In the past few weeks I’ve been honored to judge the 2015 Colour of Couture Top Model Competition. COC, founded by Reign Congrejo and Sequoia Nightfire, showcases the talents of Women of Color in Second Life Fashion across the grid including: Aboriginal, African/African Diaspora, Alaska Native, Asian, Caribbean, Latin American, Maori, Native American, Indian, South Sea and Pacific Islanders, and Indigenous heritages throughout the world.
One need not be a woman of color (in RL) to compete in COC. The goal is to bring awareness and celebrate the different cultures and ethnicities of women across the global community. Candidates embrace world cultures, have the spirit and cooperative nature to celebrate beauty, intelligence and creativity of Women of Colour, and honor these women for their contributions and achievements.
Saturday, May 9, 2015 at noon will be the 3rd runway show with the theme Junko Koshino, a Toyko based fashion designer who draw inspiration from “Taikyoku” balancing contrast and harmony. Significant in Junko designs is the juxtaposition of the individual and the group, dramatic theatrical costuming, futurism, technological innovations, and industrial products. Koshino work ranges from designing costumes for the opera “The Magic Flute” and “Madame Butterfly,” the Broadway musical play “Pacific Overtures” (Nominated for Tony Award), to designing sport uniforms, and interiors. 
Koshino challenges almost every preconception about fashion materials available for clothing, her garments feature geometric asymmetrical shapes, bright and contrasting hues, various lengths, and unusual fabrics such as: metals, helmeted figures, sculptural forms, cocoons and spirals, concentric circles, ribbed construction, and materials from plastic to metal to cloth. The circle is most important to Koshino, who sees the form as complete and eternal, both ancient and futuristic.
One of the best parts of judging a styling contest is you learn about real life global fashion designers that you were not familiar with and since you studied the designers inspiration you can create your own interpretation. I greatly enjoyed Koshino artistry and wanted to design an outfit that merge traditional theatrical geisha with avant-garde futurism coupled with industrial metals playing with textures and shapes. In the Junko’s Spring/Summer 2014 Poland Fashion Week runway show, the color palette was primarily silver, black, white, touches of hot pinks/neon lime and metal with large sculpted hips. Since the circle is the central element in Koshino designs, I selected a collar that framed the face and traditional geisha styled hair with fan completing the form. Hope you liked the styling and if you have tomorrow, stop by the show and see the COC candidates interpretation. Taxi please…
- Hair: Sys, Hanayo
- Skin: Belleza, Ria Pale 4
- Make-up: Madrid Solo, Killing Me Softly (Eye) & Saturn Spoke (Lips)
- Dress: Legal Insanity, Phoebe
- Collar/Cuff: Zibska, Varushka (Collar) & Alcmene (Cuff)
- Shoes: Azoury, Cordelia
Gloria Silverstone 