Suggestions to improve the maga-

zine, questions regarding our issues,

reactions to the article featured
in Ebony Style Magazine are wel-
come ! Send your emails today to :

ebonystylesl@gmail.com

Patty Cortes,
Editor in Chief
11
 To introduce this article, let me quote Wins-
ton Churchill when he was asked about how to
become successful: «Never, never, never, never
give up.» That is what the owner of Purple Rose
Jewelry realized along the way. Even when she
was beat down by fierce competitors, even when
she was tired with rude assaults of some second
life residents, she stood proudly in the adversity,
striving to bring weekly her creativity into the
pieces of her jewelry. Purple Rose Jewelry was
born in-game in 2005 and appears now among
the most famous jewelry store in the metaver-
se. Ebony Style Magazine met the designer of
this unique brand, Storm Babeli, who is one of
the rare successful black woman businessowers
in - world and is also an ebony beauty! We
have been amazed by her modesty when she
talks about her success story... Read by your-
self, you will be seduced by the tropical storm.
You actually are the owner of Purple Rose
Jewelry, which is in fact the general brand of a
lot of parent companies and other lines of pro-
ducts can you tell us more about that?
Yes, I started off in jewelry and branched out a little, to
shoes, then clothing skins, etc... But the main thing is
the jewelry because I haven’t completely focused on
everything else like I did with the jewelry, but hopeful-
ly I will soon and I will be able to improve the others.
When did you exactly started this venture?
On April of 2006, I had vendors around then O had
a 512 sqm lot in where I opened the store. I was
basically bored and did it to have extra SL spending
money.
Oh wow! It has been a long time, then.
Yes but I have to give it to my customers who have
brought me this far. I didn’t expect to sell as much as
I did, I mean what I did was really simple: one prim
jewelry. But all that motivated me to make more.
What is more, most top designers in SL are from
around 2004-2005; it takes time to grow for sure.
17
I did notice earlier that you pronounced the
word «bored»... So along the way, did you ever
thought about leaving SL?
Oh yes! In fact I have been here since 2005 and I
wanted to leave SL many times... So I started all
over.
So finally, what makes you log in over and over
again? What are the reasons you why never gave
up?
I love this place, it is my second life, and I have
friends I love like if I could see them physically eve-
ryday... You make great connections here.
So you succeed having time spared sometimes?
Well, I work out of hobby mostly; it’s a sort of the-
rapy for me. I love it, so if I don’t have time for any-
thing else, it’s fine.
Let’s talk about your future projects. Do you
plan anything special for 2008? A secret project
that you would give to Ebony Style Readers as a
confidence?
Well we did have a secret project that actually
debuts today (*) The Purple Rose by Light video,
starring the Purple Rose Models, led by one of my
best friends, Aliyeh Yifu. (*) note from the editor:
the interview has been held in January.(Click here
to watch the video)
Oh, an exclusive news for us!
Yes, it will be on YouTube for viewing also. It de-
picts all the aspects of Purple Rose: the sim and the
jewelry. We have from urban to ballroom to gor in
the video, like Purple Rose. The store has a little for
everyone, without discrimination.
Well now we will change a bit of subject... Ima-
gine that you are forced to close down your
store... And to start a brand new third life! How
would you look like and what would be written
in your «profile description»?
Wow good question! Well, I would be dark skin-
ned as usual and it would say something like... Well,
that’s a hard question! Because while our profile
descriptions is supposed to reflect our experience,
I didn’t write anything in my profile since months
after I started the jewelry business! So it may just
say something simple like... «Don’t rain on my pa-
rade!» That’s funny you ask this question cause I
had on my profile few days ago the sentence: «I
need a third life :/»!
Oh, really ?
Yes, I took it out to make room for: «don’t send TPs.»
I was getting TPs offer randomly - which I hate.
Ah yes, fashion designers sounds like harassed
Yes, oh my god... I have had that you own actual-
some harassment you would ly more than a sim?
not believe! But I still stay frien- Yes, I own two of them. I got the
dly, and talk to my customers. first sim and soon after a few
close friends put up businesses
Is that hard sometimes? To there too but meanwhile I kept
keep a friendly chat? working and working and Pur-
Yes, it sounds not real so much ple Rose needed more space.
the story is incredible... Well, I
met this customer once... Who It sounds like a fairy tale!
called me «a dirty crook», be- But is there anything that
cause she tried to change the you regret in whole your se-
color of her jewelry and her hair cond life? Something that
turned red. So I told her to go you would do differently
to the hair maker, I said that it if you had to live it again?
might be a script that did that... Well, when I started, I saw this
She said no, it’s your fault. as a «game» and I was really
mean to some people. And
It sounds like a newbie mis- I think I realized that this is
take... Was she in SL for a few more than a game long after.
days?
No, for months! I was thinking We are now talking about
that it could have been so- feelings... And I guess you
meone who was using an alt (*) have dear friends! If you had
to mess with me, that this alt to leave them a message,
wasn’t a «real» person... now... What would it be?
«Thank you all for stan-
And you think someone ding by me, I am not easy.»
with bad intentions could be
behind this alt? Haha, short but efficient, I
Yes, it could have been a com- would say! Well, how do you
petitor. Who knows? She was feel at this precise moment?
quiet when I said she was a competitor, she stop- This one now? I am excited to be interviewed
ped... But yeah, there is a lot of competition around, for your magazine. Great name you selected...
some watch your every move and mimic it, or try to I also feel very proud to be on your first issue!
do it better, which is natural... But goodness, that’s
Now tell us more about the last time
why the video was a secret project, haha!
you weren’t able to stop laughing?
Everyday! I have some great friends that keep me lau-
Well, talking about this bad side of the fame... ghing! Sometimes, at 2 AM my time I am in here and I
Do you realize that you probably are one of the can’t stop laughing while I really should go to bed! (note
most powerful black female avatars in SL? from the editor : Storm is refering to her friend Aliyeh
Well I know I’m one of the few black business Yifu who is also an Ebony Style Magazine journalist)
owners in SL...
And most recently, why did you laugh?
We can sometimes see your ad ranging over It was something Ailey did last night, for sure ha-ha!
50,000L$ in SL «classified ads»... What means
Do you have any particular motto in your second life?
that you are challenging the «big» names of the
Hmmm... Do what makes you happy, that’s it.
fashion industry... How do you feel about it? Oh... Fashion is what you make it! I like that one.
Yes, I bring it down sometimes to save money, haha!
I don’t like to throw money around as much as peo- Last question for today... What would be your per-
ple would think... I do that only when it is needed. sonal message to anyone who is discovering you
do have a few drawing with linden dollars. for the first times throughout this interview?
Some people, who have got SL businesses , have it I am not a fashion diva for sure and anyone who
as if SL was only like a game. I make a real life living would like to know me a little more can say hello!
off my business and I have real life mouths to feed.
So I don’t play with that. Special thank you to Storm who took the time
in her busy agenda to make this interview!
Well as we are on this subject... I heard

