Description: So I knew instantly what I wanted to do for this challenge, but I decided to try a few different looks before final submission. I worked briefly on an armed teacher version of Melissa, but her cheerful expression made it difficult to convey distress without it seeming too comedic. So I ultimately came back to my original idea.
In this piece, Melissa is a member of the NRA and an adamant one at that. Guns are the most important thing to her and she'll hear nothing about regulations because they mean only one thing to her: They are taking her guns! So to make sure they can't be stolen, she keeps them on her at all times.
I tried to manage three essential things at once: conveying my message, managing a budget, and still keeping Melissa stylish.
For her look I used creamy ivories and blacks. Both because I wanted something that would look good on her and because I sort of wanted to reflect that she only sees things in black and white terms.
I chose a cap because they are so popular among NRA advocates (I used agape to tuck her hair into the cap) and a skirt with a red fur accent to indicate her interest in hunting. I feel that the school and speech bubble are fairly obvious choices, with the school also adding a splash of color. Initially I had her covered in blood (to represent blood on her hands), but was alarmed to find it made her look like a shooter herself and that was not my intention. So instead I went with the arms breaking through the ground. This is intended to be symbolic, not literal.
Melissa isn't necessarily a violent person here. Her only crime is her unwillingness to see what's going on in the world around her.
As a final note all the items were available on market at the time of this submission.
Description: An idiomatic meaning; "To leave things as they are; especially, to avoid restarting or rekindling an old argument; to leave disagreements in the past." In light of large, publicized tragedies, our country does not "let the dead lie". In the midst of arguments, debates, personal feelings/experiences, etc. we forget to mourn the lost. I chose to dress my model in funeral attire in a cemetery in memory of the 17 people lost in Florida, and their families. All of the political issues surrounding this tragedy are important, change must come. But also remember, children were lost on this horrible day. Remember to mourn, sometimes it is best to "let the dead lie".
Rest in Peace Nicholas Dworet, 17 Aaron Feis, 37 Jaime Guttenberg, 14 Alyssa Alhadeff, 14 Scott Beigel, 35 Meadow Pollack, 18 Christopher Hixon, 49 Luke Hoyer, 15 Carmen Schentrup, 16 Gina Montalto, 14 Alex Schachter, 14 Peter Wang, 15 Alaina Petty, 14 Martin Duque Anguiano, 14 Helena Ramsey, 17 Joaquin Oliver, 17 Cara Loughran, 14
Description: It's very hard for the parents of all children to entrust their precious children's lives in the hands of others, but a tragedy like a school shooting can make it even harder. As young children grow old enough to begin their education, we must think of the best way to help and protect these young ones so their families don't have to worry that their child's life might be threatened. I chose the puddle and rain boots as well to represent the storm of tragedy, while the sunny weather after the storm represents the future for the surviving children and families who have hope that their loved ones will be protected.
Background: I knew immediately that I wanted to create a magazine cover that had Sarah invoke the idea of an article I had recently read concerning the latest school shooting, as well as the tone of a different article also related to the tragic mass shooting at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.
This lofty objective of mine needed to also have a finished image that was both ascetic and evocative, use items available for purchase in the marketplace (so they all were available for sale as of 2/28 at 9pm PST), and get a bonus for staying in budget. Add these three to my intended idea replication and then the tonal replication, I had five objectives I wanted to meet.
The first article was the suggested idea of youth suing the government for its lack of policies that threaten the safety and livelihood of our nation’s students (as mass public shootings are on a rise in the US).
As crazy as that may sound at first, there is precedent for it. And it may be one of the only feasible ways to force our nation to adopt stronger gun control laws.
(Note if you are curious. I am pro stronger gun control regulations and laws though I am also pro 2nd Amendment. To me, an era where we would need to basically have a special TSA-like system at all schools including elementary schools and preschools with the metal detectors and pat downs and trained armed personnel, indicates to me personally that our current regulations are flawed. I am also the mother of a toddler who I have to teach here soon that any time he walks into a public space, he needs to make a point to find where the exits are and where he would hide should a shooter ever come into his school or office or such. Feel free to disagree with me though, as I have many friends and family who have different stances than my own.)
[NOTE: Follow all the links I provide for a whole variety of sources that give some good background info if you are interested.]
So that was the idea that had struck me.
The second article I just loved by the LA Times. Many people know that some of the common definitions of “punk” (besides the music genre) is a ‘rebellious’ individual, or ‘inexperienced youth,’ or ‘young miscreant’ (or any variation thereof).
