Not irreversably. Not irredeemably, certainly. However, their first step seems to have been a stumble. Make a mental list of the things they could get wrong in establishing a Second Life presence. It appears that Armani have managed to check-off most of the high-points there. And it's a damn shame, because people expected better. Hallmark of quality and all that, right? That tallies up to another black mark.

Iris Ophelia takes a critical look at Armani's efforts, and both that and the comments that follow are worth the read, particularly the comment from Tenshi Vielle.

Second Style's Grazia Horwitz also weighs in on the matter, among others.

If this was Wal-Mart, or Joe's Hamster Hut, or even Seven-Eleven, I don't think that there would be such a problem. This is however, Armani, and the expectations of people insofar as the brand reputation just have not been met. It's not classy, or innovative. It's basically pedestrian, and fails to meet basic cost versus quality expectations.

It's not wretched. It's not awful. It's not bad. It's merely mediocre, demonstrating a lack of imagination, a lack of flair, and a lack of willingness to make the most of the tools.

That's not the image we associate with Armani - yet, there it is, for the world to see. It doesn't appear to have been a matter of cost, so much as a shortage of excellence.

I hope Armani will reevaluate their approach and attempt to improve. Few will hold it against them if they do.

The GNUbie store is the brainchild of Jai Nomad who has been a Second Life resident since July 2003. The place is simply packed with L$0 and L$1 items, with consistently high quality. The two level building houses the work of residents both recent and far-from-recent; even the venerable Toy LaFollette still has her work displayed here.

For the most part the store is laid out in such a way that even folks who have a little trouble with their camera controls can still use it fairly well and there is a wide range of interesting goods to be picked up here, some of which can be modified, and many of which are transferable.

A selection includes: telescopes, churches, hair and clothing, jewelry, ornaments, vehicles, whole avatars (robots, birds, and others), games and skins. Not only is this a fantastic way for new residents to flesh out their inventories, but also a great way to learn a bit about how the items are made. Also, it's refreshing to be able to modify and therefore customize freebies somewhat.

Following is a list of some of the well-known and not-so-well-known folks who contributed items to be sold or given away at the store:

• 7 Deadly Prims - Raven Callisto
• Artilleri - Antonia Marat
• Canimal - Canimal Zephyr
• Gurl Six - Six Kennedy
• Hose Queen - HoseQueen McLean
• I&K - LisaAnna Juniper
• Mirada - Washu Zebrastripe
• Panache - Zyrra Falcone
• Birdworx - Psyra Extraordinaire
• Sea Shack Surf Company - Emma Gilmour
• Shiny Things - Fallingwater Cellardoor
• SinSation - Sinnocent Mirabeau
• Terra Aeronautics - Cubey Terra
• Tete a Pied - CJ Carnot, Roslin Petion
• Wilted Rose - Rose Columbia

There was great anticipation in the air as we awaited the arrival of our instructor. At last last, we too would be possessors of knowledge of the recent art of 'nano' and 'tortured' prims, our hands as eagerly at the ready over CTRL-3 as a mistress' over her whip and chains.

RoseLinUK London, the instructor, arrived at the top of the hour, and class commenced directly, with introductions and the distribution of class materials.

At a cracking pace, we spat out wires, gems, beads and necklace frames to the measured text and instructions of Instructor London. We followed a trail well-worn by previous travellers - tapping in the parameters as they were fed to us, seeing the results for ourselves as prims writhed and wriggled before us. However, there were also many points at which we were exhorted to go forth after the class and test the prims unto their very limits - along with a couple of cautionary tips about what those limits are.

Short version: Not a ground-breaking or revolutionary class from the perspective of teaching theories, but a good, solid class ably using the techniques of teaching by example and by laboratory work, filled to the brim with a wide selection of the basic information required to make jewelry. Recommended!

Place: NCI Beach (Fisherman's Cove)

Time: Wednesdays, at 3AM SLT (US Pacific)

One of the tiniest shops in Second Life possesses one of the greatest treasures. Deep in the heart of Kandinsky lies a store containing the jewelry of Random Calliope. Appropriately, a single vendor contains almost all the works for sale, like a little jewelry box; don't let the cryptic vendor signage lead you to believe that there is but a single panel of items for sale!

