And, no, I did not enter the contest so this has nothing to do with me being bitter. I wasn’t trying to create mundane drama, or being a bitch. I was just saying what it looked like to me (and to quite a few of my friends). Guess I need new spectacles or something!

You must admit though that SL is full of cliques and there is a definite ‘hierarchy’ (I sound like Prokovy now but you know what I mean). A lot of the times it is more about who you know than anything else, and I don’t think this is fair. SL needs to be more inclusive. Which is also why I’m pleased to hear you’ll be doing more dark skins as I’ve noticed there aren’t many true black skins in SL. I was not accusing you guys of racism! As a shapeshifter, the main racism I’ve encountered on the grid is against non-human AVs who get a lot of grief and teasing from the human AVs.

Well, thanks to Celebrity for publishing my comment and Ginny for her passionate reply. At least SL still has freedom of speech (for the moment anyway)!

“It is obvious that this contest was less about how good you look in their products and more about who you know in the fashion world, plus an easy way to make more money from folks…Let this be a lesson to folks that contests like this are a con to boost sales in the store, that is all!”

The first part of the statement implies that the contest had nothing to do with how people looked in our clothing. Not only does this birth the idea that the contestants we chose do not, in fact, look good in our clothing and skins (which is ridiculous, as it’s easy to see that each of the winners is lovely and very distinctively beautiful), it also implies that somehow any winner with any notoriety gained an edge in the competition. Which is completely false. The winners were chosen based on the compendium of photographs sent in. Admittedly, this is a subjective process (which leaves us open to such negative drivel that has but one purpose: destruction). The decisions were based, ultimately, on aesthetics that Starley and I found to mesh well with current ideas and themes we’ve worked with in our projects. No contestant was “eliminated” during the hours and hours spent on the phone, skype, YIM, and SL IM. Some entrants simply had an aesthetic that worked a little better with what we felt was our defined “style.” To say this or that entrant had any kind of edge because of reputation or affiliation is beyond laughable. To imply that only avatars *without* any affiliation or reputation should have won is beyond ridiculous and equally as alienating as considering only avatars *with* a reputation.

The second part of the statement implies that Starley and I did this to somehow boost sales. First – and I think it’s important to note this, even thought it bears revealing a little of our real lives – neither Starley nor I depend on Second Life as an income. We both have RL incomes by which we pay our bills and buy our groceries. The notion we are greed-driven is just a mean stab. It also seems to me that a better way to “boost sales” (other than holding such an “easy” and “convenient” contest where over 700 entries flood in and we spend days poring over the photos and contestants – constantly narrowing it down – biting nails…all while building our new sim builds, working on a series of new skins, and putting the finishing touches on our new clothes…wait I thought this was the easy way out?) would be to have multiple shop sites, advertise in SL publications, on multiple SL blogs, and put up multiple classifieds for our products. Yet, we do none of the latter. Before you throw heinous accusations, do your research so that you don’t look like a complete ass. As for requiring contestants to wear our products for the photos? This contest was designed to find avatars who looked beautiful in our clothing and skins. I find it hard to swallow that you imply that somehow we’re supposed to divine how an avatar would look in Starley’s skins while wearing a skin by any other maker. We required no more than a 2$L investment. I believe Starley, above, noted that contestants could wear demos – and MANY did. As a matter of fact, here’s exactly what she said:

“The most important part is to see how it flatters the shape and a demo is sufficient for that purpose.”

I also made available a 1$L set – the “Andromeda” gown (which was available in six colors). And many, many, many contestants chose to wear that, as well.

“And why are all the girls white? Will there only be super-pale skins in the new range? Wow, just wow!”

This statement is disgusting and designed to do nothing but tarnish reputations. It was Scarlet Singer’s Asian-inspired sculpt which made her so striking. Her beauty was exotic and we both agreed would be an exciting change from our own faces to which we’ve grown so accustomed. Regardless of whether any one or none of the chosen winners had any sort of ethnic sculpt, this statement is a horrible attempt at character assassination. With over 700 entrants, the odds of anyone winning were ONLY 0.58% – and that is after we doubled the pool of winners (before, with two winners, contestants had only a 0.29% chance to win).

I’m not sure I’m supposed to reveal this or not, but Starley has spent months perfecting the deeper tones of her “Vogue” skin line. She went back and created special makeups that coordinated with the richer pigmentation. She has lovingly constructed these skins and has taken her time on them, which, in my humble opinion, has resulted in some strikingly beautiful skintones and makeups. I have no doubt you’ll agree upon their release. So the irony runs deep in your pithy, inaccurate evaluation of the situation.

Any time anyone is forced to make a decision about the results of such a contest, it is not easy. Every one of the 700+ contestants was so pretty. And we felt so honored that they took the time to send the images to us.

We had hoped that this would be a fun way to incorporate new faces into the decorative ads that will hang around our stores and in our display windows. And for the most part, we feel it was successful. We are extremely pleased with the winners we chose. And we look forward to choosing different winners for our next model searches. The vast majority of the entrants have sent warm congratulations and well wishes to the winners and little notes of “thank you” and “good job” to Starley and myself. This kind of graciousness far outweighs the mundane drama you’re trying to create here. You want to sell crazy? Go sell it somewhere else. We’re all stocked up here.

Shame on Starley? Shame on Ginny? Shame on you. For grinding your axe in a public forum in an effort to denigrate our characters and the characters of the winners. For doing it haphazardly and inaccurately. For relying on weak arguments and inflammatory statements in the hopes of inciting some malicious attack. Shame on you for taking something so many people enjoyed and trying to sully it at the very end.

If you’re going to be a bitch, be a bitch whose opinion is more than idle speculation.

I apologize for my verbosity. And I apologize for the tone of this response. There are certain accusations and insinuations, though, that far overstepped the bounds of good taste, much less the bounds of actuality.

They need attractive avatars for their store. They get applications. They pick their favourites.

It is a coincidence that they are white, be it pale or tanned, so let’s not get carried away thinking Ginny and Starley are the KKK all of a sudden. This is about the shape as much as the skin, dear.

Anyway, congrats to all the winners, you look great and deserve it!

Shame on Ginny and Starley for choosing AVs who are already movers and shakers in the SL fashion world and/or are pimping LC all over their profiles. Way to encourage new talent guys! Sorry, I forgot Rachelle, the token ‘n00b-done-good’.

And why are all the girls white? Will there only be super-pale skins in the new range? Wow, just wow! Let this be a lesson to folks that contests like this are a con to boost sales in the store, that is all!

P.S. This opinion is my own and is no way endorsed by Second Style Fashionista blog!