So of course the very pissed off and vocal survivors from Florida are being called punks by some critics who take issue with them being “rude” and “impertinent” in tone and through word choice in how they address our Representatives and the current administration. Basically, they are being punks in some people's opinions.
So that was the tone I wanted to convey.
Why a magazine cover as my medium? Just as TIME magazine recently featured the victims of sexual harassment and assault from the #MeToo movement, I see this hypothetical lawsuit as being something that would be a featured cover story splashed on the front page of newspapers and news publications. So I wanted to try my hand at creating that initial image that would lead people to want to ready the story and learn more about what was going on.
My Magazine Cover:
I dressed Sarah in all “punk” labeled clothes [per Gaia’s search function], and juxtaposed her front and center youthfulness against her male model who is dressed as a “faceless” suit of a lawyer.
The body positioning of the two models helped achieve a rebellious tone, as did the rather bold typography of the expletive that covers the lawyer’s face. Sarah’s stance is also indicative of confidence and defiance with her shoulders back, her arms not hidden meekly behind her back, her legs apart and standing tall in a “power pose.” She does not hide her unique body art but lays it out loud and proud for the world to see (and say whatever the critics will).
Let them grumble and insult and try to be dismissive of her – or her case against the gov’t – she is going to see this case through and she wants you to know it.
I chose to forgo a background as I wanted the juxtaposition to be prominent and striking, and I feared the picture would become too busy without a solid color backdrop.
After much deliberation, I included the “Boss Battle” typography on the cover as it did a couple things for me. The first was to solidify the models into one scene. They were no longer two people side by side, but aspects of a whole unified scene. The second was to continue the rebellion that the speech bubble indicates.
But the third was to include a subtext that includes some of the buzzwords about this idea and suggestion of this lawsuit. This magazine cover shows the featured representatives of the two ‘players’ who will be ‘battling’ it out in the courts in a legal battle that could be entirely ‘game’ changing. So “Boss Battle” was cheeky and fitting to me.
The cover is of course biased, as it indicated who it would like to see as the victor -per the choice of model positioning, typography positioning (as only one person is given a swear word as their face which seems to be said from the other model), and who is clearly indicated as a victim or potential victim (as she is wrapped in crime scene tape).
All in all, this is a magazine cover I hope to one day see.
Item List:
At the time I made this outfit, 2/28 at 9pm PST, all items were available in the Marketplace.
TOTAL MARKET VALUE: 34,780,289,000g
Like Seaside Daisies 1 10,083,800,000g [Exclusive] Deathly Punk 2 22,504,000,000g BLEEP ME 1 569,138,000g Rich Camp Hired Help 1 152,284,000g Crime Scene 1 1,336,670,000g Absolute Disaster Twins 1 134,397,000g
Alesaan
Star-Crossed Memory
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iiiFlames Vice Captain
Fashionable Master
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Posted: Fri Mar 02, 2018 7:18 am
cryingHelp Me!crying
Designer: iiiFlames
Model: Chloe
Before we get in the description, please keep in mind that the description starts with a short story, after that is the description about the outfit.
Description: Chloe is an innocent girl who is helplessly crying and crying as the sounds of guns firing throughout her school, hoping that they won't take her and all the people she cares and loves be taken away from life. She luckily got in a classroom barely safe enough to keep her and mostly everyone else inside the room alive, and luckier, she never took a single bullet during the horrendous and tragic phenomenon, though she scratched and bumped both her knees while she was running for her life to get to safety. After the mass shooting ended, she cried after she witnessed lives been taken away from them, and she was physically, mentally and emotionally tired after everything she's gone through. She will always remember the day of the shooting, and everyone she loved that are now gone. - - - - - After reading the article about the shooting, and every description about the second challenge, it didn't worry me about the part where we need to budget out our outfits for our models, since all my outfits are in budget, but it did hit me where it is about the shooting, because it reminded me of our country (Philippines) being attacked by a terrorist group called Maute, so I was a bit disturbed and almost tried to make a PM to Slytherin that I wanna bail out of the challenge, but I immediately calmed myself down and did not do it, and I did some thinking and visualizing on what Chloe will look like, and I decided to go with my model looking like one of the victims of the shooting at the school, crying helplessly. Since it was hard to make my model cry because of her cheerful expression, and I had a hard time looking for a tear mod, I used this jacket with an arm motion that covers her face, so it'll make it look like she's crying. And I remembered that I have an item with a dress that'll give you bumps on both legs, so I looked it up and made her wear the dress in different color to give the feeling that Chloe's hurt, and with the jacket's help, it covered up the dress, which is a good thing. The shoes and socks goes well with the look I want my model to have, and it turned out like as if Chloe was in the situation, which is both a good and a bad thing because it might traumatize a victim.
