Miss Virtual World 2011 wears Meiling for a great cause

Serene Faith, Miss Virtual World 2011 is not just an absolutely gorgeous face. She is also more beautiful on the inside and is one of the organizers of the Japan Relief Fund which has raised over $800,000 L and counting.
We applaud her efforts and are thrilled that she has featured in her Flickr page, the M - Coquette Ballerina Dress of which 100 per cent of the proceeds go to the JRF.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/serenefaith/5761376966/in/photostream It has also been blogged at:
 http://agatamodel.wordpress.com/2011/05/26/meiling-jrf/

This beautiful dress can be bought at the store
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Vade%20Mecum/42/136/27  and at the JRF sim in the Collection Corner.

Serene Faith in M - Coquette Ballerina Dress (photo by Aleida Rhodes)

Great dress, GREATER cause

The MEILING Noir Origami Collection was greatly influenced by the sculptural shapes of Japanese origami. It was showcased in RL at the Plataforma K show in Colombia and brought into SL as part of the inaugural capsule collection.
"My heart goes out to the Japanese people who have shown such grace in terrifying adversity and I am humbled by the response from the Japanese residents to my clothing line" says Meiling. " We have dedicated 100 per cent of all the proceeds from the latest release, M- Coquette Ballerina Dress to the Japanese Relief Fund (JRF) during their campaign.This dress was one of the show stoppers in Colombia and we are pleased to report has been bought steadily by SL residents who have visited the store.
Not only do they get a fabulous dress but help a great cause."

M - Coquette Ballerina Vendor Photo

Blogger Renee Parkes

 Blogger ElaraGloriana Scrabblebat

You Have Been MEILINGed!

MEILING Style Award
In RL,  a MEILING Style Award  is given out at events to someone I think looks fabulous. It includes a discount coupon to buy an item in my boutique. I will be doing something similar in SL!

A select group of fashion mavens in SL will be combing the grid for entrants for a monthly MEILING Style Award. They will swoop down on an unsuspecting but gorgeous avs and after asking permission, take their photo and invite them to join the MEILING Couture Group as a MEILING▪Finalist.

These MEILING▪Finalists will get a discount card of 20 % off of their next purchase of ONE item which will be valid for 30 days after the card is issued. As long as they continue to stay in the group, they will receive exclusive offers and gifts.Their photos will be posted to http://www.flickr.com/photos/meiling_sl/ and at the end of the month,  the RL Meiling will choose a winner.

The MEILING Style Winner will receive a special tag of MEILING Style Winner,  be featured on the Meiling Blog, get an exclusive Meiling Style Award Statuette Souvenir and a FREE outfit named after them.  As long as they stay in the group, they will receive other exclusive discount offers, gifts from Meiling and keep the title.

This is a chance for anyone with great style to get the award and there is no friend's voting or paying to vote schemes. It's simple and the RL Meiling has the final word.

MEILING Couture  Group
If you can spare a group slot, I invite you to join this my exciting new group MEILING Couture at
secondlife:///app/group/34d22e65-fbe6-2e23-848d-6f99c56ba55e/about
You will be the first to know about all the ground breaking developments of the MEILING brand in SL, as well as, get offers of discounts and special gifts.
Plus I will pop in occasionally to say hi to everyone since as in RL, you are all part of the MEILING "Family SL".
xoxo
Meiling

Three New Releases for BOSL fashion show

                                                    Arima Sunset Lounging Gown

                                                        Guava Smoothie Short Set

                                                    La Sabbia Wedding Gown

DEBUT FASHION SHOW WITH BOSL

A big thank you to all who attended my Debut Fashion Show in collaboration with BOSL.
For that show, we released 3 outfits including our FIRST wedding gown, La Sabbia. We did it in response to the several requests and are thrilled by the response! Many  said they have never seen anything so lovely and realistic in SL.
BTW, the RL bride in the vendor image was being fitted by Meiling herself.  She got married almost at the same time as the fashion show in a beautiful beach wedding in Tobago!

Meiling SL Fashion Show at BOSL sim

May 7 marked a momentous occasion for MEILING with the fashion show of the brand's debut capsule collection at the Patch Thibaud Auditorium on the BOSL sim.

The show was attended by over 100 avatars which even tested the processing of the four sims and surprisingly the presentation was clearly visible for most people. It was definitely the place to see and be seen!

The model line up read as the whos who A listers of SL models including Miss Virtual World 2011, Serene Faith.

We can't thank Kay Fairey (model and show coordinator) and Frolic Mills (owner of BOSL) for all their support and professionalism in pulling off an event of this magnitude.

