April Issue Magazine Release Party at My Beach House
By Fifi Leigh

I wake up late, eat Hindi food and drink a cup of mocha coffee for brunch before preparing to host the magazine release party at my beach house.
It is 3:00 pm, and invited guests start to arrive. Woody from Michigan arrives first, and we hang out in the backyard, sitting on patio furniture with an umbrella, enjoying the beach scenery, ocean, and pool, while my two Shih-tzus, Pandy and Sandy, lurk close by, exploring the sand. Thirty minutes later, Sport1kid from New York drops by and hang outs with us. As we chat about the party and the magazine, waiting for others to arrive, my cell phone rings, an hour later. It's Theaball from Texas. He is calling me about the party, and telling me that he can't make it. We chat for a while about the party on the cell phone. Then, Lilgirlstephie from OC, California arrives. We all talk about the magazine, and what kind of clothes they want to see displayed in it. Since I am also one of the Journalists for the magazine, I take out a pad and pen, and take notes.....modest haute couture fashions, more stylish fashions for men...and suddenly, IMVU crashes at 4:50 pm. Damn!
At 5:00 pm, I am now sitting in my balcony with Lilgirlstephie and Woody, and the conversation continues about fashion, the magazine, socializing and life in general. Woody mentions that he would like to see nice clothes for men. I put some music in the background, a song by Evanescence. At 5:20 pm, in the middle of the song, IMVU crashes again as two more guests arrive. Croud from Spain and Ch3vyman1956 from South Carolina arrive, and Ch3vyman brings his music along. As I am getting tired of all the crashes and lagging, I return to my beach house, where now I am entertaining five invited guests. Tishalia from Canada has arrived. Ch3vyman's music creates problems again on IMVU, and IMVU crashes again at 5:30 pm. My avatar guests get tired of the crashing and lagging as well, and most leave.
I hang out on the rooftop, BBQing veggies while chatting with Woody about life, dating and socializing. Cybercaster from New Jersey arrives late, after the party, at 6:10 pm, to eat a BBQ snack with us and chat about the magazine and life. It is now 6:30 pm, and Woody decides to leave. Cybercaster and I hang out on the rooftop, chatting and watching the sunrise as the furnace burns behind us to warm us in the cool night air. We discuss different fashion styles for men in the IMVU World. I continue to take notes for the magazine. Cybercaster mentions some popular men's fashion styles on IMVU. I jot down these styles: Business, Gangsta, Punk, Vampire and Emo. Cybercaster leaves at 7:30pm, which is 10:30 pm his time.

May 2008 Trends for Hair and Makeup
By Fifi Leigh

Runways are showing bright and colorful hair extensions streaked through long and loose hair as well as the glamorous and sexy 70s hair displaying loose chin-length curls. Black models are starring the runway shows as the "singular sensation" on the ramps by opening up and closing each show.
And as for makeup, sophistication and drama are popular this May. Matte red velvet lips and rebellious eyes with rock and roll edge modernize the 50s-inspired fashions on the runways. For a quirky look, icy blue cat-eye makeup is very arty, minimalist and playful. To emphasize the eyes more with a high brow, a monochromatic look of black, deep navy and indigo are swirled together on the eyes to create drama and a strong defined eyebrow.
So, modernize your 50s fashion clothing styles with strong and quirky hair and makeup for a trendy May 2008 fashionable look.

Different Faces of Glamour for May 2008
By Fifi Leigh

A new way to outline eyes is inspired by the Japanese Anime combined with punk for a quirky look.
Long blonde waves cascading down a female's back has beautiful butterfly rhinestones adorned in the hair for hair decoration. Add soft pale skin and a coral lip color will create an angelic look.

LV-style clothes of a ballerina tulle layered Romantic Look.
RL-style long floral dresses with ruffles on the bottom, large brim black sun hat, short black gloves, strappy shoes, and a cloth choker.

YSL-style of minimalism to the reinvent tailored look with a monochromatic dark blue shirt and trousers in straight cut, and a matching wide belt to cinch the waist.

D&G-style print pink dress that can be worn for day and night--50s-inspired bodice and knee-length. An added accessory is a narrow belt that cinches the waist. The nostalgic 50s make a comeback.

Hippie-Indian Chic of bell bottom pants, long, fine and loose t-shirt, long vest with tassels.
Stella-style Hippie Look of soft and easy lines in a long print dress worn with Birkenstock.
Cavalli-style Bohemian thinner fabrics in a print dress and scarf, with mixed prints.

MuiMui-style of sexy minidresses that is inspired by Playboy Bunny and French Maid outfits.

Gucci-style of Toga Look combined with 50s-inspired style, and a narrow belt.

Star and stripes in a blue minidress, red cardigan as well as red and white striped jacket of the Chanel-style for the Patriotic Look.