I Don't Care Designer: milk cap Model: Sheenah Description: I had trouble with this contest in all honesty. There were many obstacles, like my feelings about the event and my model's base face, but I feel like I've overcome them while making this entry.
In this entry, Sheenah is an NRA member, sitting in her office at the NRA headquarters. Going about her work day, she suddenly gets a call about protesting students marching towards the HQ, but she doesn't care; thus tells the caller to stop talking. This situation is, of course, hypothetical, as students did protest but not at the NRA HQ.
At first, I wanted to do a protestor, but I don't feel there are any suitable signs and Sheenah's expression worked against me. Utilizing Sheenah's cocky smirk, I decided to do an NRA member, so I started to think what a nonchalant businesswoman would wear. I knew I wanted her to be on the phone, and luckily there was one armmod with a phone to the ear, and I paired that with a vest. The legs aren't visible, but I used a legmod that has a laptop on the lap, and it works well. Finally, I added some chunky gold earrings to add an accessory to complete the ensemble. The upper-torso area felt a bit bare, and I didn't want to add a necklace because that would be too much jewelry going on, so I chose to use a bra that adds visible bust. I wished there was a speech bubble that said "I don't care," alas, the closest they have is "Don't speak."
I, unfortunately, did not stay on a budget due to the legs that were used for the laptop. It's surprisingly incredibly expensive, and I feel like the entry would be incomplete without them.
Description: I had many ideas for this challenge, however the expression of my model didn't seem to fit in with the other ideas I had. Changing course I came up with my current outfit.
In this picture we see madeline out for a leisurely shopping trip, it was taken by one of her friends. Just moments after it was taken a random person pulled a gun and took madeline's life. Now this image is one of several placed on the street in remembrance of the people killed. Madeline's friend added the message, missing her.
Item List
Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2018 12:35 pm
Fight Back
Designer: AmberEmma
Model: Wanda
Description: Whenever events like this happen I feel myself getting mad. Knowing how helpless I am in this world and how little I can change. I use to feel like this a lot as a teen, this caused me to become rebellious. I wanted to see change happen, to fix the world around me. I put that feeling into this outfits. This outfit symbolizes teenage rebellion. It shows the feeling of wanting to fight back, of wanting to see a change that will better the world. As teenagers, we're always told that we don't understand. That we're too young to understand. This belittlement from adults just as fuel to the fire and as the flame burns brighter we know that we must fight back. Using dark colors to emphasize the feeling of rebellion as well as using an item that adds shade to the models face, I was able to convey the emotions I wanted without compromising the models looks.
At the time of making this outfit, all items are available. Outfit total: 74,888p List:
DokiDoki Memories Rebel Practices I Will Bloody Punish You Rusty Devil Punk Petite Pate Snazzy Plaiddy Issues Don't Carrot All Sketchy Wereyena
We've Had ENOUGH! Designer: x_suicide_is_inevitable_x Model: Ella Description: This is probably going to have been the most difficult challenge of the competition for me. There were so many emotions involved in the process of creating this look that I almost gave up. At first, I wanted to make a tribute to the football coach and security guard Aaron Feis, showing him protecting the students at the cost of his own, but I realized it would be too graphic and may trigger some horrible memories for some people. Then I thought about the therapy dogs that were brought in to help the students and staff with what they are going through, but it just didn't seem quite right. I finally tried making a protester out of desperation for any idea, and came upon an item that reminded me of the walkout being organized for March 14th, and I knew I had to do it. Here, Ella is participating in the school walkout, wearing the color that has come to represent the anti-gun violence movement - orange. She is wearing headphones around her neck to represent the fact that they were once deaf to the screams of pain and loss, but can now hear the calls for change, and glasses to represent being blind to the problems before, and now the clarity to see what needs to be done. But she won't be only a visual symbol. She has had enough of the silence and brush offs coming from the government she's supposed to be loyal to, and she is ready to speak out. "While you in the government are confident in the safety provided by the security guards around every corner, the people you're responsible for are losing their family and friends because you refuse to change. The fact that you don't want to even put restrictions on the acquisition of guns shows how much you don't really care! We didn't vote for you, and we sure as hell won't vote for you if this is how you're going to treat the people who put you in your position! We have had enough of adults telling us to be quiet, that we don't know what's really going on, that we're too young to understand. Well, guess what? F**k that sh*t! We are too young to die, too, but you aren't doing anything about that! You tell us it will all be okay, that everything is fine, but people are dying! We are dying! We don't need your 'prayers and sympathy', we need change, and if you won't do it, then we will! We will not be silent any longer, we will not turn our eyes from the pain caused by selfishness and the loss caused by greed. We have had the blinders forcibly ripped from our eyes and the hands over our ears have been torn away. We see the issue clearly now and hear the voices calling for change, and we will make a difference, whether you like it or not, because your guns are not worth more than our lives!
