Electricity...

To quote one of my favorite 80's groups, "You don't know what you got, 'til it's gone."

I'll never take electricity for granted again. The last 7 days have been compelling. Sometimes good, sometimes bad and sometimes downright awful. Today, though, I want to concentrate on being thankful. Our power came back on about 7pm Central last night.

I'm thankful to God that he created electricity and the men and women who were smart enough to harness it. Thank you to the Greeks (Thales of Miletus) for discovering static electricity, thank you to Benjamin Franklin, thank you Charles-Augustin Coulomb, thank you Alessandro Volta, thank you Michael Faraday, thank you Joseph Swan, thank you James Watt, Andre Ampere and George Ohm, thank you Nikola Tesla, George Westinghouse and Thomas Edison. Those are the big guys in the world of electricity.

Now for the people who are no less important - thank you sincerely to the men and women who worked day and night to get electricity back to our town and then our neighborhood.

Finally, as the last part of this post, I'm thankful to my family. I'm thankful for the help of my children when we had to bring wood in for our wood stove. Thank you for not complaining too much. I know it was tough this last week, but we did make some memories. We learned that we can occupy our time with things other than Xboxes, Nintendos and Computers. We learned that playing cards can be fun and learning new games can be fun as well! We learned that hot dogs roasted over the fire of a wood stove taste waaaaay better than boiled hot dogs and that Pop Tarts are much better when warmed on top of the wood stove than when they are toasted in an electric toaster. We learned that S'mores are one of the yummiest foods you can make using a wood stove. We also learned how important it is to have deep and meaningful friendships and that sometimes, no matter how independent we want to be, that it's okay to rely on those friends.

I'm thankful to my partner for helping me to get through. You, my love, are the strong one. Thank you for your love and your strength.

Les Belles Isle

Okay, I took the link out. I have no idea what the hell they are/were up to. Their web site is gone (as far as I can tell) and I haven't heard from them in forever. So I was wrong. I thought they had a great idea. I'm all for collaboration, but for some reason, I have a feeling they've played a lot of people or they just couldn't get the support from other designers they thought they could get. I have no idea.

So, I quickly take my LM to what used to be Les Belles Isle and it's now some French club. If you've seen my other post, I'm not too proud to admit it, I was wrong. To all of you who were right about them, kudos.

Lissa

Winter "Wonder" Land

I know, strange post title. But I'm "wondering" when I'm going to get electricity back. It's Friday, December 14 and we lost power on Monday December 10th at about 9pm. It's been an interesting week to say the least.

There are things you learn about yourself during times like these. Understand, I'm not going to get incredibly introspective and wax nostalgic on Laura Ingalls Wilder or pretend that we're in a similar situation. But priorities change when you have a situation like this.

For the first time since I began designing clothing for Second Life, I've been able to take a step back. I've been able to stay away from the computer (true, I have had connectivity at work and today I am at the University connected via the wireless network at our Student Union) which has been kind of nice. It's nice to be able to log on for a short period of time, check my messages then log off. We have been spending most of the week in the basement in front of the wood stove. Romantic? Sort of... oh, maybe not really. Maintaining the fire has been the big key. I've learned a lot about wood stoves this week. Woot!

One of the biggest challenges has been keeping ourselves sane and the kids occupied. Those of you who know me on a more personal level know that between my partner and myself we have five children. We sat in the dark (semi-dark with an LED flashlight - those are kinda' cool!) playing games last night. We try to get them to read more and have also tried to make sure that they are learning to occupy themselves!

I will post more at another time as I have connectivity. Hugs and love to all of you who might read this.

-Lissa

Cattiva e Cattivo New Release - The Academic

Well, the contest piece is available now. I call it "The Academic". It's the ultimate mix and match blazer based outfit for men. Four blazers matched with dress jeans in black and blue with prim cuffs, several sexy shirts (both buttoned and unbuttoned) and prim oxfords in Tawny Suede and Obsidian Leather (Hi-Gloss Shine) make up this contemporary outfit for the guys.

Purchase it at our main store (Annapurna 121,147,295) or at OnRez.com.

WindLight Part Deaux!

OMG! What a difference! 

I downloaded the latest Windlight viewer and my fps is easily 20fps or better. I can honestly say that I'm going to be using the Windlight Viewer from now on. It's not only gorgeous, but now it "feels" fast. More to post later!

