Fashionable Avatars and CyWorld

Don’t show SilkCharm the new fashions for avatars. I can hardly fund her inworld as it is; expensive critters, avatars. Louisa Hearn of the Sydney Morning Herald:

Haute couture has shifted its gaze from the catwalk to the world of high technology as the world’s top fashion houses jostle to stamp their exclusive labels on mobile handsets and other personal devices.

I blogged a while ago, waffling on that Second Life was very fashion and sex focussed and asking when Fashion Houses would make their way (properly) into Second Life megaplexes (should be called metaplexes?).

So here’s some homework for you – does Vogue have a great catwalk/fashion show in Second Life? How does it compare to other services the fashionable avatars milling around in there have, including some fantastic designers running SlURL (Second Life URL -websites) in/out of game. What well known designers have stores in the megaplexes? See you inworld! *waves*

Seems as though someone listened to me. (Or not. Heh) (from Kristen Nicole, Mashable):

Armani’s virtual store in Second Life has opened today, and the designer himself has gone to the grand opening as his avatar, and was interviewed by Style.com’s fashion director Candy Pratts Price for the event.

Second Life users can now don themselves in Armani clothing, purchased with Linden dollars or directly through his online store for non-virtual items. Finally, a really smart integration of a clothing brand and Second Life, with options for purchasing real life items as well. Furniture next? Please?

It’s good to know that not all brands are having second thoughts on investing in SecondLife, and it’s far easier for a brand like Armani to take advantage of the virtual world for direct sales, as opposed to Pontiac, or companies that have purchased virtual space for office collaboration purposes. Other virtual worlds that are integrating real brands include Stardoll, Meez and SceneCaster.

[via Reuters]

South Korea Telecom (SKTelecom) CyWorld has around as many members as Facebook in their virtual world. No advertising. Make 7 bucks a head per member, (and again, not from advertising). From Business 2.0:

That makes Cyworld’s per capita penetration in South Korea greater than that of MySpace in the United States. And its business plan is unique. The bulk of Cyworld revenue comes from the sale of virtual items worth nearly $300,000 a day, or more than $7 per user per year. By comparison, ad-heavy MySpace makes an estimated $2.17 per user per year.

20 million visitors per day. Noiiiice.

Come be my pixel CyWorld friend ? So we can explore it together. I promise not to get you into trouble.