For the items that aren't listed or have listings above the average price, I have them and would be happy to donate or sell them at lowest/average price, whichever one is lower.
Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2018 12:33 am
Challenge 2: A Fortnight Designer Name: HCTotorro Model Name: Nicki Outfit Title: Determination Description: Nicki feels that there is a profound lack of people willing to speak up in order to avoid tragic outcomes that seem to plague society these days. There's a lot of people that walk around with the notion of keeping their head down and keeping to themselves to avoid trouble and not ruffle feathers. People expressing their "right to remain silent" if you will, but she thinks those days are done! Nicki once saw a slogan out there that said, "If you see something, say something!", it might have been at an airport or something, but whatever, it still fits! She's also giving a slight nod to the Black Lives Matter movement by wearing a hood and speaking up about that as well. Item List:
Description: Clara always a kid that saw innocence. Due to the current events it scared other like her. People say that is normal currance that people have to deal with. Yet that is fair from the truth. I other countries like the US they don't see news about school shooting every month at less. Why? because they never happen. Clara show us how kids in school should feel happy and not a care in the world. But, in the end that in gone for a lot of kids who live in fear to prepare just in case they're next.
1. x_suicide_is_inevitable_x (Ella) Good: For the most part, this is quite stylish. Brave man for going with orange, a colour most people fear to get involved with. Bad: The one thing that kept your styling score from being 10 were those horrendous glasses! If you were trying to balance the image by adding orange on top half of the photo, this isn't where it should have gone. Marks weren't removed for the photo size per se. But I will tell you that seeing those ugly orange glasses up that close was not helpful to your score.
2. milk cap (Sheenah) Good: You have a beautiful model. You have the drive to make it all the way. You have the determination to overcome obstacles. You have a passion for this competition, no doubt. It's admirable. Bad: Your thought process is perfect, your goal is clear, but your execution is not quite there yet. There's missed communication between the intention and the image. Had we not read the description, we could not have guessed it was an NRA business woman. If you want to convey a message through an image, you must exaggerate it and milk every little thing you can from that moment captured. You must also be weary of your item choices. The desk was a misfire. Sheenah has long, sexy bronzed legs that would have better suited the outfit if you were going for 'nonchalant'. Having her strut away, phone in one hand, her beloved gun in the other (which is totally ludicrous in the real world) would have worked beautifully for the picture. Sorry to be lengthy, but you're part of our beloved community and we are not willing to let you go without a fight.
3. Kiari_Luveniar (Madeline) Good: You are developing a signature look, which is wonderful. Signature doesn't mean stale. There's a softness about your outfits (and I'm not talking about the fluffy/blurry image quality because you keep resizing the photos) that can transcend many different looks. Bad: You strayed from the task, my dear. So although your style was scored high, creativity and description scored mediocre, your subject matter dragged you down. Be sure to keep the task in mind and if you need clarification - ask!
5. Tink_Bel (Helen) Good: This was a gorgeous design with crystal clear subject matter. It's appreciated that you took the time to consider the fallen. Every aspect of your submission oozed emotion. Bad: Be cautious of which items you are using. A few might have been beneficial to swap out. That's also stretching for criticism because the submission was just that good.
6. iiiFlames (Chloe) Good: Kudos for braving the challenge. It obviously paid off for you because the judges felt the raw emotions both in the image and in the description. You were the only one to talk about the elephant in the room and give us an image of despair and fear. Covering a model's face is a loathsome thing to do that the judges would never approve - except in this one instance. We wouldn't change it. Bad: It's curious that you didn't add more into the image. A moment like that is a frenzy of confusion and fear where anything could be happening. Perhaps you were playing on the juxtaposition of the simplicity of the image compared to that said frenzy ...