18
 If you have been on the hip tip of SL major events and its news lately, you will certainly know of Kurvy Rhode,
the winner of Miss SL Ebony 2008 pageant! Discover the afterthought of Ebony Style’s very first cover girl, as
well as her beauty secrets. Miss SL Ebony talks style here !
So Kurvy, how have been the days after you won the
title of Miss SL Ebony 2008?
I’ve been great! The first week or so was pretty crazy; I
received so many IMs of congratulations and so much
support from everyone. It really opened my eyes as to
how big this really is. I feel so honored to have been se-
lected to be the first Miss SL Ebony and I’m really excited
about the coming year!
Now, let’s talk style… If someone decided to open
discreetly your virtual bag, what would he find the-
re?
My «virtual bag» has a little bit of everything in there,
from haute couture to gothic and everything in between.
I have a very diverse taste in clothing and what I wear
really just depends on how I feel that day.
21
I have a very long list of designers that I fre-
quent and love finding little unknown treasures.
Tell us more about beauty and sty-
le secrets that wouldn’t fit in this bag…
You won’t find many freebies in there. There are a few
quality free items from well known designers, but you
won’t ever bump into me shopping at Freebie Island.
I’m also well known for being a shoeand hair snob.
Shoes have to be well made and proportionate to
make it into my bag and hair needs to have qua-
lity textures, assembled well and look realistic.
How looks like shopping with Kurvy Rhode? (Where
do you go, do you have favorite colors for your outfits)
Well, I like to hit all the typical places when
there’s something new on the shelf and I love
discovering new, unknown clothes. There is
so much talent out there, I don’t want to
limit myself to just the well known’s. For me
and for models in particular, it’s important
to be unique. To be unique you have to be
willing to try new stuff and be open-min-
ded. As far as colors go, I really love earth
tones, black, browns, greens and deep
redsFor you, what is a fashion statement a
fashionista could bank on?That definitely
has to be the “little black dress”. It doesn’t
matter what the situation that item will
always come through when you need it.
What is the one million dollar item in
your wardrobe that you will never ex-
change?
I don’t know if you would consider this a
wardrobe item, but my Naughty skins are
something that in my everyday life I would
never exchange. Obviously, being a model
there will be times that I will have to model
skins for a designer, but my skins are part of
who I am and I would never change them.
Find a (happy) end for this sentence: you
can’t be beautiful without…
You know, this may sound cliché, but
I am a firm believer that who a per-
son is inside and their attitude has
the biggest influence on their beauty.
This is especially true is SL, where eve-
ryone can be physically beautiful. You
definitely can’t be beautiful without a
good heart and a positive attitude.

And now, about these gentlemen

who are wondering how you “pick
up” your boyfriends… Could you
reveal your dating secrets?
Well, to be honest, I haven’t done
much dating in SL nor have I done I
one any “picking up”, LOL. I met Imy
partner, Ebo done much dating in SL
nor have I done any “picking up”, LOL.
I met my partner, Ebo, over a year ago
and we will have been together for a
year on June 18th. Before him I had
not dated at all. He was my first eve-
rything, and will undoubtedly be my
last.

You might know about the 7 sins…

And now the 7 fashion sins exist!
Find the names of the absolute no-
no in terms of fashion and style.
Besides maybe dressing inappropria-
tely for whatever situation you are in,
(i.e. jeans to a formal event) I really
don’t feel like there are any sins in
fashion. Fashion is a form of art and
an expression of you. I don’t think
there are rules to art and self expres-
sion. Rules like not wearing white
shoes after Labor Day for example
don’t really exist anymore. Wear what
you like; wear what you are comfor-
table in; wear what makes you happy.
Who really cares what other people
think? I don’t.

It’s been a few minutes we are to-

gether and I’m wondering… Does
this girl have any faults?
LOL! Totally; I’m not perfect, nobody
is perfect. I just try to stay true to my-
self and be the best that person I can
be.