High Fashion minidress in print with knee-high sandals of Balenciaga-style.

Silk and Colorful Asian-Naive print of the Prada-style.
Burberry Prorsum-style includes a flesh-toned monochromatic outfit of a silk trench coat with feathered minidress.

Must-Haves for May
-The Scarf--in colorful print or simple jersey.
-Sneakers--emphasize on branding.
-Sheer clothing.
-Industrial fabrics in rubber and anti-microbial clothes.
-Cool hangouts--from spa to hairdressers to makeup counters to library to cafes to DJ Lounge

Men's Fashions
-Brit-inspired clothes are clean, structured, and tailored with an argyle accent. This look tends to look professional but business casual for every day dressing.
-Metro-inspired clothes of metallic fit jackets, simple v-neck blouses with pants, and the bag. This look tends to look neat but modernized street-wear.
-Artist-inspired clothes include loose-fitted and casual vintage-looking clothes that tends to look sloppy but well-put together. Accessories include a book, camera or laptop. Or, maybe a beret.

May 2008 Fashion Basics in A to Z
By Fifi Leigh

A = Americana-- in red, white and blue
B = Boyfriend's Blazer but made feminine for females.
C = Color Block--Mondian Geometric Prints.
D = Dip Dye--French Ombre--French Chic.
E = Espadrilles with straps and stacked platform heels.
F = Fantasy Purse with a graphic design drawn on it.
G = Grecian Look, includes goddess jewelry, gladiator gold sandals, toga dress. Think Isis.
H = Hothouse Floral--bold and splashy minidress with ruffle bottom.
I = Island Girl Look--prints are beach-inspired in jewelry and clothes. Exotic look.
J = Jeweled Accessories--on gloves and headbands.
K = Kaleidoscope--color on a simple t-shirt dress and a print scarf.
L = Love Child--Bohemian--moccasin high heel shoe with tassels and studs.
M = Minidress
N = Neons--hot pink patent pleather and yellow nail polish
O = Oversize Clutch
P = Polka Dot sleeveless paneled dress--jazz age-inspired.
Q = Quirk--avant garde dress and shoes.
R = Ruffles--bright colors on unexpected fabrics.
S = Statement Jewelry--bold gem necklaces and other jewelry.
T = Trench--60s patent pleather
U = Underwear--sheer trench coat, panties and bras.
V = Vest--utilitarian vest with pockets and belt--the safari look or fisherman's vest.
W = Watercolor color bleed print on minidress.
X = Foreign Culture Influence--Dashikis, Wood-carved accessories, African beads.
Y = Yellow--for clothes and makeup--sunny, flower colors, and Springy.
Z = Zebra--animal print on clothes and shoes.