8. HCTotorro (Nicki) Good: Nicki looks beautiful and the appreciation for other movements is much appreciated. Bad: Descriptions are used to sell your outfit, most especially when the design is lacking in other areas. It's your opportunity to state your case. Your design strayed from the task a little and a clearer description would have been helpful.
10. AmberEmma (Wanda) Good: You and Wanda are made for each other. She is so gorgeous and you know exactly the colours and shades that look good on her. Like you said, you don't want to do anything to take away from her appeal and it's evident. Bad: It's not the most original concept - maybe it's the setting. A different background, or even no background might have helped.
11. Alesaan (Sarah) Good: You are rocking it in ways of creativity and description. Subject matter was also very clear, even before reading the description. Bad: You lose marks in style, which is confusing because your avatar is always so delicious! Creativity is great, but don't let it dictate style. The model must still look fashionable.
12. Ultrabord (Danielle)IMMUNITY Good: You definitely have an eye for pleasing things. Your use of colours is good and you keep things simple. Bad: You committed the worst of all fashion faux paws. The babies were out of season last round, sister. This time around they feel old and predictable, which lost you lots of marks in creativity. If you use an idea or theme, wait several rounds later before trying to bring it back into fashion.
13. Spectacular_Blueberry (Clara) Good: When speaking about which outfit would do best in an auction, it was clear that yours would. It's stylish, cute, affordable and applies to many scenarios. Bad: However, appealing to so many different situations means it can't be on topic, and marks were lost for subject matter.
15. Dante Dolly (Melissa) Good: The designers both loved the description. You are clearly passionate about your design. Bad: There was little that stood out apart from the description. Focus on your styling more. Make her gorgeous!! Truthfully, this round was very underwhelming for Melissa and I'm finding it hard to elaborate further. So hard, in fact, that I am rambling at this moment because your post was originally two lines long and I didn't want you to think I didn't care. I do care. Just please help me for the next round so I can elaborate more on your model and ramble less about compensating for my underwhelmed soul.
Opted out + immunity SortaKindaMaybe (Amaya) Princess of the Raindrops (Mariah) elphiethesane (Chantal)
Posted: Tue Mar 13, 2018 7:23 pm
Intoxicate Designer: milk cap Model: Sheenah Description: Past the hills and into the curtain of willows, your curious nose follows the sweet scent of camellia and leads you to a foggy spring. A veiled beauty catches your eye, beckoning you to come closer. Without a moment's thought, you obey; only to have the fragrance that lured you here wisp around you and suffocate you in a cloud void of oxygen, lulling you into an eternal slumber.
I really enjoyed this theme, I felt freer than I had been with the previous ones given. My concept is an ethereal woman who attracts men to her spring and chokes them with a perfume that she emits. I started with the shawl, that coincidentally had one of the hands in a sort-of beckoning gesture, this is where the concept had begun to form. Knowing I wanted a veil-like skirt, I searched until I found the perfect one, the one you see now. The bustier was added because I felt the outfit needed some balance with all the flowy stuff going on. The veil, as it covers up the eyes completely, brings a bit of mystery and otherworldliness. The barefoot legs, I felt, were perfect for the outfit. Finishing up, I added the background and a pink filter because the background ties in with the little story I had going and the filter is both pink and makes it look sort of hazy, which could either be the fog or the perfume. Up to interpretation!
Note: I realize that, perhaps I shouldn't have chose a veil as it obscures most of her face, but I stand by my design.
Description: Little introduction is needed as Helen takes her place on her crystal throne as the true queen of Project Catwalk. Adorned from head to toe in amaranth pink, she is truly a sight to behold. Helen has always seemed like a very feminine model to me, with her large sparkling eyes and blonde hair she seems most complimented in "girly" fashions and motifs. Due to this portrayal, pink is a fitting color and theme for this model. I had a difficult time finding an underlying theme for this challenge though, I dressed and re-dressed my model many times before landing on a royal theme. I decide to stick with this theme as Helen looks made to sit on a throne. I use a complete pallet of amaranth pink for my model with tints of ivory. There is recurring imagery of roses, crystals, and stars used throughout the piece. All hail Queen Helen of Project Catwalk, long may she live (through the challenges at least).
Sainte Ciel: Agape 19,126p 1 
DokiDoki Memories 1,220p 1 
Protagonist's Choice 1,133p 1 
Conscientious Inspector 149p 1 
Dynamic Ragnarok U 3,181p 1 
Like Daisies 907p 1 
Violent Delights 54p 1 
Dark Ace Luv 14,946p 1 
Classic Split Second 810p 