Love, Lissa


posted by Lissa Maertens on Annapurna using a blogHUD : [permalink]

Dec. 7, 1941

I wasn't alive on this date and probably anyone who reads this blog wasn't, either. My grandpa, however, was. He was 16 at the time and like many young American boys/men his age he found a way to fudge his birth certificate and enlisted in the Army. I realize that most of you know why he would have enlisted, but for those of you who don't, this was the day that the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor and in doing so, pulled the United States into World War II.

I believe my grandpa was a brave man. But to hear him speak about some of these things when he was alive, he would have told you just the opposite. He rarely talked about the war. Some memories are probably just to painful to recount. When he did, though, he always told me, "Lissa, don't ever join the military. You'll end up dead because of someone else's argument." I guess by argument he meant war. I never really asked him to clarify, but I'm pretty sure that's what it was. I hope so, because right now, I feel a true sense of disillusionment toward our government and the people running it. And even worse, I feel such sadness for those who are fighting in a war or trying to put together the broken pieces from a war that in retrospect may not have been necessary.

Please don't misunderstand, Osama Bin Laden and Saddam Hussein are/were awful people and in Bin Laden's case he is someone who takes credit for all of the lives lost in the World Trade Center destruction. He is the enemy. Further, I support our men and women in uniform and thank them from the bottom of my heart for having the deep courage to defend our country and our rights against those who would try to take them from us. I will continue to pray for them that they may all return safely to their families, friends and home.

But to you people who call yourselves servants of the people. You are servants in word only. Your deeds show otherwise. Your continued pay-raises to yourselves, your lax morals, your toe-tapping in bathroom stalls, your disregard for the environment and your continued flip-flopping on moral issues based on polls show that you are nothing more than greedy, self-serving, war-mongers who are hungry for more oil and more money. I'm saddened and sickened by you "officials" who pretend to know what is best for us, but in reality are only doing what is best for yourselves.

When is enough, enough?

Today, I will remember my grandpa and those he served with side by side in the dirt and mud. Those who died on foreign soil and gave their blood, their limbs and their lives to defend people like me who they would never know. I will remember those who have lost their lives in my lifetime fighting in a war that is unnecessary and based on greed. And finally, I will remember that even though my grandpa would not have agreed with what this government has done, he would still fight for this great country and for the rights of the people who live in this land. That's the type of man he was. He was a member of the greatest generation. We have so much to live up to.

I love you grandpa. I wish you were still here. Thank you to you and all who have served before, with and after you.

Love,
Lissa

WindLight Frustration

Okay, so I'm trying Windlight for the second time after I decided I didn't like it because my fps (frames per second) were way too slow. Like, maddeningly, painfully, running into things because I overshoot when I'm turning, slow. But I'm trying it again, regardless. Stupid me.

Yes, the atmospheric effects in WL are gorgeous. (See photo) but I truly am a "complete experience" kinda' girl. Even typing this out is incredibly frustrating. The load the WL is placing on my graphics card makes me feel like I'm back at my old 75 MHz Mac Performa with a 603e Power PC Processor trying to type in Microsoft Word while having Photoshop open at the same time.

But Lissa, the pictures you get in WL are incredible. So What? If I can't enjoy my time in SL, (productive or otherwise) then why on earth would I want to be there. This is worse than a laggy event. Maybe I'm missing something. Someone help me out here. What settings should I use in my preferences?

In my regular SL viewer I get between 10 and 20 fps depending on what I'm doing. I can fly around and enjoy myself, etc. Here are my specs. MacBook Pro, 2.33 GHz Intel Core Duo, 3GB RAM, Radeon X1600 Video card.

Can someone please tell me what I'm doing wrong? I want to enjoy the eye candy and still have a decent frame rate! (which btw, is hovering at 4 fps! (And I'm standing still!).

Love,
Lissa

Merry Christmas to all my Wicked Friends!

Christmas has come a bit early to Cattiva e Cattivo. Pop into the main store Annapurna 107,150,296 and take a look under the tree. Santa Clause has stopped in for all you wicked people. And by wicked, I mean good. :)

Merry Christmas to all!

Love, Lissa
posted by Lissa Maertens on Annapurna using a blogHUD : [permalink]

My Heart Goes Out to Omaha

*Sigh* I'm sitting here typing this knowing that there's nothing I can say that will change this tragedy or at this moment the hurt, anguish and anger that my friends in this awesome town are feeling. Please know that as someone who lived in your wonderful town, worked on 98th St, shopped at the Westroads, and just loved Omaha... I hurt for you all. I'm sorry that this has happened.