22
 Hello Mister Dupont, and thank you
for taking the time to answer these
following questions, cause we at Ebo-
ny Style Magazine know that you are
busy with some projects! In curiosity,
what are these projects?
I am not familiar with MAD Image. Can
you tell us more about that?
We also heard a lot about MAD Agency
shows in the past 12 months, what role
do you play exactly?
27
Smiles. It is pleasure to be here.
works for KMADD Enterprise bus
tainly has been a wild ride for the
ception. Lot of things have chang
especially since KMADD City wa
we’ve moved our home which w
Rica to allow for the expansion
glad that KMADD City with its m
gners has become shopping dest
that are looking for quality male
our designers are all hand picke
ensures that quality standards
But before the expansion goes a
planned on September 20th. It is
DCity.com where MAD Agency an
and female style blog) will finally
MAD Image is relatively new ser
gns. As you know we are not on
shapes also come with styles as
embraces this aspect of our bu
clients with personalized image
have hired some of the best ma
Second Life, like Volcom Praga,
tinian Tomsen and Thalia Jie. Th
and women for any occasion a
MAD Image blog. I am very exc
certain aspects of fashion are n
and favoritism, where we tend
creators regardless of their pop
ring several image specialists w
readers with diverse style choic
Ah yes. It’s true MAD Agency has
well in the past 12 months and c
way from it’s humble beginning
hensive about starting yet ano
Second Life, and now I am rea
it as MAD Agency really has cre
in fashion industry and has prov
portunity to develop and streng
I work as a Creative Director fo
ting 360 degrees immersive fas
music with Kirk and our DJs to m
theme of each show. Success o
rides on the team of profession
 Many projects are in the
siness of ours and it cer-
e past 2 years since it’s in-
ged in the past 12 months
as opened. For example,
was on our sim to Costa
of KMADD City. We are
many male fashion desi-
tination of choice for men
e designers. As you know
ed by Kirk and me which
are always maintained.
ahead we have big event
s for the launch of KMAD-
nd MAD Image (our male
y get their web presence.
rvice offered by MADesi-
nly shape makers as our
s well. Well, MAD Image
usiness by providing our
consultancy service. We
ale and female stylists in
Nicholai Shepherd, Ius-
hey will help dress men So how does one recognize your perso-
and will be posting for nal touch?
cited about this as often
neglected due to politics
to embrace all content
pularity and size. By hi-
we hope to provide our
ce to suit any body type.
s been really doing really
certainly has come a long
gs. I was quite compre-
other fashion agency in
ally glad Kirk insisted on
eated a strong presence
vided me with great op-
gthen other skills I had.
or MAD Agency – crea-
shion sets and sourcing
match the ambience and
of MAD Agency however
nals that we have – our,
Let’s focus on your shapes store. Eve-
ryone knows that you have a very wide
and diversified collection of shapes. So,
what are the criterions to make a good
shape in your opinion?
models, DJs, Kirk as Managing Director of the agen-
cy and especially MAD Agency Manager Risa Bri-
ght; all of them put in 150% of their time and effort
to make every one of our shows an absolute success
I personally have been making shapes for a very long time
now, nearly 2 years. I feel that I have finally mastered it
but that has not always been the case. Today I proudly
can say that «We do not make shapes, we make people»
What I used to do when I first started creating shapes
is exactly that - make shapes - where I really wanted to
make people. Now that is much harder to do. Apart from
technical skills essential to creating anything of descent
quality it is a human presence that I struggled with the
most. Everyone can make a shape as you can tell from
many shape stores that have never been around until
MADesigns began. People try to emulate the success of
our business not knowing that what we do takes years
of experience, hours of hard work and even monetary
investment. What many shape creators struggle with is
make a shape that is authentic. Good shape needs to ra-
diate life and be real. I believe that our shapes do that.
I can say that our shapes are technically correct, meaning
of good proportion. We review our shapes every 6 months
and make small corrections mainly on the body. You still
learn new things every day and sometimes you do not
see small imperfections when you first create the shape,
so it is important to do that. This in no way changes the
shape presented on the photo as we keep all versions in
the same pack. Our shapes are also perfectly molded to
the skin which is important as shapes are intended for the
skin they are worn with and always need to be adjusted if
skin is changed and many people miss that point as they
are precious about their shape and never want to change
it, even slightly. But it is essential to evolve. To bring the
shape to life it takes about 4 – 6 hours; from choosing the
right elements – from skin, hair and eyes to clothing and
accessories to photographing and even selecting appro-
priate backgrounds. All this will tell a person who is buying
a shape what character is like that they are purchasing.
Also, when we style the shape we consciously try to give
our buyers a small tour of some of our favorite and hard
to find fashion stores. In this way not only customer gets
the shape but they also learn where to shop as well. I per-
sonally love strong profile. My men are men; they are mas-
culine, strong and well built. Of course we have variety of
28
 pes but even when men are less tall and slim they still
look like men. Our women are always feminine most-
ly with slim built and with perfect figure **ducks down**
Well I would like to go back to your point
You see, I knew you would bring that up. I started with what
earlier about strong and muscular men. I
I love first, Patty. It is always good to start with what you are
mean, there are indeed a lot of them and
passionate about as that is what you know the most and what
we can also notice thin women. So what
you can express easier. For example, as my male collection
would you reply to people who think you
grew I realized that some guys do not like to be so big, mus-
are against curvy women in SL?
cular and built so I made slender shapes, thinner and softer
guys and I loved it! They were a challenge as I have never made
them before. I guess we have limited time to create all that
we imagine. You also need to remember that I am a busines-
sman first. I make what people would like to buy. The variety
is then further enriched by dabbing into other forms and for
this I always rely on customer requests and feedbacks. My fe-
male collection is in no way finished, being only a third of the
size of what we got for guys. But curvy is something I already
began to embrace with shapes like Yvonne and few others.
So maybe soon a special line for BBW
indeed everything is possible. I have actually made custom
(big beautiful women)? There are a lot
shapes that were BBW, I can make them but hell I can not dress
of people who admit that curvy women
them! Most clothing is Second Life is targeted to slimmer wo-
need some adjustments to look more
men, this is because when you start making shape bigger you
realistic.
also begin to stretch the mesh our shapes are made of and this
can distort clothing terribly. Also, most people are not good at
adjusting attachments and when you are styling BBW you are
adding customer support to it as well if you are using prims
that need to be fitted. What we do offer though is free body
adjustment with each shape, so if your body is not to your
liking you can always get it professionally adjusted with us.
While we are on this issue, I’ll point out
Absolutely. Kirk Claymore, my partner was the first to sug-
that we are the premiere ethnic maga-
gest we make INTERNATIONAL MEN collection. Second Life
zine in SL dedicated to black culture and
is made up of such a diverse group of people from all around
celebration of the diversity. We would
the world, so this was an excellent idea. It was a logical direc-
like to know if you can recommend to
tion for MADesigns as we pride ourselves on diversity we of-
our readers some of your products that
fer. Kirk’s INTERNATIONAL MEN collection (situated on level 2
target not only Afro avatars but also of
of our store) is almost complete with major countries covered
Asian, Indian and other ethnics? Do they
and most of South America, Asia and Africa. I also have fe-
need to look at any special section of
male shapes that can fall in this category on level 3. We had
your store?
plans to make International Women but the problem was clo-
thing and knowing what these women would wear since we
do not create our own clothing and only few designers do.
So we heard that you are busy with run-
Hehe, never a smile attachment that is for sure. Kirk - my RL
ning of successful modeling agency,
and SL partner keeps me always smiling! We just celebrated
releasing new shapes and managing
our 1 year wedding anniversary and in spite of tough year
KMADD City sim. While your shape store
in Real Life and Second Life, we have been going stronger
is described by many people as one of
than ever. Without him and support of our friends and MAD
the best and most diversified shapes sto-
Agency family things would have been much harder. He is
re, this must add a lot of pressure on you.
heaven sent, most loving, loyal and kind man I know and we
I’m sure Ebony Style’s readers absolutely
just happen to work well together. Together we managed to
want to know what keeps you smiling
create a community; our friends as well as KMADD associa-
when you are so busy with all aspects of
tes know what I am talking about. What makes me smile is
your business, unless it’s a smile attach-
our ability to better the lives of so many people - if only in
ment.
appearance if not in opportunities and to bring the spirit of
community back to Second Life. Second Life is often filled
with drama and being able to bring positive energy back to
it, is definitely what keeps us both smiling. I think that it is

