New (at one time): Man in Black and Masked Assassin by BareRose

November 25th, 2007 at 04:16pm Aidan Recreant

Sculpties abound in this pair of outfits designed by June Dion for Bare Rose. A casualty of my break, these outfits don’t really count as new anymore, but look at the pictures. They deserve coverage.

I was unimpressed with the first sculptie attachments to clothing. Bell sleeves, flared cuffs– what could sculpties do for fashion that couldn’t be accomplished with regular prims? Well, June showed me. In this first outfit, Man in Black, the hood comes in both regular and neko, the shape suggesting cat ears beneath. It’s a look that’s not replicable with any method other than sculpties. Maybe there’s something to these prims after all.

The hood isn’t the only sculptie part of the outfit. The shoulders, the tops of the boots, the cuffs of the gloves, all have that elongated, vaguely organic appearance that sculpties provide. It’s a look that’s far more expressive, if you will, than SL citizens are used to. When the very shape of prims can be subtly tweaked and rumpled, a designer’s artistic talent matters more and more.

Not to say that artistry is limited to prims. The details on this outfit (laced-up fly? awesome!) are evident here, from the carefully drawn lacings to the textured highlights on the fabric. No gaussian-blurred white streak here. This is– I can’t even tell how this is done. I am awed and envious.

The Man in Black isn’t Westley come to the rescue, nor is it the venerable Mr. Cash. This Man in Black creeps around alleys, lurks in dark doorways, unseen unless he chooses to be visible. He is secrets, he is shadow, he is soft-footed and quick-handed. He’s the thief in the night come to steal everything you love.

Companion to the Man in Black is the Masked Assassin. Where the Man in Black is shrouded in hood and cloak, the Assassin announces his presence with his flamboyant hat and cloak draped with feathers. Though both wear black, the Masked Assassin glitters with metal embellishments, drawing the eye so the Man in Black can slip away to do his work.

It was the mask that convinced me sculptie fashion could work far better things than I’d imagined. Nothing else could follow the contour of the face so well, to the point of outlining the nose and lips. The cavalier hat is another sculptie addition, and though regular primwork can almost imitate the look, nothing else can accomplish the lengthy swoop of a sculptie prim.

I was dubious about the possibility of sculpties, and wrote them off early. I’m glad to have been proven wrong with these outfits, and I look forward to even more amazing and fantastical effects as clothing designers have more time to experiment and play.

Man in Black is L$135, and Masked Assassin is L$130. Bought at the Bare Rose main sim (Bare Rose 146, 12, 30). Shot on location at Midgar (Midgar 25, 122, 624).

Disclosure: Seen in World: Yes | Review Copy: No | Friends List: No

Notes: On Aidan: Wraith Clean-Shaven skin by Maximillion Grant. Elven Shaolin hair and Hikaru bangs by Skyshop HOC. Punk Revolver boots by Beckenbauer Productions.

Entry Filed under: BareRose Tokyo, Costumes, Fantasy, Goth, Neko, New Items, Outfits