The delightful Honey Fairweather has organized a new group in world called “Fashion Consolidated” or FashCon for short. The purpose is to help circumvent the 25 group limit for the fashionista at large on the grid. Most of us have been at or near the limit since it was raised a few releases ago — I know I seem to leap and spin from group to group at least once a week like some kind of confused acrobat. As Honey’s notecard explains, she’s felt the same pain:
I’m at the 25 SL group limit. I’m in a number of groups both social and for shopping announcements from all my favourite vendors and I need to join a new group. What do I do? I have to go through and pick a group to drop and it’s murder… and I’m going to miss that new announcement from the group I dropped.Solution:
The idea’s simple: a single group, Fashion Consolidated (”FashCon” for short) to which designers post their announcements as well as to their own groups. Often of course you’ll want to stay also in your very favourite designers’ groups too - this is here to back that up so you get a wider set of announcements as well, and also keep up with designers you may know less well, and suddenly see that dress you can’t LIVE WITHOUT. It’s also of course just for people who want to consolidate announcements into one group membership to make SL life a little easier. Finally it gives a platform to smaller, new, exciting designers who may not have a group or audience to show their wonderful new designs to: people you may never hear of otherwise and may have clothes, skins or hair to die for. Catch new talent early and dazzle everyone with your style!
I like this idea so much — simple and takes advantage of the in world tools that come with Second Life platform. It’s such a good idea I wish I’d thought of it! Look at all of the designers who are partcipating:
As of 1st February 2007:Sol (Luminosity)
Fallingwater (Shiny Things)
Six (Gurl6)
Kit (CKS)
Roslin (Tete A Pied)
Carryn (Tickled Pink)
Ameshin (Curious Kitties)
Keishii (Goth1c0)
Rose (Wilted Rose)
Calyx (-C-itten)
Jackal (Lassitude & Ennui)
Jennyfur (Deadly Nightshade)
Nicky (Nicky Ree)
Vivianne (Bare Rose)
Zorena (Bare Rose and Ookami)
Miriel (Miriel)
Callie (caLLie cLine at Funk)
Digit (X3D Apparel)
Elka (!BF!)
Random (Shy Neon)
Antonia (artilleri)
Kaysha (WRONG)
Shai (Casa del Shai)
Canimal (Canimal)
Elwe (Lesser Mortals)
Aleri (Diversity Hair)
Julliette (Tres Blah)
hyasynth (silentsparrow)
Yuka (Lapointe Designs)
Zoe (Temenos Island)
Kenny (Kalico)I’m expecting some more big names to sign up soon - groups of designers who are meeting to check through the idea and say yes.
It’s easy to join. Just open Search, choose the Group tab and search for “Fashion Consolidated” — there is no cost to join or leave.
I love love this idea I have to leave a group every other day for work and such and My bosses are completely screwed when it comes to joining to lay out prims on rental land means they actualy never get to be in groups they want to share and enjoy, Every week I announce New items for the whole island of 22 Vendors which is said to be useful to many as we have a wide range of designers so that is a little less group invites needed , so well done Honey for thinking of this Im sure everyone will utilise it and thank you Celebrity for again informing us of whats HAWT in SL :o)
xoxoxo Sasy (House of Zen) xoxox
What a brilliant idea, will have to check the group out!
It’s genius! And takes such a weight off my mind. Which is silly in the Grand Scheme of Things, but oh so true.
The best thing since sliced bread! We really needed this. I contacted Honey about adding First Impressions to the list yesterday.
Absolute genius!
Love it! This defiantely allows for us to be in the loop re: fashion and all our friends’ groups too!
So Excited!! I was just messing with my groups last night. I’ll have no trouble finding a spot for this.
My prayers have been answered!
I’m also representing Dark Eden. Yeah I wear way too many hats. But I like hats and people should make more of them!
I love the idea, but after three days the group is just too noisy for me when almost every announcement leads to a group IM session. *sighs* Back to juggling groups around :(.
Great idea, I hope it’s ok for us SL Photographers to join also. Winks
I agree with Vanessa. I joined and three days later I left. I’m sorry but the spam is just too much and it’s funny cause not even all of my favorite designers have joined and this thing is just starting so, if the spam is bad now to me it’ll only get worse. I’d rather read this blog and check out the forums than keep having to close spam and notices. Great idea, but its not for me.
i loved the group idea too, but i find my self a bit less than excited when getting messages, not that i don’t like them, but often, if i’m working or juggling im’s it’s just another thing to try and juggle.
i even have wondered if i should post a new release, thinking, “gosh i don’t want ppl to react to my ‘news’ that way”
so i’m torn. most ppl have told me it’s a bit too much, but on the other hand, it’s a great way to keep informed. so i don’t know…
still wanna try it for a week and see, with the fashion show over now, i might have a bit of a different reaction…
xoxo, caLLie
So pleased Celebrity found space to mention my group and all the comments good and less favourable - I really value your thoughts, favourable and not so. I recognise it’s not for everyone, and it’s entirely a different thing to a blog, meant to fill a different need. It’s my job to try to make this group usable to the majority and useful. so if it isn’t it’s my fault! I’d really value people IMing me in-world with feedback. E.g.: Is the announcement/notice content at about the right volume? Are group IMs the problem? IMs have tended to be short bursts compared to similar groups, but yes, inevitably there’s a flutter of chat sometimes when someone releases something chic.
I can certainly tweak the volume of notices - vendors have been delightfully nice about understanding the problem and that I may have to tweak limits per week if it gets too high! IMs I can try to control by subtler forms of diplomacy…! But I need to hit the right level for the majority, as some clearly want to ask about a new release, and others don’t. Feedback in-world please!
Finally, I’m thrilled to say that 90 designers have asked to be on the group, and I would love recommendations of your favourite designers I missed please! Inevitably some didn’t contact me - too busy, wanting to watch and see or not for them. But please do contact me in-world if anyone wants the full current list of designers (growing daily), or wants to suggest a new one. Or just mention it to them!
[...] Up to your 25 group limit of update groups? Join Fashion Consolidated. Celebrity Trollop at Second Style says it’s easy. Just open Search, choose the Group tab and search for “Fashion Consolidated” — there is no cost to join or leave. [...]
[...] that I had a Shiny Silk Pink Salwar in my inventory (I must of hit save while going through the Fashion Consolidated Group Notices). Anyway I’ve put a Review Copy policy on the About page to make my policy a [...]
[...] animators. I was starting to get a bit of respect for the hard work that I do. So, yesterday I read this on second style. A new group, fashion consolidated, for all designers welcome to send out a notice [...]
[...] will be broadcast to members, and provides her collection to Second Life fashion blogs, including Fashion Consolidated and LindenLifestyles.com, in the hopes of garnering favorable reviews. In September she’ll [...]
The FashCon idea is brilliant BUT designers need to keep product announcements to BARE MINIMUM, or at least offer something value-added to endusers such as an ATTACHED FREEBIE besides notecard spam, spouting “Just released! Babydoll outfit now in PINK!” because let’s face facts…most of us simply don’t care that you have just displayed a new product of low interest.
Sorry, but if designers dont start displaying better marketing sense and consumerism savvy, I’ll be dropping this consolidated semi-spam service soon and developing my own SpamCon service.