Review: Kalico Kreations by Kenny Sleeper

April 8th, 2008 at 11:09pm Ryan Darragh

“They say the city of Kalico was once an industrial hub, where most people in the country congregated, worked, and lived.  I, personally, find that extremely damn hard to believe anyone came to this city because they wanted to.  They came because they had to.  They came because everything was here.  Everywhere else had nothing!  Nothing at all!  It’s like someone decided to slap every technological, social, and business aspect of living into one giant concrete hell.  We don’t know much about what life was like before ‘it’ happened, but we definitely know what ‘it’ is.  Everyone does.  It’s the stuff of stories that parents would tell their little kittens so that they would sleep at night.  But ‘it’ definitely happened, and ‘it’ destroyed everything.”  –  So begins the roleplay info notecard for Kenny Sleeper’s new-and-in-progress “Kalico City.”  I was familiar with some of Kenny’s emo/neko/punk designs from his shop Kalico Kreations, and Aidan featured some of his designs in a previous post, but his new venture sounded intriguing (although I find I don’t have enough time to devote the amount that serious RP calls for).  When he mentioned that he had also been creating some new designs so players can trick themselves out in style, it was clear that a visit to Kalico City was called for.  Who knew what grungy, post-apocalyptic wonders would await?

Okay, there’s a lot going on here, so stay with me.  I make no apologies, only the observation that, once I got started, it was hard to stop.  Moderation?  We don’t need no stinkin’ moderation.  The Blooded Star-cut Shirt (L$100) is as aptly named as you might imagine–it’s textured to look like it hasn’t seen the inside of a washing machine, or even a drop of moisture other than bodily fluids, in months.  (Cats don’t care much for water, of course.)  It’s mucky and grubby and some of those stains do look suspciously like blood.  There’s a star-shaped cutout on the chest, the better to show off your ink or battle scars…alpha-male status is hard to earn and even harder to keep, so take every opportunity to impress.  The Rough Blooded Jeans (L$100) are equally stained and show signs of the fight during which the apparent bloodstains might have appeared.  Allegedly!–the lab results aren’t back yet.

And now for the accessories.  (Cats do like accessories.)  Kenny’s Ironman Gloves (L$270) are relatively trim-looking for armored accessories–many metal gloves and gauntlets I’ve seen look much bulkier–and the construction and weathered textures make it clear that you made them yourself out of scraps you scrounged from the wreckage.  Territory-marking calls for quick access to tagging paraphernalia, and the Paintball Belt (L$150) keeps a spraycan and other items handily at the ready…because you never know.

Life in post-apocalyptic limbo calls for serious footgear–after all, you don’t want to step on a rusty nail, and all the nails are rusty these days.  More than up to the challenge are these Molten Rock Boots (L$350), with their thick soles (sanitized for your protection), metal toe-caps and heavy-duty buckled straps.  Even a wasteland-running kittyboy likes a little something that’s just pretty, and here I’m wearing the Poor Paw Necklace (L$120), which fits in perfectly with its scavenged-scraps construction and almost tribal design.  The tattoo I’m wearing here is called “Vinci Believe” ($300)–sorry I didn’t get a better picture of it for you, my checklist system seems to have failed me this time.  Here and throughout, I’m also wearing the Kalico Neko Ears V.2 in Red (imagine).  Kenny’s neko ears come in five different colors (L$350 a pair, or L$1050 for the pack of all five colors) and are very much take-no-prisoners with their stylized sharp-tipped construction and metal jewelry.

Some days, though, are less about wreaking havoc and more about having fun.  Here we’ve got the Wrong Side Shirt (L$100), a casual zip-style jacket with barely any of its original color left, but personalized somewhere along the way with hand-drawn artwork.  It’s paired with the Ripped Art Shorts (L$90), which are decorated with an interesting mix of delicate line art and bold emo-boy stripes.  The Ouch Spikes Bracelet (L$100) is 242 prims of rusty, pointy goodness.  Don’t crowd me–I’ll give you tetanus, man.  The subtly flexi dangling scarlet threads are an unexpected touch.

For sheer fun factor, there’s no topping the Go-Kart Hiker (L$180).  Those of you who have been following the blog for a while know that, for better or worse, I’m a big fan of interesting things to wear on your back, whether it’s artwork on a jacket, a backpack, or something…more unusual.  The Go-Kart Hiker is a nicely detailed go-cart that straps conveniently to your back for carrying around and (let’s be honest) showing off.  If only you could throw it on the ground, zoom around the broken pavement and put the fear of God into the mutant pigeons!  Ah well, don’t let’s be greedy. 

Now the cat has claws, or at least weaponry.  The Plain Kalico City Shirt (L$130) isn’t all that plain, considering the fabric’s high sheen and folds that look like they’ve accumulated a month’s worth of road grime.  Like some of Kenny’s other shirts, it’s decorated on the back with the insignia of Kalico City, no doubt to confirm your allegiance to others.  Although its claims to plainness are dubious, for benefit of the doubt I’ve accented it here with one of Kenny’s Snapped Ties (L$200), in this case the Black/Star design.  Of course we’ve seen flexi ties by other designers, but these are shaped and fitted as though carelessly pulled askew or “snapped” slightly to one side.  The Poison-Ice Jeans (L$190) have radically asymmetrical fading that suggests a fall into an acid spill or some other mishap…moops.

Update: I realized, after initial publication, while I was sorting and filing all this stuff in my inventory (yes, I do try to keep up, but it ain’t easy), that the Plain Kalico City Shirt comes with prim cuffs that had somehow become separated from the shirt in the various folders I had set up.  The cuffs kind of complete the look, so my apologies for the omission first time out.  Have a look.

In such chaotic times, it’s a good idea to broadcast your means of self-defense–concealed weapons are a thing of the distant past.  The Artistic Revolver (L$280) includes two versions: the standard locked-and-loaded model shown here, and another that’s snapped open to reveal the fully loaded barrel.  The two models attach differently (one to either leg) as shown, so you can easily wear both if desired.  For emphasis of my cat nature, with this ensemble I’m wearing the Cheetah tattoo (L$280), which gives me some animalistic spots to go along with my other animalistic tendencies.  Rowr.

All shirts are jacket-layer only, but still ride slightly above the tops of the low-rise, skin-tight jeans (like it’s a bad thing).  Unless I missed something somewhere, all permissions are Modify / No Copy / Transfer.

All items are available at Kalico Kreations (Kalico 132, 183, 22).  Kenny redesigned his shopping area just this week to bring all his designs together in one big shop.  You won’t have to look too hard to find a nice selection of items for the ladies.  When I was there last, Kenny was holding a big crate sale outside the shop’s main entrance.

All photographs taken in and around Kalico City.

RP development is still in progress; information is available from Kenny Sleeper and Vylorna Demar.

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

Notes: On Ryan: "David" Entice for Men skin by Sezmra Svarog (Nora BodySkins). "Skye" hair by Mystikal Faddoul (Mystikal Hair Designs). Akeyo Chucks high-tops by Akemi Yoshikawa (Akeyo).

Entry Filed under: Accessories, Casual, Designer Reviews, Fantasy, Grunge, Jeans, Jewelry, Kalico Kreations, Neko, Shirts, Shoes, Shorts, Tattoos, Ties