My heart goes out to all who have been affected by the tragedy at the Westroads Mall in Omaha, Nebraska. I'm saddened for the families of the victims and I'm saddened for the families of the man who committed this atrocity. Right now while emotions are raw and the hurt runs so deeply I can only imagine that it seems Omaha will never be the same. But please continue to trust in God and the overall goodness of people. Omaha will not be the same, it will be better. I know how strong the people of Omaha are.

Much Love,
Lissa

Testing blog hud, hopefully this will post to my blog!

posted by Lissa Maertens on Nooribeom using a blogHUD : [permalink]

I nearly quit today

Today was just one of those days. Not one major thing was the issue, just a lot of little things that have been building up over time. I nearly quit Second Life. A lot of this has to do with wondering what on earth it's worth? Do I bring joy to anyone? Do people enjoy my stuff? I still don't have the answers to all of my questions, but I promise I'll keep searching.

Please remember and respect that for me, my one requirement of Second Life is that I have fun. I hope it stays fun for me.

Tagged by the wonderful Una Ewing

Okay, I have to admit, I wanted to be tagged. The surprise in being tagged was that it was Una who tagged me! She is one of the friendliest people I've met in SL, but she's so busy I truly never thought she would have tagged me! That being said, following is the standard rules and those who I am tagging.

The rules are:
1. Each player starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
2. People who are tagged need to write a post on their own blog (about their eight things) and post these rules.
3. At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.
4. Don't forget to leave them a comment telling them they're tagged and to read your blog.

Lissa Maerten's random facts/habits:

I live in the midwest

I'm a knee shaker/foot tapper

I'm a coffee-holic (the darker the roast, the better!)

I love good beer (have even considered brewing my own!)

I have a short attention span (I'm sorry, what'd you say? I was daydreaming... *L*)

I don't think money is the root of all evil, I think greed and mean people are the root of all evil

I am a brunette in RL

I never dreamed that I would have anything to do with fashion until I found Second Life. :)

Okay, now that's done. (It was a bit harder than I thought it would be)
My friends who are tagged:
1. Ben Vanguard
2. Chez Nabob
3. Daman Tenk
4. CronoCloud Creegan
5. Blaze Columbia
6. LB Fellini
7. Monica Renneville
8. Lavinia Leigh

(That was much easier than the eight habits! *L*)
If I'm lucky enough to be tagged again, I'll post the taggers names here: (if not, it's going to look sad and pathetic!)

Daman Tenk (I didn't see anywhere in the rules where it says you can't tag back)

Pricing, among other things...

Okay, so maybe someone can clear this up. Second Life promotes a free market type of environment for people who make and sell products and services. I think this is great for obvious reasons. "So, Lissa, what's bugging you then?" you may ask. To which, I reply, "Pricing, dear friends, pricing in SL."

So, here are some of my thoughts on pricing things in SL:

1. What constitutes fair pricing for a product? The way I look at it as a designer is this. When I started out, my pricing was pretty damn arbitrary. I thought $30L for a t-shirt was a fair price. Now, looking back at some of the shirts that I did, I think, hmmm... maybe $10L? So... I adjusted prices on my old T-Shirts. Perhaps the next round will be more detailed or shaded, etc. And I'll charge $30L again. Anyway, I've adjusted my pricing now based on what I think something is worth and what I think it will sell for. Secondarily, I keep metrics in mind as to what the average person behind an avatar spends in world for a product. Right now, the metrics are $100L or under for a purchase. Is this fair? I don't know. I guess what the market will bear is what the pricing will be.

2. Are there things that are overpriced in SL? Well, duh. Yeah, maybe EVERYTHING is overpriced. There are overpriced items in RL, too. Again, it's what the market will bear. But to me, there's a question of not necessarily what the market will bear... but is the pricing fair? This goes back to my first question. I guess what I'm getting at is that there are some designers out there, talented as they may be, that in my opinion (and yes, it's my opinion and my blog) are way overpriced. I don't begrudge anyone selling their work for a premium... I don't know, just something I wonder about. I'm sure there are some out there who think my designs are overpriced as well.

