gown in Light Ivy
Modeled by Ms Ascensions
Photo by Mr Steve101 McCullough
So It Shall Be Deep Sea Gown
Modeled by Ms Mesange Acacia
Photo by Ms Phedre Lefevre
Take Flight Gown in Red and Black Bird
Modeled by Ms Ania Lennie
Photo by Ms Phedre Lefevre

Wind Swept Leaves Gown in Burnt
Modeled by Ms lisana Rossen
Photo by Ms Phedre Lefevre

 

Wind Swept Leaves in Golden
Modeled by Ms DebbieDoo Tigerfish
Photo by Ms Phedre Lefevre
 

The Peacock's Complaint in Amber
Modeled by Ms Chevia Johansson
Photo by Ms Phedre Lefevre
The Peacock's Complaint in Forest
Modeled by Ms Thrishia Denver
Photo by Ms Phedre Lefevre
The Peacock's Complaint in Rhodolite
Modeled by Ms ladysunfire Erin
Photo by Ms Phedre Lefevre
The Peacock's Complaint in Silver
Modeled by Ms Liberty Lighthouse
Photo by Ms Phedre Lefevre


The Peacock's Complaint in Sky
Modeled by Ms Nina Brianna
Photo by Ms Phedre Lefevre

Now that you have made it this far, you are likely to be wondering just where is this wonderful place so you can rush right over and purchase some of these fantastic gowns for your very own. Never fear! I have the SLURL right here! http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Paris%20Couture/52/40/22

And be sure to check out the Paris Metro Couture blog for more stunningly gorgeous couture!
http://parismetrocouturesl.blogspot.com.es/

Enjoy Ladies!

Phedre




  Author's note: If I have inadvertantly put your name to someone else's face I apologize for the error. Please IM me inworld and let me know so that I can make corrections ASAP.

Thursday, September 20, 2012

Styling the Black Swan

Just finished the Black Swan Ballet styling event. I didn't place. In my opinion I totally bombed, mainly because I messed up on my dances. Silly nervous fingers didn't shut off the timer. lol

I did get some very good constructive criticism from our Judge of the Day Ms Vicky Yongbo and I thank you for that. It will go a long way towards helping in the next styling event. :o)

Now, on to the winners. First Place went to Ms Liberty Lighthouse, Second Place was Ms Liv Frentis (go Liv!) and Third Place went to Ms Janet Brink. I'm very proud of Liv today. She is one of my classmates and this was her first styling. All that hard work definately paid off!

A photo of today's winners:


Black Swan Ballet Sytling Winners
Photo Courtesy of CWS


And just for the giggles here are a few photos of my styling of Odile, the Black Swan. All photography was done by myself. I hope you like them!







Thank you for reading my blog. See you all next time!

Phedre


Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Alice in Wonderland or Mrs Mad Hatter

Last week, Friday the 14th I participated for the first time in the daily Styling events at CWS. Needless to say I was completely shocked when it was announced that I had actually won First Place! I never expected to even place much less win. The theme was Alice in Wonderland and I went as Mrs Mad Hatter, the idea being based on SyFy's mini-series "Alice". Here is an excerpt from the description I used:

"In the Syfy miniseries "Alice", The Hatter tries to help Alice in her misadventure but she refuses to trust him, even though they are on the same side. Later, Alice realizes that he is worthy of her trust. The two grow very close and eventually fall in love. Then Alice awakens in a hospital to discover she had been found unconscious. Only... what if she never left Wonderland? What would Mrs. Alice Hatter look like now?"

Below is a pic of myself with my trophy(!) along with the second and third place winners, Subrina Bearsfoot and Philippe Byron.


In the immortal words of William Shatner as Captain James Tiberius Kirk, "It was fun!"

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

UCWS and the Blog Class

Here is me, Liv, Bebe, Anastasia and Indi working like mad to create our first blog and blog post for the UCW University Class of September 2012. Aren't we cute? lol There is more to come so check back often and follow me on my journey into the world of modeling in Second Life! Thank you and have a great day! :o)