29
So, is Maddox Dupont happy of his Se- the only thing that after all the business is done, will make us
cond Life, so far? come back here and that is important to keep this game alive.

Haha ! Hey - I’m French. Absofuckenlutely - pardon my French.

Sorry but I never heard about this word. Haha and that was not it?

Darn! Sometimes bad words can tell of strong emotions we

hold. Kirk and I are continents apart. SL is the only connection
we have till we meet. I am loving what I do, who I am with
and what we have created. I am very proud of my Second
Life achievements and experience, yes! Hehe, can’t you tell?

Erm, a bad question now. I have been too No such a thing! Well ok, try me.
nice so far...
Hahaha! If I can only stay in one body - I would have
Do you have a stalker? one! Most of the time they would not recognize me,
they would wonder, «Is that the same guy?» I love
wearing my shapes, it is my way of living many dif-
ferent lives and personas while advertising my pro-
duct. I am only in my own body when I go to events
or when I am with Kirk. Kirk gives me such a hard
time about my ever changing looks; he thinks he is
cheating on me. I say baby it’s me, Maddox DuPont!

So it is a secret tip to avoid them? Yes, buy more shapes!

It sounds like I’ve unmasked your real Har Har Har! «KMADD’s evil agenda», I can see the title of
goal behind your shapes business, Mister your next article. But really, I am quite surprised that I am not
DuPont. the only one who enjoy changing so much. I have enormous
number of customers that are addicted to my shapes, some
of them I met have 20+ shapes just on one account. I am
not sure if it helps them keep the stalkers at bay though, the
opposite is usually reported back to me. Hehe. But they love
it. What makes me laugh is when I am actually finally myself
and someone would ask me: «I love that shape, which one is
that one?»
Tell me, what would you say to people You are not alone! Hahaha. And thank you of course! But I
who are discovering you through this in- know most of my addicted customers. They become friends
terview or who already are your addicted over time and I love to reward their loyalty from time to time
customers? with other things I release – like eyes as of late and free pro-
file photos. If you are one of them, contact me so that I can
personally thank you for your support and get your feed-
back.
And a final word for your future clients? Here it comes..... Good shape, immaculate styling changes
your Second Life forever! One word of warning though... You
will definitely be stalked! And one more: «looking good can
be addictive»

Maddox is considering putting this warning on his vendors.

So, dear readers of Ebony Style : Are you ready to get noticed
in MAD Shapes?

30
 is largely a waste of time as th
low. So, I began at the Fabulous
able to find nice dark skins, An
AO), poses, clothing, shoes and
Whether you’ve just arrived in this wonderful virtual world or was the Free Dove, a popular fr
you’ve been here for some time and are ready to express your uni- clothing, jewelry, shoes and etc
queness and individuality, Ebony Style is going to be your ticket to a single dark skin. Though the o
diversity and style. As a fashionista in-world, I’ve learned how to clude dark skins, I find it rather
find great deals on clothes, skins, hair and shoes. So, my goal is to a popular store, any popular sto
share this knowledge which will help us all break the mold, increase for those wanting dark skins? I
avatar diversity and acceptance, and make Second Life as visually ideal for the store’s business. I h
diverse as our first lives. That sounds like an easy enough task but
you’ll find that diversity does not usually come cheaply or easily. Now that I’m done with the mo
My job is to help you find a way to transform effortlessly into an of the places I got started, I’ll
ebony avatar as it is to become an avatar of a different race. On this portant point: know your resourc
journey to helping you create your own personal style, the style that It’s just a matter of knowing w
will make you unique and beautiful in your Second Life, the first recommend creating an accoun
stop is showing you the basics which are mainly the easiest ways Rez.com as they both allow yo
to find those wonderful freebies and dollarbies. While freebies are wide variety of sources as quic
essentially free for grab, dollarbies, as the name implies, cost L$1. using these particular resources i
ble. You’ll never know when yo
First thing is get some Linden dollars. To save time, I exchan-
ged about US$ 2 which equals to about L$ 500 which is a fair- In addition to online resour
ly substantial sum when not paying more than L$ 1 per item. and OnRez.com, keeping up
is a great way to keep you o
Alternatively, if you rather not import any money in-world, camping bies available out there. The b
is always an easy way to gain some linden dollars in exchange for to group members or those f
some of your time. The typical camping rate is about L$ 1 per 15 res. So be prepared to do a
minutes but if you’re lucky, you might find a camp that offers L$ 2
every 10 minutes. Now to the fun part: Shopping! The first stop for
every new avatar is usually the Freebie Island or Freebie Warehouse.
But being the fashionista that I am, I know that going to such places