3. Conversely, are there things that are under-priced in SL? Again, yes. And I think maybe some of the stuff that I sell might be that way. I also think that the market will eventually even these things out.

So, what am I getting at? I guess I'm interested in people's opinions on this one. I'm sure some designers will vehemently defend their pricing and some will maybe look at things and say... "Hmmm... maybe this is something I need to think about."

Perhaps it's my point of view. I do SL as a hobby, something I do for fun. Some people are in SL to make a living. I look at what I do as pixels and perhaps that's where I'm missing it. I see it as art, but I feel like I have to keep a level head about it because like most art RL or otherwise... there are some who don't understand it.

Okay, enough... I think I've gotten offtrack with this post.

Let me have it... whether you agree with me or not... I wanna' hear about it! I want your opinions in-world or here.

Love,
Lissa

Finally, Cattiva e Cattivo is at OnRez and SLExchange!

Okay, wicked ones, I've finally begun the process of putting my styles up on Cattiva e Cattivo @ OnRez and Cattiva e Cattivo @ SLExchange.

So, if you can't get in-world (say, maybe you're at work *giggle*) and you just can't wait to get that awesome Cattiva formal gown you saw at the main store. Now you can! So... go to OnRez or SLExchange and have fun!

Stay Wicked!

Love,
Lissa

SL and Food

Okay, so maybe something is escaping me about SL. I see the need for fun, I see the need for clothing, I see the need for get-togethers and being social and enjoying friendship. I can even see why people would want to have sex in Sl. Sl is one of those great places where you can do things you wouldn't do in RL. You can fly, you can wear outrageous styles, you can become famous, you can be a woman if you're a man or a man if you're a woman. You can be an animal, vampire, whatever. I can even see the fun in having those cute scripted drinks (beer, champagne or otherwise that make you fall over are some of the funniest things I've seen in SL).

But the one thing I don't understand is food in SL. One thing we don't need is food. I mean, seriously, our avatars do not require nourishment. It's not like neo-pets where you have to "feed" them to keep them alive. (Does anyone even remember neo-pets?) Food in SL is absolutely a waste of prims. So, when I go to a party in SL, why is there a tray of food? Imitating life is one thing, but honestly, this is just ridiculous. Seriously, we don't need food in SL, how much simpler can it be.

Anyway, what does this have to do with fashion? Nothing. I just don't understand it and thought I'd blog it.

-Lissa

Cattiva e Cattivo Nominated for 2 SL fashion awards!

Tanya Book recently contacted me in world to let me know that Cattiva e Cattivo has been nominated for a couple of SL fashion awards. And, honestly, I'm completely happy about both nominations... here's why:

1. The first nomination is for Best Texturing.

I'm absolutely honored that I would be nominated for this award. I spend a lot of time in photoshop trying to make sure the textures look good on the clothing I offer to you guys. It's important to me. So this nomination makes me very happy!

2. The second nomination is for Sloppiest attention to detail (i.e. seams not lining up, unexplained blobs, etc)

I'm absolutely honored by this nomination as well... for one reason. It humbles me and in return this means I'll work a heck of a lot harder on upcoming clothing to make sure that this never happens again.

All in all though, I'm really pleased about both nominations. It means people are looking and people care. As a designer, I've always stood behind the philosophy that it's better to be loved or hated than to be mediocre. Cattiva e Cattivo hits on both ends of the spectrum!

For all of the nominations go here:
SL Fashion Blogger Choice Nominations

Love,
Lissa

New Main Store Location

Hi all! Cattiva e Cattivo has relocated the main store to the following SLURL:
Cattiva e Cattivo

Follow the teleport. For some reason, I can't get the SLURL to place you 501m in the air!

Hope to see you there!

Fashion Show Blues

So, a new sim had its grand opening today, Virtual Brugge (Belgique, 185,164,24). Now, this sim is excellent and I love having a shop there. But the fashion show, okay, not the whole show, was kind of a bummer. One of the models, modeling the Cattiva Foldover suit in Antique, left flexi prims from her previous outfit on her legs. The bad part of this was that the prims were black and didn't match. The good part, is that I've decided that the Foldover needs to come with leg prims to give it some nice dimensional flared bottoms.

The second thing that went wrong, is that one of my items, the Buttefly Kisses evening gown, didn't end up getting shown until after the show was over and all the models were standing on stage. (Thank you to Katrina Pugilist for taking matters in hand, putting on the dress and walking up on stage!) The thing that upset me the most about BK not being shown was that out of the five outfits, it was the centerpiece and it was disappointing that it wasn't shown to an appreciative audience.