Fashion Magazine

IMVU 3D Virtual Reality World

Fifi Leigh

Journalist/Editor/Project Team/Street Team

May Issue Articles

Chic Evening-Wear Fashion Event for May 2008
By Fifi Leigh

After drinking a cup of tea with a pastry and Vegan cookies, and then grabbing a Rwandan French Roast coffee topped with whipped cream and chocolate syrup during my brunch hour, I rush to a fashion event about evening-wear at an OC mall, in sunny Southern California. Dressed like a model, wearing skinny jeans, camisole, floral-designed sheer long-sleeved blouse, headband and clogs, I arrive at the mall at 3:30 pm, and notice the black chairs set up around the t-shaped black runway ramp ahead. On top of the horizontal ramp section, there is a white wall with red type on it. The white wall reads, 'MODEL CALL' in large print on top, and underneath, in smaller but bold print, it reads, 'Vogue Magazine' and 'Bloomingdales.'
On the right of the runway ramp, there is a crowded chaos and a long line of about 300 wannabe models standing against the wall along a black velvet rope that is keeping them in the line. This line snakes out of the double glass door mall exit and circles around the department store building. It is 4:00 pm, and I sit on one of the first row seats on the left side, waiting for another hour, for the show to begin. Out of these 300 wannabe models, fourteen of them are male. Two long wooden tables with black sheets are placed perpendicular to the front vertical end of the ramp, and five black chairs are placed behind the long table. The panel of judges arrive--a Fashion Designer, two Bloomingdales Reps, Magazine Editor and Magazine Art Director--and they sit behind the long table, ready to pick the seven young people who have the most model potential to star in this Saturday's fashion show.
The DJ, wearing casual clothes, a gold chain, short spiked hair, small goatee, and tattoos on his upper left arm, sets up his equipment and adjusts the sound system. All of the sudden, I hear a familiar Journey song. Two photographers, a middle-aged woman and a young man with curly hair, both carrying their cameras with zoom lens, are standing by the runway ramp and waiting for the show to begin. One of the department store clerks takes a Polaroid snapshot of each contestant in the long line before she hands them a form to fill out. A lanky male police officer is standing by a cafe, at the corner, watching the crowd and the event.
It is 5:00 pm. The music becomes loud and a male host steps on the runway ramp, announcing the event. He is a DJ from a local radio station. Two young and thin girls stand in the center of the horizontal ramp, in the background, modeling evening-wear dresses designed by the fashion designer sitting at the panel of judges table. The light brown-haired model with long hair and long bangs is wearing a long and satin orange evening gown and gold shoes, and she holds a gold clutch purse, while the blonde model with long one-length hair is wearing a knee-length soft and floral sun-dress with a short jacket, yellow patent pumps and gray fedora hat.
Young people of all sizes and races take turns walking on the runway ramp, posing for the panel of judges, smiling and flirting playfully, and some even beg to be hired to model in the upcoming fashion show. When a male model contestant appears, one or both of the paid models would escort him down the catwalk. Every fifteen minutes, the two models would change into another evening gown or short dress.
After the first 100 wannabe models have strutted on the runway ramp, the two models leave the ramp and return fifteen minutes later, each wearing a different dress. The blonde model is now wearing a long and satin lime green evening gown as well as many gold chain necklaces and rings, while the brown-haired model is wearing a knee-length floral dress with soft colors of blue, green, yellow, orange and purple that looks like a Spring garden. She is also wearing a gold belt, beige patent pumps, plastic orange bracelet, gold metal bangles and many rings on her fingers.
The next set of 100 wannabe models continues to take turns walking down the catwalk until 6:10 pm. The two models walk off the runway ramp in order to change into their next evening dresses. They return fifteen minutes later, with the blonde model wearing a long evening gown that fades from purple on top to white on the bottom, and holding a silver clutch purse. She is also wearing a red sequin headband. The brown-haired model is wearing a knee-length satin indigo bubble dress with black tights, metallic silver pumps and black sequin beret, and holding a gold clutch purse. Both models are wearing large and bold cuffs on one of their lower arms. The last set of 100 wannabe models walks on the catwalk, displaying their energy, confidence, attitude, walk, and overall look.
After the last model struts down the catwalk, a makeup rep from Bobbi Brown steps upon the runway ramp and stands on the vertical section, ready to describe evening-wear makeup from a recent Fashion Week show. She mentions dark eyeshadow with added shimmer, dark eyeliner, bronze shimmer on cheeks, and glitter lip-gloss. The five judges leave the table at 6:35 pm to discuss who the seven models should be. The host plays trivia games with the audience, asking various questions about the magazine and department store for prizes if the audience member answers correctly.

At 7:00 pm, the host is handed an envelope, he announces the winners, and five teenage girls and two young men walk up onto the horizontal ramp and stand side by side as the audience applauds.