Each piece is exquisite in conception and detail; it is obvious that they have been labored over for many hours.

If you pick up nothing else, collect the "But I'm not the only one" set, variously free or for L$1 depending on the piece, dedicated to spreading peace and unity throughout Second Life.

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A little shopping experience in virtual Osaka - further reports from the Japanese store-front.

Shizuna Jeffries, <<shizna & elec>> Mistletoe KidShop

This store has only a few good for sale, but each of them is worth the trip on their own. Shizuna's expertise in detailed work is evident in all her items, but none more so than in her Gothic Witch's Heels. The beauty of these shoes lies not only in their glistening uppers and platformed soles, but also in the tiny prim-work adorning the shoes in the form of crosses and loops. In addition, she has for sale nifty sand shoes for small (not tiny but petite, in the 120-140 centimetre range) avatars and for more conventionally sized avatars. As for the rest, the poses are cute and the little cases-as-bags are spiffy.

BettiePage Voyager, Kabuki, Bettie's Shop

BettiePage has done a splendid job on her skins. They only come in a pale, asian tone, but that aside, each make-up look is distinctly different from the other looks in the store, and are sensationally priced at only L$300 each. Another item to look out for is the "Happy Rainy Day" set of brightly colored raincoats and gumboots - ideal for looking adorable in!

Kinoko Kamaboko, NumeryMart

Pop into Kinoko Kamaboko's convenience store across the road from Kabuki for free food, chocolates and gifts, and for Japanese schoolgirl essentials: school uniforms, athletic outfits and swimming costumes. Don't forget to pick up a NumeryMart pink shopping basket as you come in the door!

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It's been just a little while since I last entered a ~silentsparrow~ establishment; long enough, in fact, that until yesterday I hadn't even managed to get to the new island (for which I will now die of shame).

It's also conceivable that when I arrived there, I was so taken with her recent offerings that I bought one or two outfits. Alright, eight! No, no shame there at all. Not even a little bit.

I was fortunate when I arrived that I already had my lights set to Midnight, and was therefore able to appreciate all the work that had gone into the lighting scheme. To begin with, I fumbled around some of the buildings in the sim, getting my bearings; I didn't manage to drop in at the front door, but rather through some out of the way back entrance. This took me through several rooms of artwork by the owner of ~silentsparrow~, hyasynth Tiramisu, her partner Jessica Ornitz, and a handful of other talented artists. Moving along from there I wandered into the picnic area, slipped into the water and was scooped up into the mill; through the trapdoor in the roof, I found yet more artwork. "All this is lovely," I thought, "But where has all the clothing gotten to?"

More wandering about outside brought me finally to the front gate, and thence to the clothing shop; as has already been hinted at, I was in for a treat.

The ~silentsparrow~ store is like a decadent triple-decker chocolate layer cake covered in a delicate tracery of frostings and cream. Each layer contains new treats of a slightly different variety than the others, but is no less delicious!

How to describe the style? To be overly simplistic, most of the clothing is a gothic, Victorian, romantic mixture with a teensy dash of punk to be found here and there. Every piece of clothing within the clothing sets (with perhaps, some of the underwear as an exception) is ornate, featuring a pattern the same as or complementary to the rest of the set. Lace and flimsily transparent fabrics make up some garments, while jackets and coats look to be made of tougher stuff.

Hyasynth is reputed to slave for many, many hours over these beauties; up to fifty hours per (outfit/item) - well it's true! Hyasynth and Jessica are among my oldest Second Life friends. We were neighbors together at the beginning, back when Achlya was the edge of the world.

Hyasynth's time, patience, talent and expertise are all evident in the garments and in the artwork she creates. For those you you not familiar with her work, you maybe wondering how much she charges for these magnificent pieces: two piece outfits are sold for around L$300, while I saw outfits with between seven and fifteen pieces going for less than L$800. Pricey for clothing, perhaps, but a bargain when you consider the quality of work, and the mixing and matching opportunities afforded by each outfit.

There's more than just clothing. There's artworks, furniture, fiendish laboratory equipment and a lot to explore. Not all of the spaces are above ground, and some are well hidden.