Regardless... Virtual Brugge is an awesome sim, very well textured and very close to how the actual city looks. Stop in and stop at Cattiva e Cattivo and take a look around at all of the wonderful scenery!

Lissa

Energy Art at SEERS on Embracing the Universe Island

My good friend Monica Renneville (RL Psychic Linda Lauren) asked me one day if I would be interested in a collaboration of sorts. She does artwork that she calls Energy Art™. She sent me some samples and after some experiments with T-Shirts I went full blown into creating some unique styles that featured the artwork.

One of the challenges that was presented is that the artwork is non-representational (many people call this abstract, although that term wouldn't be technically accurate). Anyway, I digress... this was a challenge for me as a designer because I wanted to feature as much of the artwork as possible on the clothing, but not necessarily create ALL of the "fabric" from the Energy Art.
After some failed experiments, I finally was able to hit upon some solutions that I felt were not only good looking, but also had the "Lissa look and feel" to them.

To see these styles, search for SEERS Metaphysical Store, Etu Abbracciare (52, 113, 51) or follow the SLURL provided. If I can, I'll post some pictures, but for some reason on Blogger, I haven't been able to figure out how to add the pictures... okay, yes, I feel stupid... don't make fun of me. But if you leave me a comment and tell me the secret of posting pictures here on blogger using your SL name. I'll drop some wicked styles on your profile as a gift!

SLURL to SEERS Metaphysical Store, Etu Abbracciare (52, 113, 51)

Lissa

Amiko*Amikino

I want to thank Liqueur Felix for highlighting one of the Cattiva styles on her blog, Liquer Felix Reviews the Clubkini and Ripped Blues Jeans.

As a designer, it's always appreciated when someone notices the details that we try to put in place in our clothing! Thank you Felix!

She will also be featuring styles in the following blog as well (all Japanese) MagSLNET.

Lissa

New Releases at Cattiva!

We've had a lot of people asking when new releases will be happening and I'm happy to say: It's happening now! Check out the new releases at the main store on WolfWalk.

New Releases for Cattiva:
Butterfly Kisses Formal in Lipstick, Sapphire and Amethyst or as a MultiPak for all three. Individual dresses priced at $L350, MultiPak is priced at $L1000.

The Cattiva Clubkini in Cherry. Priced at $L30.

Butterfly Kisses Lingerie in Black. Priced at $L100.

The Foldover Business Suit in Aged Ivory and Navy. Includes printed Cami. Priced at $L200.

The Peasant Girl Long Sleeved Blouse. Includes Printed Cami. Priced at $40. This is the same blouse that comes with the Peasant Girl Dress. Many people wanted it separately so we have obliged!

The Sideswipe Salsa Dress in Black. Priced at $L250. Sexy and Flexi for a night out dancing!

Ripped Blues Hipster Jeans in Standard Issue Blue, Faded Blue, Sun Bleached, Wine, Olive, Indigo and Midnight. Priced at $60 individually or $L400 in a MultiPak that includes all seven colors. We believe that these jeans are not only sexy (nice little peek-a-boo for your thong!) but also that they are some of the most detailed jeans in Second Life. Check them out for yourselves!

Look for new men's items coming within the next week! We will be including some new ad boards with Combo Fashions for guys who aren't sure what to wear and they look great!

Les Belles Isle

I have a feeling that at this point there are designers out there who don't read my blog. But if they did... they would read this post. I was contacted by a model from Les Belles Isle asking if I would be willing to sell some of my work there.

The idea is simple: Offer your product at Les Belles Isle and they take a percentage of the sale, but within the board, your notecard and LM reside. So, traffic is driven to your main store. Secondarily, Les Belles wants to be a one stop shopping area for new avatars where they can find quality designs. Personally, I love this concept and think that it would be foolish as a designer to pass it up.

If you are a designer and you're reading this... check it out and send the owner, Nikolai Fellini, an IM. They are also actively seeking models. And no, I'm not getting paid anything, Lindens or US$ to promote them. I just think they have a great strategy and I'm looking forward to seeing how it all works out!

