Announcement and Interview: Nexeus Fatale and the Winter Men’s Fashion Contest

Finding a female fashion blogger is like shooting fish in a barrel around these parts. To come across a male counterpart is a much rarer occurrence. Connoisseurs of the men’s fashion scene include Essence (Takeshi Kiama), the team of writers at Men’s Second Style, Oh No! Not another Fashion Blog! (Dakota Lubitsch), Paratge (Dpende Control) and SL Men (Ben Vanguard and Perry Proudhoun). While women’s fashion garners much attention in-world as well as the fashion blogging community, men’s does significantly less so. Though the grid does, indeed, hold many quality men’s clothiers, current options can not boast the selection or styles associated with those available to the opposite gender.

A men’s clothing contest hopes to coax budding designers out of the wood work and bring awareness to the need and desire of male avatars to have diversity in habiliment for their chosen SLifestyles.

Not long ago, Phoenix Chapman, shopaholic and bloginista of Be Less Stupid and Second Life Fashion Police notoriety, informed me of an initiative that targets male fashion content in SL which is being driven by the Aspire! model agency and the multifaceted Nexeus Fatale of apex-high studio. The hope is that this contest will not only encourage designers of men’s clothing and accessories to step up and share their approach with the retail-loving community, but that it will stimulate non-designer perspectives in this area as well – as is the case with appreciators of the healthy and thriving women’s fashion community.

If you are or know (of) someone who is passionate about developing your/their unique brand of male fashion content in SL here’s the nitty gritty. Pass it on.

Contest duration:
November 5th, 2007 to January 21st, 2008
Winner announced:
February 1st, 2007
Send submissions to:
winterfashioncontest[at]apexhighstudio[dot]com
Rules & Info:
http://www.apexhighstudio.com/?p=23
• Press Release @ Men’s Second Style

The idea for the contest was born out of Nexeus’s own struggle in confronting fashion demons in an effort to update his own look. Said The Homme Fatale, “Yeah, I’ve been in Second Life for 3-years-plus and nothing has changed about male fashion, or rather very little. It’s been upsetting, how it gets overlooked oh so much. It’s kinda the reason for the contest itself … to say ‘Goddammit, we are men and we are here!’“.

I had an opportunity to speak further with Mr. Fatale about the contest and his views on SL fashion.

Catero Revolution: For those who are not familiar with your work in-world, can you briefly describe who you are and what you do?
Nexeus Fatale: Not a problem. I am Nexeus Fatale, an online DJ. I’ve been in Second Life Since Late August 2003 and have done events for just about everyone, from the Electric Sheep Company, Millions of Us and Rivers Run Red to the ASpiRE! fashion modeling agency to a few bars and clubs in Second Life. I also run apex-high studio. – a virtual media and content creation group and I specialize in DJ tools, streaming media services, event services to name a few.

Catero: How has this lead to your involvement with the Winter Male Fashion Contest?
Nexeus: Well, me and ASpiRE! have a really great working relationship. Of late I’ve been changing my look, and clothing and realized that it’s a pain in the ass for men to find really quality items or even different items. So the idea popped into my mind to hold a fashion show to promote men’s fashion – women clothings and outfits are posted on every Second Life fashionista blog, but men seem kinda shut out. I went to Trina Noland and Bianca Darling of ASpiRE! and asked if they would help me in this cause (being they are the major fashion house in Second Life).

They gladly loved the idea and threw their weight behind it. And that’s where we stand now. I really started with this idea that men designers, new and old, need a new way to reach their market and this was just one way that made sense.

Catero: What do the organizers of this initiative hope the outcome will be?
Nexeus: Well there’s a few, the first and foremost is awareness – we would love to bring greater awareness to male fashion. It’s why the prize is focused in that direction – advertising, shows and release parties. Money is great and if you’re selling items it’s kinda a bonus, but the attention is the most important thing.

The Second thing to to bring about some more creativity to male fashion as a whole. I would love to see a designer try on specialty male clothing, maybe even clothing for specific sorts of people (that isn’t Gor or Goth).

And the third is to say that men in Second Life do wear clothes and we would like to have the option of wearing great clothing in Second Life (which is sad that we have to say that).

Catero: What characteristics are you looking to be reflected in the work of your winner?
Nexeus: Good quality, interesting design and creativity. I would like to think someone really thought about their design rather than just slap something together.

Catero: Will there be a panel of judges?
Nexeus: There will be a panel of at least three judges -myself and AmySue Shirakawa and someone from ASpiRE!.

Catero: Now, just for personal interest, which designers products do you currently enjoy the most in SL?
Nexeus: Ohhh, that’s a really good question! I’m really liking the items from Armidi a lot, and I have this top from Moderna that I can’t seem to stop wearing. FORM also has a very special place in my heart with their urban wear :-D

Catero: :-) Cool. You mentioned changing your look recently? How was that experience?
Nexeus: Frustrating!! I was opposed to it at first, but a few friends kept on nagging me about a few changes that they felt would help me. I’ll be honest, they were right. So, it’s turned into a great experience. Most people change their look for a new attitude, but in my case I needed to change my look to fit my attitude.
Catero: I think I change mine every 2 weeks … on a certain level.
Nexeus: Hahaha, well clothing I’ve become a weekly shopper, but it was also some shape things that I needed to change. Then recently there was this Neko experience, that was hillarious. Just shopping for male Neko items has been the funniest and most frustrating process in the world. Some of the items make you look like a runaway child.
Catero: We all have degrees of comfort :-)
Nexeus: Hahaha, yes we do. Emo Homeless Kid isn’t really my style of comfort.
Catero: I’m trying out fallen Brazilian soccer star turned homeless bum this week. Its working out so far. I think I’ll keep it for a while.
Nexeus: Hahaha! Now that’s an interesting style! Maybe you should do a before and after pic – while on the team … after they fired [you].
Catero: Fired?!
Nexeus: Well … fallen.
Catero: It’s all about what works for you. I’m stubborn. So, I’m not going Gor any time soon.
Nexeus: Hahahaha, yeah, I’m not really into Gor … I mean sure while having tons of women fawn over you and do your bidding as you wish may be fun … but do you REALLY need that much attention 24/7? And none of their collars and chains match. That, and my friends would disown me immediately. I would be so beaten up I would be on the front page of The AvaStar.
Catero: LOL!

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Photo Credit: Nexeus Fatate