All in all, even if you are not going to buy, I can thoroughly recommend visiting the island. The sim itself is beautiful in a haunted, gothic manner, the builds are high quality, the artwork superb, and the clothing in a class of its own. One word of warning to those who intend to buy, and even to those who don't: bring a fat account balance, you'll need it.

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Corporate sites in SL include assorted useful and nifty features. It's nice to see those appearing in native sites and stores as well, rather than just being confined to sites that are rooted in the physical world.

Elika Tiramisu is lauded throughout the SL fashion world for her realistic, ambitious hairstyles, accessories, shoes and clothing; rarely, however, is the quality of her actual establishment remarked upon. I spent too much there today, and Tiramisu's premises made it far, far too easy for me to do.

Too many large stores have no such guide, leaving you to wander around from section to section, as things rez, hoping to stumble on to the class of merchandise that you are looking for, often wandering right past the as-yet-unrezzed panels. Sure they're usually signed, but the individual signs may take some time to rez, and have this awkward tendency (like London street signage) to be positioned just about any place other than where you are hoping to see them.

In addition, all the displays in the store are elegant, clear, and easy to understand, and the fittings show a close attention to detail. Possibly the only way the look of the store is let down slightly is in the gaps left between items, particularly in the clothing area. Perhaps they could be filled with some sort of background image that supports the item fixtures without distracting from them.

If you are about to get started in a business in SL, or you are looking to expand your establishment, you would do well to check out this place first, and get a few building and design ideas before you lay that first prim.

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Stylish goods for the loli, bishoujo or whacky bishounen, at Tohru's shop.

One of my favorite content creators is Tohru Kanami (who also featured in Annoying Japanese Child Dinosaur) who makes attractive skins, clothing and accessories.

Kanami's high-tech store in Wakeley is clean, elegant and not hard on the eyes. On the walls, among high-tech displays are Kanami's products. Her skins, while expensive, are very well done (always, people, always try a skin demo before you decide to buy), and her eyes frequently draw favorable comments.

Clothing, animations/poses, skins, eyes, and a little furniture. All stylish, Japanese and sometimes video-game themed. Even a beautifully detailed Camera Obscura.

Kanami's products are a little pricier than the usual Japanese fare, but their quality is admirable. Cheap to walk in, expensive to leave.

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• Clothing by love.love.love. Dresses featured are cupid micromini, polka dot tube dress, and spool ruffle dress.
• Skins by Gala Phoenix
• Hair by ETD and Karina Popinjay
  
• Shoes by Shiny Things
• Poses by Reel Movement by Luth and ANOmations

BooBooKittie Haight is living every fashionista's dream. Her sim, Catwalk City, is filled with some of SL's top designers from top to bottom. Not only does she share them with us, but she throws monthly fashion shows as well!

On Friday, April 6^th, at 8pm PST, at Catwalk City, there will be a fashion show in the main hall. In addition, you'll have a chance to chat up your favorite content creators and the ladies that strutted their stuff. I can't wait to see what this season has in store for the fashion world!

At this time last year, Torrid and Mistress Midnight were releasing their Spring Flowers set of dresses that included a purse, sandals, and a bracelet. For some reason, it wasn't very well received. If I had to speculate, it would be the puffiness of the skirt. I'm not a fan of the poofy look of skirts myself, but I know that it can be changed with the slider.

Imagine my surprise when Tete a Pied decided to give the Spring look a try with their fourth monthly entry, avril, which is French for April. With a new month comes a new skin and outfit, which I greedily got my hands on as soon as it arrived. The dress itself comes with a flower-patterned poofy skirt and top, plus a shrug. Two colors, peony and hyacinth, are available for this month's offering.

The skin is the real treat here, though. Shown to the right in the Bronzage Medium tone, it features light pink lips with just a hint of shimmer and delicately lined eyes with smoldering purple shadow. According to Roslin Petion, they did something different with the lips, which really shows. I've been getting loads of compliments!

The dresses (mod/copy) sell for 200L each and the skin sells for 1000L. You can get both dresses and the skin for 1200L, though. They are available on the Nouveau sim.