The first issue of Second Style magazine was published in April of 2006, here we are now…. April 2011. Five years is a feat for any magazine, virtual or real. We’ve been providing our audience with the latest trends in virtual clothing, accessories, furnishings, etc for as long as most Second Life users can remember. So it comes with great sadness for HeatherDawn and myself that we have to tell our faithful readers that we will be closing our doors.
I have personally been with the magazine for nearly two years now, and I have immensely enjoyed the opportunity to be a part of such a great project. The people I’ve had the opportunity to work with, the excitement of seeing each issue go to “print”, I’ve learned so much, and have grown so much through this experience. To say this goodbye is anything but heartbreaking would be a lie. I know HeatherDawn feels the same, probably for her the sentiment is doubled, or tripled because she has been with the magazine since the very beginning, and really this is her baby.
Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. The downturn in the Second Life economy has been difficult to combat, and our resources have become too low to maintain the magazine any longer. We’ve discussed numerous options, cutting back here or there…but it wouldn’t be fair to anyone – - our staff, our readers, or our advertisers.
We are endlessly grateful to everyone for having supported Second Style over the years, and are so proud of the integrity our magazine has maintained throughout. Over the next few weeks we will be sharing here some of our April 2011 issue, which has not, and will not be released in the “magazine format”. We hope you all enjoy seeing the stories and editorials.
Thank you again for the endless support, and an amazing 5 years.
I’ve been a long time follower of Second Style and it’s really sad to hear about this, but I completely understand your reasonings. Thank you so much for a great 5 years and keep us up to date on all the amazing new styles and talent coming through the doors of Second Life. Best of luck in future endeavors! Thank you for all the hard work and dedication you provided! Hopefully other magazines and bloggers can carry on in your tradition of high quality information and style.
Sad news. You had great writers and photographers.
End on a high note.
Aw
I will miss this magazine so much!
Wow… I am so saddened by this news.
Will the blog still be running?
We will be posting the content from the April issue over the next few weeks and after that the blog will go dormant. All of the archives will still be accessible for some time, and who knows maybe there will be a blog or 2 in Second Style’s future. But for right now, nothing is planned.
I was one of the original staff members of Second Style and I’m both shocked and saddened to hear this news, but as someone who was part of the magazine, I do realize how much work goes into it. Best of luck to you and Heather. I’m sure you’ll continue to do wonderful things.
Second Style has been a pioneer in SL fashion magazines industry and I will always look up to it!
You did a wonderful job putting together and releasing the magazine month after month and it feels weird after 5 years to imagine the virtual fashion world without your publication…
I’ll look forward to April issue and hopefully some day, who knows, the magazine will return
Congrats to everybody involved in the project! Best of luck for your future plans.
Well, if the website remains around for awhile, maybe the magazine can be revived if/when, say, one or more of the OpenSim grids grow enough in size and usership to rival SL, and/or when hypergrid teleporting becomes really common and connects hundreds of flourishing grids together.
I’m terribly sorry to hear this. As others have said, you all set the bar (wonderfully) high for SL magazines. I am only beginning to learn how much work, time, and energy can go on behind the scenes. Maybe we will see something more in the far-future after a good rest. You all deserve it!
Best wishes!
[...] stood out for me, so it’s sad to hear that the magazine’s creators have announced they are calling it quits: Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. The downturn in the Second Life economy has [...]
I am very sadden by the news. Many do not realize the hard work and endless hours it takes to produce a monthly publication. 5 years is an amazing accomplishment. Best wishes to the entire staff.
Such sad news! You’ve been here for my entire SL…and I check each issue…it’s like a little treat to read about creators and to see the best of new fashion. I can’t imagine the work that must go into it…but I will certainly miss you. Best of luck to all!
I applaud everyone involved for all they have done with Second Style. I suspect many folks don’t always understand how much time and effort is needed to sustain an magazine, so kudos for all you have done. Five years is indeed a long time in terms of Second Life, so you can all be proud of what you achieved over that period. Salut!