The fashions of Alaska Metropolitan were featured during the February 7th, 2008 MODA Showcase. Alaska is the proud owner of two fashion houses aptly named OPIUM Everyday and OPIUM Addictive. Both boutiques were opened in 2005. I asked Alaska the reasoning behind the different names. "OPIUM Addictive is kind of like the eclectic, slightly alternative styles you'd find at a store like Hot Topic.... It gave me a chance to design something sexy and eccentric and interesting. But I also like having a nice selection of classy everyday wear in my inventory, and at the time the pickings were slim for non-club wear. So OPIUM Everyday was born, and I kept it a mandate to keep the prices as low as I can for that line and focus on simple designs and quality." She described the styles of both for me. "OPIUM Addictive Fashion is daring, bold, a bit eccentric, kind of like street couture meets fetish and Frederick's of Hollywood. OPIUM Everyday, on the other hand, is like a virtual boutique with things that are fundamentally wearable. You can mix and match and make your outfits your own... and collect what you'd need for a wardrobe. There's swim wear, lingerie, suits, tops, jeans, everything. I hand draw everything, which takes forever, and really focus on getting the details to look good. You won't find seam problems on anything by OPIUM."
| Opium Everyday Cece dress | Opium Addictive Urban Geisha | Opium Addictive Micro Mini dress |
I wanted to find out what she had been creating recently. "I just started doing jewelry again and love the end product. Working with micro prims, not so much... I always worry I'll step on them or lose them or something. I also recently did a one-of-a-kind couture gown for the SHINE fundraiser which was auctioned off, and I love how it turned out. It was so high fashion!"
I have this unique opportunity to get to know the "mastermind" behind the SL designer and here is the scoop behind Alaska Metropolitan. By trade, Alaska is a graphic designer focusing mainly in advertising and print design. She is also a web designer and on occasion, draws and paints. Her favorite album lately is Silent Shout by the Knife and the Cross album by Justice. She does enjoy a wide variety of music genres. I wanted to know what she would create if money was no object. "I'd have my own series of city-themed sims and make a giant Metropolis, with its own subcultures and sections of the city. (Can you tell I loved playing SimCity as a child?) I think I'd have to win the lotto for that to happen though. Not to mention quit my real job!" Alaska is not planning any special for Valentine's Day but ... "A better holiday is Half Price Chocolate Day. It's Feb. 15th and I celebrate it yearly." She replied.
A fashion designer invests a very large amount of effort from concept to having the creation on display for sale. Alaska's comment ... " I start sketching, and usually do front and back (sometimes side as well) sketches. Then I go into the template in Photoshop and start laying down a flat field of the general shape. After about L$150 in upload fees, I'll have gotten all the seams to match up ;) From there it's a matter of drawing the perfect shading and highlights with my tablet, layering with patterns or color shifts, and adding all the details like buttons, zippers, seam lines, trims, etc. It takes me about a week per item, working off and on for about 5 or 6 hours.
Finally I asked "Tell me two things about you that the SL world doesn't already know about Alaska Metropolitan?" Alaska replied "1) I used to be a content creator for The Sims, and my stuff is part of the game you buy in the store. That's what gave me my start with working with game texturing. 2) I don't live in Alaska. I've never even been there. I'm Canadian. :)"