37
 FASHION APPENDIX
he quality of most objects is very
SPECIAL FREEBIES PLACES
sly Free Headquarters where I was
- THE FREEBIE ISLAND
nimation Overrider (referred to as
- THE FREEBIE WAREHOUSE
d freebie pack hair. My next stop
- THE FABULOUSLY FREE HQ
reebie spot with a plethora of hair,
- THE FREE DOVE
but I found that they did not offer
owner might not intentionally ex-
FASHION CENTERS AND SHOPS
r disappointing. Why would such
- GLANCE FASHION CENTER
ore, not have a product available
- COCOLUV
In my opinion, that might not be
- FLEUR SKINS
hope this will change in the future.
- DIVERSITY HAIR
- HOUSE OF HEART
ost popular freebie places, mostly
- SH*T HAPPENS
turn your attention to a very im-
- LF CHAI
ces. Freebie is abounding all over.
- PIXELDOLLS
where to look for and find them. I
- BLOWPOP
nt with SLExchange.com and On-
- ETD
ou to search for free items from a
- TESLA
ckly as possible. My advice when
- ALADY
is to gather as much stuff as possi-
- BIJOU
ou might need it and hey, it’s free!
WEBSITES (FREEBIES AND MORE)
rces like the SLExchange.com
- SLExchange.com
with SL publications and blogs
- Onrez.com
on top of the high quality free-
best freebies are those given out
found around your favorite sto-
lot of shopping and exploring.

38
 «This outfit is made mostly from dollarbie items
found at the respective stores of each item. Some
are single items like the bracelet, pants and shoes.
The rest come in packs with many things inclu-
ding alternate colors for the outfits, different skin
tones and different hair colors. Whenever you see
and can afford to buy a one dollar fat pack, my
advice is to grab it immediately! The skin that I
found as a limited time offer for newbies came
from Fleur Skins where it’s a part of the Vivant
skin line. There is also men’s skin pack availa-
ble for free. My hair came from Diversity Hair,
which has fat packs frequently available for L$1.
It’s good to hang out around and look at stores for
such items regularly. The shirt I’m wearing is ac-
tually the top of a dress that came from another
store called Sh*t Happens. Separating dresses into
shirts and skirts, and mixing and matching them
are a really easy way to create a different look.»

39
«I’ve created some styles using the resour-
ces mentioned above. This outfit stem di-
rectly from just exploring in SL. I was about
to find this amazing hairstyle in a store cal-
led Cocoluv Hair which only costs L$1.
The rest of my outfit that I’m wearing, in-
cluding my skin, can be found at the Fa-
bulously Free HeadQuarters except for
the jewelry that came from the FreeDove.»

40
 « For the third outfit, I used online resour-
ces to find groups with special limited time of-
fers. These are the best source for quality items.
The hair I wore called Feral was found by
subscribing to the House of Hearts’ group.
The skin is Indigo from LF Chai group.»

41
«The store called Bijou provided the aptly
named Diva. Lastly, I’ve used a combination
of all these items to create a sexy and fun
look, which is made possible with a great
group gift halter dress from PixelDolls.
The nice skin came from BlowPop which
was offered for free as a review demo. The
hair, Solaera from ETD, is a fat pack that
costs only L$1. Tesla Store offered these
deliciously red shoes in a lucky chair.»

Clothes are not all one needs to move around

beautifully. Face lights, prim eyelashes and
AO are all a must. A great place to find those
things is at Alady or SLExchange.com. In fu-
ture articles, I’ll provide you with as much in-
formation and advice as possible but for now,
this is a great start on the way to individuality.

Normally, it takes weeks to learn these things

but with Ebony Style help, you will be loo-
king fabulous for less in no time. At first, you
may feel overwhelmed or disappointed be-
cause you can’t find that particular look you
want but do not get discouraged. There is a
saying that my mother used to tell me that I
find fitting: “You can always tell a great cook
because they are able to walk into an empty
kitchen and prepare and amazing meal”.

That is how you have to think when creating

a style: mix and match your clothes, dresses
and costumes to create your perfect look.

42
 Bodies of stick-thin Twiggy and disproportionate Pamela Ander-
son are a passé in Second Life. Have you ever met Khitten Kurka
when walking across the grid? If yes, then you couldn’t help but
notice how different she is from the avatars you’ve seen and how
this difference makes her beauty shine. Proudly representing the
rare Big Beautiful Women (BBW) in the metaverse, Khiten knows
exactly how to manage her wardrobe to look fabulous for less.

In this issue, Ebony Style Magazine decided to name Khitten as

our Ebony Style Icon for her flair in fashion and the gracefulness
she carries as a curvy lady. In the following interview, we talk to
Khitten about her sharp sense of style as we try to get some of
her best-kept fashion secrets.

Do you follow trends with a real interest or do you feel more like
a trendsetter?
I think a little bit of both. I do pay attention to what the current trends
are in terms of colors and cuts but I tend to take «bits» of things and
roll that into my own style.

So how would you define your style?

I would like to think my style is more urban refined, current, contem-
porary, yet with a subtle mix of high fashion.

Tell me, where do you usually shop?