SLURL to Les Belles Isle
Lissa

Good Night... show stuff will be up, hopefully by Monday

Ahh... the show is over. The weight has been lifted and the nerves are gone. Wow... what an experience. I am extremely grateful to all who came. All of the wonderful reviewers, you know who you are! It was wonderful to see all of you there. And now, I want to take a couple of days to rest and then back to the grindstone... new designs will be coming out and I think you're really going to like them!

Lissa

More Blog Features and Show Tonight!

Invitations have been sent... Group Notices as well... now let's hope this fashion show doesn't send us straight to hell. ;)

Today is the day and we'll see how things go. I wanted to start off by saying thank you to everyone who has blogged about Cattiva and Cattivo! Ben Vanguard has added a review to his blog, SL Men He features the Leather Biker Jacket, the white dress shirt (no tie) and Khakis (which haven't been boxed for sale yet. ;)

So... big thank you to Ben for his kind words!

After the show, I will definitely have pictures posted. We will be doing on site picture boards during the show. So any reviewers reading this that shoot photos... please... stop by the boards (they are located right outside the main store and you just drop the textures onto the polaroid looking things... )

Any reviewers who did not receive invitations... I promise... it wasn't intentional. IM me and I will send you an invitation to the show or IM me later in the evening and I will TP you if at all possible.

Well, I'm off to finish off some things... I promise to update after the show.

Lissa

SL... not wicked. :(

Okay, I'm not feeling good about things at this point. SL is being naughty and I'm getting more and more nervous. Someone reassure me! *L*

Lissa

On with the show!

Good morning! Well, we've had a few set backs, lost a couple of models and of course yesterday's SL puke. But the show will go on. I just want to take a moment to wish Thadicus Caligari and Katrina Pugilist, two of the models slated for tomorrow's show, well. I care about you guys and you will be missed tomorrow night!

Last night before I went to sleep, I was thinking about some comments I saw on another blog. In a way, I understood the blogists point of view, but in another way I was slightly disheartened. Overall, there was a central theme of not ripping off other designers, either RL or SL. And while I completely agree that you shouldn't rip of a design or a concept, I do believe you should look at what other designers are doing, copy them if you have to (we all have to learn somewhere) and learn from them. I look at what's going on in the fashion-world all of the time in both RL and SL. My designs are influenced by them and I learn things from them. I buy things that I think are cool and I try to take them apart to see how they were put together. It's the way we learn. Many of the great masters of painting were once apprentices to the great painters of their time and they learned by copying. In major art schools, the same story... it's about technique and the how to of it all.

As a graphic designer in RL, I spend a lot of time looking at things. Everything from industrial design to functional stuff like door knobs. I know, sounds nuts... but I think if you took a poll, you'd find that many other designers do the same thing. I'm always experimenting and if I see a design that I think is just wicked as hell, I copy it so that I can figure out why/how the artist did it. Why does this work? How come it looks good? What is the function of this part vs. the other part? Does it have a message and if so, does the message communicate?

I didn't mean to turn this into a rant about design or how I do it... my point is that just because a designer may be copying someone else... it's not necessarily a bad thing. BUT... there is a huge caveat; Don't go copying someone else's design and then sell it as your own! And I think that's what the point of the blog was. People, SL and RL, make money by selling things that they claim as their own.

And while I'm on the topic of selling things that aren't your own. I hate re-sell items. I have some... I bought some prim stilettos that are full copy/mod/resell, etc. I haven't sold them... haven't copied them... in fact, they're in my inventory right now gathering dust. The reason that I bought them is so that I could learn from them. I want to make shoes. I want to be able to have complete outfits that have things that go together and look good. But what I'm trying to say is that I think it's sad that talented people are out there creating these items and then selling them to other people to re-sell. I know not everyone can make things and everyone wants to find ways to make money in SL, but it just doesn't seem right. Yes... I know... capitalism is awesome and in Real Life companies like Levi Strauss make jeans and sell them wholesale to retailers who re-sell them to consumers like us. But here's the difference... the retailers can't make unlimited copies of one pair of jeans. They sell the inventory that they buy wholesale and then they go buy more from the Levi Strauss Co.

Perhaps that's my issue. You buy these items one time in SL and you can make as many copies as you want and re-sell them as many times as you want without so much as a percentage going to the original designer. All the original designer gets is the initial purchase price. Granted, sometimes those prices are quite high for full mod/copy items... but I only paid $300L for the pack of stilettos I bought. And I think I got like 6 pair!