*We want to share a little inside joke with everyone.The Meiling Couturier avatar walked down the ramp in the grand finale manoueverd by Chigadee London and as Meiling herself looked on , she said, "they would never get me to walk down that ramp in real life!"
Special thanks to Serene who whispered to the Meiling Couturier av that she at one point was walking in the wrong direction! We could have kissed the ground when we reached to the bottom stage.

Meiling article in BOSL May Issue

MEILING FEATURE ARTICLE IN BOSL

Check out the feature article on the BEST OF SL MAGAZINE, May 2011 issue on Meiling's Inaugural Collection.
http://www.thebosl.com/en/latest-magazine-issue


or if it hasn't been uploaded, we have the pages here!
Better yet, pop into the store on Vade to get your issue on the centre table!
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Vade%20Mecum/42/136/27

MEILING SL store launched with BOSL

On Sunday, May 1st, Meiling launched her SL store with a trunk show held at the BOSL country club.

The launch was a study in RL meets SL where Meiling herself chatted in voice to the audience and answered all questions.
The intimate crowd of selected bloggers, fashionistas and fashion mavens then moved to the innovative and beautiful new store on Vade Mecum. Meiling - Au Courant Style
 http://slurl.com/secondlife/Vade%20Mecum/42/136/27

These are some of the questions and answers.

1. What is your impression of SL so far?

Frankly, I am in thorough amazement over SL. The opportunities and creativity is boundless and I am extremely impressed with the people I have encountered so far. A few years ago when I heard about it, I never thought in my wildest dreams that today I would be launching a store here and collaborating with such the professional and experienced BOSL team from around the globe. I also want to say that couture fashion in SL is of such a high standard and our hope is that our designs will contribute to it.


2. How did you learn about SL and what made you interested in coming to a virtual world to introduce your designs?

Chigadee London, who has had one of the premier hat shops in SL for several years now introduced me to SL. When she first told me about it, I was the typical skeptic and couldn't wrap my head around the whole concept. However I did give her the go ahead to quietly test a few of my designs under another label. She also continued to send me articles from the media including the New York Times piece about fashion in SL and that was when the light bulb went on. I am indebted to Chigadee who has created and translated my RL designs to SL designs to make sure they are up to the high SL standards. I also could not have had a presence in SL without the master sculpty building skills of Balthazar Fouroux who also designed and built the dream store I wish I always had.


3. I understand that you yourself is pretty new to SL but having seen this world so far, do you think that fashion business is SL is similar to doing business in real life? If so, in what ways?

OMG.. the opportunities are boundless to reach an international audience in a unique but tangible way. The business process was not unlike RL. We had to find a location, design and build a store which encapsulated my brand, create the clothes for a collection which tells a story and embark on a marketing plan to get the word out. We have set budgets like any RL business and my SL presence is infact part of my RL advertising budget. The only difference to the SL way of doing business is that I dont' have to make the outfits over and over again from scratch!
I would also like to finally add that I am also impressed with the sense of community in SL. In the same way, I have a community in RL which I call the Meiling Family made up of loyal customers, models, photographers, artists, media folk - you name it. I could not have been as successful as I am today without their unwavering support. My hope in SL is to also replicate the Meiling Family SL where I am accessible and approachable to residents.


4. Do you think being a designer in SL will help your business in real life? If so how?

Yes we thoroughly believe that our presence in SL can only enhance my RL business. Even before we have officially launched in SL, my RL website's traffic has increased dramatically as people from all over the world are now seeing my work for the first time. The feedback has been nothing but complimentary and encouraging. Here is the website address
http://www.meilinginc.com/
As a designer I am always up to date on the latest innovations and trends internationally and regionally. My SL entry is literally 'keeping ahead of the game' as a fashion innovator and cutting edge designer especially in the Caribbean.
I am also preparing to enter new markets in Europe with my export lines and SL offers an opportunity to 'set the stage' for my RL business. The Meiling brand will have already been out there on the avatars of the vicarious fashionistas, so when the real thing finally arrives, they are familiar with it and know what it stands for.I hope my entry to SL will encourage more RL designers to make a commitment to SL as we have.

Meiling on BOSL stage with slide show behind her

Part of the stellar BOSL team, (L to R)Kay Fairey, Umberto Giano & Viola Rookswook

The Meiling SL dream team of content builders, Balthazar Fouroux & Chigadee London

After party with gifts and shopping at the innovative new store  Meiling - Au Courant Style on Vade Mecum.

* A shout out to the Avalon Estates sim management team who made sure everything ran smoothly as the sims were invaded with fashionistas from all over the grid