Evening Dresses Spring Collection for May 2008
By Fifi Leigh

I arrive at the Costa Mesa mall in Southern California with my messenger bag, ready to take notes about eveningwear fashions. It is 1:00 pm as I stand on the third floor of Bloomingdale's Department Store, where the women's fashions is located, and watch the crew set up a white runway ramp, black chairs, tables, cocktail chairs and tables, magazines, candy and water bottles. A black DJ arrives, and he fiddles with the sound system before the fashion show starts at 2:00 pm. I walk by a table covered with a white sheet and grab a Vogue Magazine from a stack of magazines fanned on the table. I also take some candy from a round glass bowl. I take a seat on one of the fifty black folding chairs set up around the runway ramp, flip through the fashion magazine, watch the audience seats fill up, and wait for the fashion show to start. The limited seating arrangement fills up fast with mostly females, and many people remain standing, crowded around the seating arrangement in order to watch the show. As I look around, I notice that the black cocktail chairs and tables are set up for makeup demonstrations and skincare consultations. Behind me is a small poster that describes a contest to design an evening gown, and the winner of the contest will be featured in the Spring 2009 issue of Vogue Magazine as well as showcased in an Evening Gown 2009 Fashion Show. The winner also gets to go to NYC in order to meet other fashion designers at a Fashion House. A young female Hispanic photographer is squatting at the front end of the runway ramp, fiddling with her camera and waiting for the show to begin, while a curly-haired short male photographer is restlessly walking around and looking for something interesting to photograph during this event.
The techno music comes on loudly, and a short but slim woman with dark hair walks out from behind the white walls, walks down the runway ramp, grabs the microphone from a woman standing behind me, introduces herself as one of the editors of the magazine, and announces the fashion show. She mentions that there will be nineteen models in this fashion show, and five of the models are male models. Seven of these nineteen models were winners from the April 10th Model Call Contest, last Thursday. Monty, Mario, and 5 girls were chosen by a panel of judges from among 300 to 400 contestants to model in this fashion show with twelve agency models.
The editor states that the first scene is called Micro-Wave before she steps off the long, narrow, low and white runway ramp. The first scene of the fashion show starts with two female models walking down the runway together. The first model is wearing a Laundry rust-colored strapless mini bubble dress and the second model is wearing a black chiffon ruffled dress. As they return to the back end of the runway ramp and disappear behind the white walls, a male model, Nico, escorts a female model down the runway ramp. Nico is wearing a trendy and chic street-wear suit, while the female model is wearing BCBG pink strapless rouched dress. As this slim, young and trendy couple disappear behind the white walls, two female models walk out from the back white walls, smoothly and calmly strutting down the catwalk. One model is wearing a leopard print dress and the other model is wearing a pink with gold brocade dress. As they disappear behind the walls, a female model walks out wearing a Laundry strapless silk ruby dress. As she walks back toward the white walls, a black male model with a huge Afro, Monty, walks out in a trendy street-wear outfit and escorts a female model wearing a BCBG Runway two tones gray cotton voile mini dress. As they return from the catwalk, a female model, wearing a BCBG navy mini bubble dress, is escorted, by Nico, down the catwalk. After they return to the white wall and disappear behind the wall, the audience applauds.
The editor steps on the runway ramp to introduce the second scene called Bright Nights Big City, explaining to the audience that this next round of evening clothes has a classic cut style in bright colors and neons. While the female models will be dressed in elegant dresses, the male models will be dressed in casual suits with neon accents. Two female models walk out--one model is wearing a yellow pleated dress and the other model is wearing a satin green strapless dress. After they disappear behind the wall, a male model, Matt, walks out and escorts a female model wearing a Glamit blue and purple silk gown. Then, Andrew, another male model, escorts a female model wearing a purple strapless silk dress. Mario casually walks out escorting a female model wearing a turquoise goddess gown. After all the couples return behind the white walls, two female models appear, standing against the white walls. They take turns walking down the runway--one model is wearing a one-shoulder silk lime green dress and the other model is wearing Glamit silk tangerine gown. As soon as they return to the white back walls, Nico is smiling as he escorts a female model wearing an orange strapless dress. The last model in this scene is a female model wearing a fuschia dress with a matching narrow belt. A short applause from the audience after all the models are behind the white walls.
The editor steps on the white runway ramp again in order to introduce the third scene called Full Bloom. She explains these dresses look like a spring garden, very romantic and floral, whether bold florals or soft florals. The model, wearing an ABS bold floral print strapless dress, is followed by the model wearing an ABS yellow soft print dress with a gold belt. Then, Matt escorts a model wearing a BCBG floral print strapless dress. After all these models return to the other side of the white wall, Andrew walks out holding hands with a model wearing a ABS silk print dress. As they reach the front end of the runway ramp, Nico walks out with a model wearing a BCBG lavender and gray print dress. After Andrew and his female model disappear behind the white walls, Nico escorts his model on the catwalk. As soon as they reach the front end of the runway ramp, four female models walk out from behind the white walls and stand in front of the white walls, waiting for the couple to return. The couple disappear behind the wall, and the four female models consecutively walk in a single file, one behind the other, down the runway ramp--first model is wearing a strapless paisley silk dress, second model is wearing a Tadashi strapless tiered fuschia dress, third model is wearing a teal green strapless chiffon dress, and the fourth model is wearing a black and white feathered print chiffon dress. After a light applause as the models walk behind the white walls, the editor steps on the white runway ramp to talk about the finale scene.
The editor describes the last scene, Back to Black, as the elegant finale of the fashion show. The first model struts out in a Badgley Mischka black and white polka dot sequin dress. As she returns to the back area, two female models walk out, each wearing a BCBG dress--one model is wearing a silk white ruffle dress and the other model is wearing a black and white dress. As they disappear behind the wall, Andrew escorts a model wearing a Laundry black jeweled chiffon dress. As they enter the back area, a female model walks out wearing a white silk gown. Two female models appear, ready to walk down the catwalk as soon as the model finishes her run. Both models are wearing BCBG dresses--one is a black goddess gown and the other is an ivory goddess gown. After they make their run on the catwalk, Nico escorts a model wearing a black halter dress. And the final two models walk down the runway--one model is wearing a black silk dress and the one model is wearing a strapless ivory brocade dress.
The audience applauds as all nineteen models walk out, one after the other, in their final run, ending up where they started, behind the white walls, where they all change back into their clothes. The DJ continues playing techno music for the after-party, where the audience and models are walking around on the third floor, browsing through clothing racks, sipping a red-orange cocktail drink through a black straw, and mingling with one another as they munch on a heart-shaped vanilla sugar cookie with red crystal sugar sprinkled on top. A waiter, holding a round silver tray, filled with cookies, walks by me and offers me a cookie. I take a cookie and a white napkin. Each audience member is handed a gift bag with the magazine name on the bag. And inside each gift bag, there are some freebies and samples for eveningwear.