Goodness, I shop everywhere, haha! And my poor wallet can bear
witness to that. It really depends on what effect I am looking for. I
usually shop at Ivalde, G.L.A.M, Paper Couture, Frozen Turquoise Va-
lentine, Immortelle (before they were absorbed into Armidi) and a
host of other places. My inventory is literally a mish mash of designs
and I just make things work for me. But I do tend to shop at smaller
places most folks don’t frequent.

What does the Ebony Style Icon of the month title inspire you?
Well for starters, it means someone or many someones appreciate
my weird eye and color, haha! I mix up my look so often and that may
not be as appealing or stylish to some as well as others. So I think
being named Ebony Style Icon probably means that someone sees
my overall fashion sense and style, and thinks to himself “yes, that
makes sense. She gets it... fashion is real, wearable, and maybe I can
pull it off too.” It’s an honor and I am very humbled. So, thank you!

We would like to know if you have set up any “style budget”?

Well I spend on fashion daily and I am not ashamed to say I do grab
the good freebies but on average, I spend around 500L$ a week. I
tend to visit my usually hangouts like Rosemar, ETD and AnnaH just
to pick up something new. Then I will visit some of my higher end
places to check the latest there. Not so much shoes and hair as I have
tons of that stuff. There are some awesome dollarbies and cheapies
which I like to add them for flair and to change the look of thins. For
instance, I will put a dollarbie pair of earrings with a 400L dress!

What did you picked up during your last shopping session?

Haha! These shoes today from Paper Couture which are older model
shoes but they worked with the outfit. I didn’t want to wear my teal
color shoes since my jewels were so bold. I also picked up some dres-
ses this morning from Ibizarre. I wanted to grab

47
 some of their new releases so I spent about 500L$ there. So, I buy
when I am in the mood. But I do tend to shop more on weekends.

What are the fashion items you can’t live without?

My aviator shades from Last Call (note from the editor : Last Call is
a clothing line that has been officially closed by the end of march
2008) my shoes and and hairstyles from ETD which is my go-to
favorite, and my hairstyles from Fetish (note hairstyles from Fetish
(note from the Editor : Fetish is a store specializing in hairstyle and
runned by Imani Moseley). And my skins from Rosemar and Sin
Skins. Oh yes, my diamond studs from Cailyn’s.

Can you explain to us what you mean by the expression, “go-to

favorite”?
ETD is my go-to favorite place. Need shoes? ETD. Need hair? ETD. I
tend to be very brand and designer loyal. Maybe to a fault someti-
mes, haha!

You are actually among the few Big Beautiful Women who are
top models in SL. How are you feeling about this experience so
far?
Well, I don’t even see myself as a model, so I take your statement
as a total compliment. As for my size, I certainly get remarks on my
shape all the time and most of them are positive. Many folks have
IM’ed me saying they want my courage. So in some way, I find that
inspiring. Now when I start to get some more work, especially print
and store ads, then I can tell you how it feels to be a model in SL!

The best compliment and the worst compliment you ever

heard?
The best from a man and a woman, separate times, who called me
“sexy”. The worst, someone called me «a black lump of coal.» I can
laugh at it now.

Beyond the beautiful model that you are, do you feel like a role
model ?
Well I have made some impacts on people in SL, especially female
AV’s that struggle with how they present themselves. Personally, I
do feel like a represent for the curvy, ebony AV because honestly we
do not see too many of them especially in the right body propor-
tions. I am curvy all over. Not just in boobs or booty, haha! So when
I am out on the grid or interacting with people, I know I represent a
different look - dark and curvy. And in those moments, I do feel like
a stand up for those AVs like me or those who want to reveal them-
selves but are afraid of doing so.

I am pretty sure that Ebony Style Magazine readers would like

to know what is Miss Kurka’s beauty secret ?
Haha. Number one, remove all stress from your SL experience. Keep
you open, healthy, and happy to new experiences. Secret number
two: have an arsenal of skins with different makeup options. I find
that I play with different looks across two designers and that keeps
me looking fresh and current. Third, invest in nice manicure and
pedicures. They can take any outfit from 0 to 100 in no time. Fourth,
invest and work prim lashes. I am not the biggest fan of them but
they can really add to your facial definitions and fifth, find about 2-3
hairs that work for you and all your outfits. So no matter where you
are and what you have to change into, you will always have the right

48
 Pictures : extract from Khitten Kurka stunning virtual portfolio

look. Anything more than that is confusion.

Haha! Now I have like 200 hairs but I can go to
2-3 hairstyle that work with everything I wear
and the one I am wearing now is one of them!
About the other 5 secrets, I will keep safe with me.

Haha ! You are sure... sure? Even if I offer 1L$?

Umm hmm... The vault has closed, haha !

Could you please leave a message for Ebony

Style Magazine Readers ?
You are unique. Your style is unique. Embrace the
power within you and let it shine! You are a diva, so
go on and work it!

And for the gentlemen?

Your power is alluring. Your stature is commanding.
Keep your head up and step tall. Be the king you
were born to be!