Let's think about this... perhaps some scripting genius could create a script that limits the number of copies. That way, the original designer could have the option of placing the script with the item or not. I don't want to limit people, I just think the idea of unlimited copies after purchasing the item once so you can re-sell it is hurtful to designers. I don't know, maybe I'm wrong.

Please comment on this, I'm interested in hearing your opinions!

As always, have fun!

Lissa

Fashion Blogs... Lissa loves you!

At this point, I am so thankful to so many of the blogs for reviewing the clothes that we have at Cattiva/Cattivo.
In no particular order...
Ana Lutetia at analutetia.blogspot.com
MODA Fashion
And Honey at FashCon

I would also like to give a huge thanks to Justine Babii and Celebrity Trollop over at Second Style for listing this lowly little blog over here! Thanks you two!
See you guys at the show!!!

Love Lissa

SL just sucks sometimes...

Okay, so SL is down because of connectivity issues. Well, why not. That's great because it gives me an opportunity to work on a few more items for the show and all that good stuff... but then of course I want to see how these things look and I can't. Then I remember I have something flexi I need to create... and I can't... and then I remember that I need to do the model notecards for the show order... and I can't... 

So much for getting anything done. It sucks how much I rely on SL!

Lissa

Fashion Show Jitters!

Okay, folks. It's two days until the show and I'm a nervous wreck! Everything that I think could go wrong keeps going through my head. I'm worried about the models, I'm worried about lag, I'm worried that the Fashionistas will hate my work. Aaaaahhhh! I can't even imagine how it must feel to do this in real life. Things go wrong... infamous "wardrobe malfunctions" happen. Photogrpahers snap photos of wayward breasts that end up on celebrity porn sites...

Hmmm... guess maybe I don't have that much to worry about after all. ;) I mean... we've all seen avatars naked, right?

On an extremely happy note, Honey Fairweather of FashCon (Fashion Consolidated)spent some time talking with me about fashion and design and all the fun stuff yesterday. She invited me to join fashcon, which I was honored to do! 

And another extremely happy note... Cattiva and Cattivo have been featured on the MODA Fashion Blog! Huge thank yous to Licentious Maladay and Makeda Cole (Makeda did the wonderful write up and modeled some of the styles for the blog... she's gorgeous, btw!) for helping to put Cattiva and Cattivo on the SL map. They're the first blog to feature my designs and I'm extremely grateful. So, thank you to Licentious and Makeda for taking my 'blog feature' virginity! LOL. 

Alright everyone... have fun!

Lissa

Cattiva and Cattivo Fashion Show, August 10, 6pm SL Time!

Cattiva and Cattivo will be on the catwalk, on the catwalk, we'll do our little turn on the catwalk... okay, sorry... it's just that every time I hear the word "catwalk" I think of the I'm too sexy song by Right Said Fred. Anyway... We will be having our first ever fashion show at Wolf Walk. This show commemorates two things: The grand opening of Cattiva/Cattivo and the grand opening of Wolf Walk Island. 

I'm excited about the opportunity to share my fashion styles with everyone in SL and hopefully as many people as possible will come. If we crash the sim... well... we crash it and we'll know that it was a good party!

There will be some good suprises there, too. I've contacted all of the Fashionistas I could google and if I missed any of you, I sincerely apologize! You're ALL invited. If you have a blog, IM me or notecard me with the blog web address and whether you're a reviewer, writer, designer, etc. And I'll drop some items for your review on your profile. 

Anyway, August 10 at 6pm SL time... be there or be... uncool. Ha! You thought I was gonna' say square, dincha'?

Here's the SLURL: Cattiva and Cattivo at Wolf Walk

Welcome, Howdy, Bienvenuto, etc...

Welcome to the Cattiva and Cattivo blog, created by none other than lil' ol' me, Lissa Maertens. Obviously, this blog is a blatant attempt at marketing my clothing line (did I mention Cattiva and Cattivo, you can find them doing an in-world search for women's clothing, men's clothing, cattiva, cattivo, etc... ).  But beyond that blatant attempt at marketing, I also hope I can put together some letters, words and sentences that make sense to people and will also be helpful. I think SL is a great avenue for starting a business. It's hard, yes, and it takes up a lot of time, but I'm hopeful that in the end it'll be worth it. 

I'll post more, but I want to leave you with this... SL is supposed to be fun. When it stops being fun, stop doing it.