49
55
 MALE STYLE 101
OK, fellas, listen up, because I am about to make
it official. There are three things that we all own
that we should never wear, or at least not wear
in public, or in mixed company. These three
things are bling, smile attachments, and penises.
Bling is so incredibly over, it’s almost unneces-
sary to mention it. Smilers are just as tacky as
bling, but fading slower, so it is my duty to push
them face-first down the stairs to obscurity. As
far as penises go, every man should have one,
and a good one, but you should never ever wear
it if you are not planning on using it immedia-
tely. You would be surprised at how many peo-
ple run around in CTRL + ALT + T all the time.
Now that that is out of the way, let’s get on to
the three things that every man should wear all
of the time. These three items are what I call the
«three S’s», and they are shape, skin, and shoes.
Because these are things that you will wear
constantly, they should be of the finest quality.
Let’s start with your shape. While most mo-
deling agencies will tell you to avoid the pum-
ped-up, steroid-filled, muscle-bound look, let’s
face it, some of us actually like our masculinity,
and have no desire to pursue that androgynous
circuit-boi image that seems to be so popular
with all the male-model types. Your shape is
up to you. You have two options. Create your
own, or get one from a good shape designer.
There are many shape stores in SL, but the only
one that I feel comfortable recommending is MAD
Designs. In the folder that comes with the shape,
you will find a styling card that tells you where to
get all the other things to complete the look pre-
sented on the display board for the shape. This
store has a huge collection of looks, and catego-
rizes them based on things like ethnicity, body
type, or lifestyle. Most good shape designers are
also available for custom work, or personal sty-
ling assistance, if your pockets are deep enough
to satisfy your need to tailor your individuality.
Are you hawt yet? If your answer is «yes», then stay tuned, and
next time I will tell you about the best places to find shoes.
By Rawly Rousselot
Once you get a shape that you feel comfortable in,
you will want to wrap it in a skin that does you jus-
tice. For the most part, you get what you pay for.
A good skin these days will set you back around
L$2000, and that is just for one skin. Many desi-
gners offer package discounts, offering something
like 4 or 5 different facial hair looks, at a discounted
rate compared to buying the skins one at a time.
Most of the best skins stores offer each style in
African skin tones. Out of all the skins that I have
sampled, I have found that the ones from Abyss,
Naughty Designs, DragonFly, FNKY! and Min-
nu Model Skins to be the best in terms of qua-
lity and style. Not every skin is going to look
equally good on every shape, so get the demos,
try them out, and see which one suits you best.
When shopping for a skin, it is in your best in-
terest to take the time to evaluate all of them
carefully. Just because a skin is expensive does
not mean that it is a top quality one. A com-
mon problem for many skins is the lack of even
skin tones throughout the skin, or an appearan-
ce that is not entirely seamless. You will proba-
bly be thinking the skin is still rezzing after you
put it on, but you will eventually realize that the
skin is not very well-executed. It is also best to
make the rounds and collect all the demos, and
then try them on at home, where lag and privacy
are under control. You will want to remove all
your clothing, and be able to rezz properly, in
order to give the skins an adequate inspection.
Another reason to get all the demos and sample
them before purchasing is to compare the way
they look on your shape. Some skins will make
you look much older than others, while others do
not have a very modern appearance. Then there
is the dreaded «off-duty drag queen sucking on a
lemon look», a common problem in male skins that
were designed by women. While their female skins
may be flattering, plucked eyebrows and puckered
lips are not exactly elements of masculine style.
56
67
I’m not usually one for contests. I don’t typi-
cally like being judged, especially superficially. I
have always been a person that believes that the
content of one’s character and inner beauty are
much more important than their outer beauty. Of
course in a beauty-centric world like SL, beauty
contests are inevitable.

Being part of several modeling groups, I am always

receiving information about upcoming contests.
Voting contests, photography contests or desi-
gner contests. Most of which never get a second
glance from me. When my friend JT passed me the
notecard for the Miss & Mr. SL Ebony pageants, I
was intrigued. I read it more than once. I visited
the website and became convinced that this pa-
geant had a great idea and was something I could
get behind and support. What could be wrong
with promoting ebony beauty?

When I submitted my entry for the Miss SL Ebony

pageant, I wasn’t sure what to expect but I had a
strong feeling that it was going to be a very dif-
ferent experience than any other beauty contest I
had entered. And it was. Not only were we judged
on our beauty, but also on how we carried oursel-
ves, our ability to express ourselves and our awa-
reness of the world around us.

When I entered the pageant, I stated in my ‘moti-

vations card’ that being Miss SL Ebony 2008 would
be an accomplishment I would carry with pride,
and it is. My hope is that I can use this opportunity
to help bring awareness and change to the grid.
Thanks to all the girls who competed with me in
the pageant. You all were incredible and very stiff
competitors, I might add. Thanks to the judges for
challenging me and giving me this opportunity.
Most of all, thank you to all my friends and family
who were there to cheer me on and continue to
support me in all my endeavors. In future issues,
I’ll be covering skin and hair care beauty tips, so
please stick around.

68
Every month, we are looking for a leader of the black community who sha-
res the same passion in promoting ebony culture in Second Life. There is no
better way to encourage the culture than by managing an arts festival in this
virtual reality. Fatimata Nozaki realized this project by launching The Natio-
nal Black Arts Festival in SL to showcase the talents of ebony performers, wri-
ters, thinkers, filmmakers and visual artists of African roots. This SL venture
started in 2007 but as her slogan suggests, such a good project will continue
well into the future: “Connect, Be Inspired and Be Transformed in 2008!”.
Ebony Style Magazine caught up with Fatimata to have a quick chat with her.
Dear Fatimata, what do you think of this title, black leader, we give you and what ins-
pire you to become one?
First, let me thank you for this opportunity. I am humbled by this recognition. Hmmm... Being
a leader is a tricky thing. While some of us are natural born leaders, it’s the time and expe-
rience that move us into good leader and great leader status. What I have learned in my ex-
perience is that 50% of what I do is lead, 25% of what I do is build consensus and 25% of
what I do is follow…! What I mean by that is that it’s not all about you so it’s always a give and
take. What is our common goal? How can we reach that goal together? How do I as a lea-
der inspire you to be the best that you can be for this moment and for your next moments?
And how do I learn from my interactions with you? So leading to me is about teaching, liste-
ning, sharing my expertise and experiences, engaging my team and being on top of my game.

How do you help promoting black culture and beauty in SL?

The goal of the National Black Arts Festival in SL is to promote and celebrate the ar-
tists, art and culture of Africa and the African Diaspora. Through dynamic programming
and transformative experiences we want to engage, cultivate and educate all residents of
SL. I strongly believe that art connects people, builds bridges between communities and
provides a mirror for people to realize their own creativity. With the help of world-class per-
formers, writers, thinkers, filmmakers and visual artists, NBAF in SL hopes to expand and
broaden the perspectives of SL residents - connecting, inspiring and transforming them.

Tell me a bit more about the arts festival, its programme and cost incurred to participate.
In November 2007 we launched in SL with a free concert at Acropolis Gardens featuring jazz
trumpeter, Russell Gunn. It was very successful. Our in-world publicist, Ranena Oliver did a won-
derful job of getting the word out and the groundswell of support from the SL community was
encouraging. In 2008 we will present a National Black Arts Festival concert series which will
include artists such as Julie Dexter (UK grown Soul Singer), Vinx (Vocal and Percussion Genius),
and Joi (the Funk Diva) and others. In addition we will produce some spoken word events, lite-
rary readings, staged play readings, dance performances, visual arts exhibitions, film screenings
and a dialogue series. Most of the events will be free but some will be paid. It will depend
on costs connected to producing each event. I am looking for an underwriter as we speak.

You seem to be a real business woman! What do you do when you are not working?
Is there such a thing as not working? What a novel idea ! I do for a living what most peo-
ple do for fun so it’s sometimes difficult to draw lines in the sand between work and play.
I love to check out incredible music, theater, film, dance, art, books, poetry and unique
performance art. I love spending time with my family and friends. I love to travel. Da-
kar, Senegal is my favorite place on the planet right now in RL and I have found many
wonderful spots to chill in SL. I am making a commitment in 2008 to do a better job of ba-
lancing my life. Touch base with me in December and I will let you know how it worked out.

Is there any project that you would like to realize in 2008?

There are always projects that I want to realize. Second Life has so many possibili-
ties. So I am looking forward to being my most creative self and just seeing what unfolds.

Do you have any message to give to the readers of our magazine?

I encourage readers to add the National Black Arts Festival in SL to their ex-
periences this year. Balance your club/party time with a visit to an arts/cultu-
ral event. When we step outside of ourselves and our routines we always grow.
Every month, we are looking for a leader of the black community who sha-
res the same passion in promoting ebony culture in Second Life. There is no
better way to encourage the culture than by managing an arts festival in this
virtual reality. Fatimata Nozaki realized this project by launching The National
Black Arts Festival in SL to showcase the talents of ebony performers, writers,
thinkers, filmmakers and visual artists of African roots. This SL venture star-
ted in 2007 but as her slogan suggests, such a good project will continue
well into the future: “Connect, Be Inspired and Be Transformed in 2008!”.
Hey Midori you are the cover girl of the
first issue of Nappy Hair, so tell us what is
your favorite hairstyle these days?
I prefer long and wavy .. its more of a free
flowing style ... much like my spirit.
What are your must-have hair cuts for
this summer ?
Well ... I recently found a style at Magika cal-
led «Dream» that I absolutely adore. Its long
and flowy and off my face :).
We love your natural makeup and would
love to know what are Midori style se-
crets to ko keep a natural overall appea-
rance? (including skins, outfits, shoes,
manicure…)
Yes I am a very natural woman therefroe my
look is always very clean and natural. My
skin is a photorealistic skin . I have a mani-
cure of very detailed prim nails from Candy-
Nails. I shop at a variety of different bouti-
ques all over Second Life. I dont have to go
with whats popular but what suites my fancy.
I like natural jewelry as well and Earthtones
has very fine wood jewelry and other natural
stones. Also jewelry from SwallowTail, Shiny
Things and Viva La Glam (Pearlie Pedro).
My style would be accurately described as
sexy casual coutoure chic :). I dont mind
mixing styles for the right look.
Do you have a favorite shop where to get
your hair do’ ?
I have discovered some unknown - well not
as well known as ETD or lets say Analog
Dog or RAC , hair styliists such as Shop SEU,
Magika, Random, and Bishwear.
What is a hair drama for you ?
LOL hair drama? Well I have been in S
Life a long time. I come from the days
hair came in 2 or 3 seperate pieces and
before flexi or sculpties, so I have learn
how to manipulate a style that I like to
EXACT specifications. That is to say mo
few prims here and ther and other adju
ments - moving back, up or down. Als
tinting if necessary.
And how do you solve it ?
As stated earlier I generally just take th
matter into my own hands and make a
adjustments.
Any hair tips to share with Nappy Hair
ders ?
It’s always a great idea to take a demo
fore making a final purchase. Also be s
to check the permissions, if a hair is no
exact shade or color tinting is a great o
to achiever the right color.
The final word of this interview ?
Everyone is striving for individuality in
cond Life as well as a way to show thei
sonalities. One way to achieve that is t
what we wear and how we style our av
Just have fun with it. There are so man
designers and content creators, establi
and up and coming and surely there is
that has something to fit your style. H
Shopping! :)
Second
s when
d long
ned
o my
ove a
ust-
so,

he
a few

rea-

be-
sure
ot your
option

Se-
ir per-
thru
vatar.
ny
ished
s one
Happy
5
6
8
Diversity Hair, a brand that most people in SL has come to know as a luxurious composition to en-
hance your look. This braid is extremely shiny and comes across as ‘Pantene’ hair in the version of
SL. I really liked the texture of this hair and the thickness of the braid that in my opinion looked
more realistic than the analog braid. The braid sweeps over the shoulder to create a romantic feel
to it but can also be worn in any casual setting. The end of the braid is flexi and has a natural mo-
vement to it that gives it this realistic feel to it. There is a headband that also comes attached to this
hair that I liked as well. It does not distract from the hair, rather it pulls the entire look together. The
back has a swept look that goes off to the side of the head. The bangs are straight down the forehead
just touching the eyelashes. This beautiful braid lies gently across the shoulder and establishes a
distinct look. If you’re looking for a thick braid with bangs in your forehead this is the route to go.

10