I recently spoke with the lovely and talented Gwendolyn Cassini. She is the beauty and brains behind Cassini Creations and the recent Mariners Fashion Show...here is a summary of our brief interview.
I arrived at her renovated shop and she immediately apologized for the mess. (There was no mess ;) Apparantly she had rebuilt the shop herself.
Gwendolyn Cassini: I'm a bit proud, this building is my first building I've made :)
BooBooKittie: I have been to Mariners Mall once before, when I first started SL and I hadn't been back until today. I saw the Fashion Consolidated group notice about your fashion show so I came down to check it out. While I was waiting--I IM'd a gentleman and asked who put the show together? He said that would be you, and here we are!
Gwendolyn Cassini: Yes, that's true. :o)
Gwendolyn Cassini: It took me about a month with preperations.
BooBooKittie: It was one of the longest and best shows I've been to in SL :)
Gwendolyn Cassini: Really? Thank you!
(The audience was very lucky--the show coordinators passed out a goodie bag that had gift certificates worth L$100 in it to use at Mariners Mall!)
Here are some fabulous pictures of the event that Gwendolyn put together as the March 31, 2007 Mariners Mall Fashion Show:
BooBooKittie: How did you get involved in doing fashion shows in SL?
Gwendolyn Cassini: Well, I started in SL as a shop assistant for a nice store and she asked me if i wanted to come up with an event, so i choose a fashion show. She asked her friend (who is the owner of the Mariners Mall) if we could organize a show for them at Mariners. That's when I decided to do it more often. It was two weeks of hard work, and it turned out a big success!
BooBooKittie: How often do you do shows?
Gwendolyn Cassini: Well I started to design for myself just after the fashion show, and I opened my first shop on New Year's Eve. That took a lot of time to work on an image and take care of customers. This was the first fashion show I did as my own boss! I'm planning to do at least one a month. There will soon be a show at KO Designers Mall. It's hard work, but I love to do it!
BooBooKittie: Did you come up with the clothing ideas or did the designers give you what they wanted in the show?
Gwendolyn Cassini: Yes, I asked every designer to send in a maximum of 4 complete outfits. Some of them sent in "shoulder buddies" or tattoos as well, so I tried to combine everything nicely.
BooBooKittie: Do you use models from an agency?
[14:07] Gwendolyn Cassini: No, I have my own models. Five of them were used during the first Mariners fashion show too. I trust them a lot.
BooBooKittie: How is your business going?
Gwendolyn Cassini: I'm happy :o) It pays the bills and lets me buy some nice hair once in a while.
BooBooKittie: Did you have any of your items in the show today?
Gwendolyn Cassini: Yes, the dress I am wearing now, Lasla Moonlit Stars, and a wedding dress at the end.
BooBooKittie: I read your profile and saw that your life has been touched by breast cancer, your Mother was recently diagnosed?
Gwendolyn Cassini: Yes, my mom. They amputated her breast just 3 weeks ago and starts chemotherapy next Tuesday.
BooBooKittie: I have a few people in my life that have been dealing with that issue as well, it's rough.
BooBooKittie: Are you involved in any of the SL events for cancer?
Gwendolyn Cassini: Well I wanted to...I even sent some IM's for a kiosk. Now I just pay every kiosk I see.
BooBooKittie: I do that too!
Gwendolyn Cassini: I'm planning to do a "Take It Or Leave It" event here on my land for breast cancer.
You: Wonderful!
Gwendolyn Cassini: I just love "Take It Or Leave It". :o) Everything is a good excuse to play it! hahaha
BooBooKittie: I think it is very important to support RL causes in SL.
Gwendolyn Cassini: Yes, it is important.
BooBooKittie: Did you come up with the idea for the hula hoop during the show?
Gwendolyn Cassini: No, it's actually made by Deelicious Designs. It's cute, huh? :o)
BooBooKittie: I loved it. Very cute!
Gwendolyn Cassini: The designer donated one of those outfits for the raffle.
BooBooKittie: I saw that you had SugarPunk in the show--They have a shop at Catwalk City too, along with her partner, Pukk Abel. That's who I was sitting with during the show. :)
Gwendolyn Cassini: Irelyn and Pukk are great, aren't they? :o)
BooBooKittie: Yes they are! ;)
Gwendolyn Cassini: They've been so generous and kind.
BooBooKittie: Yes, they are wonderful to me as well. :) Great people!
Gwendolyn Cassini: All designers were, though. I couldn't have done it without them.
BooBooKittie: ;) Of course not! lol
Gwendolyn Cassini: I released 3 items last week-- My first hair, a real-working analog watch and a plaid skirt set.
Here are pictures of the skirt set and the watch:
The watch comes in Beige, Cassini Green, Dark Blue, Lilac, Pink and Ferrari Red.
Gwendolyn Cassini: To be honest, there's a lot of my hair already that I wish to have done better! LOL
BooBooKittie: Well, that is the fun of SL. :)
Gwendolyn Cassini: I'm certainly not an Elika Tiramisu LOL
BooBooKittie: Not yet, but you just get better and better and better!
Gwendolyn Cassini: I hope so.
BooBooKittie: But soon, right? ;)
Gwendolyn Cassini: hahaha I'm practicing. It's really hard. I want to make it all and be good in all! LOL
For the rest of the month of April, Cassini Creations is offering 10% off for all Cassini Creations group members for Gwendolyn's birthday! Go join her group and go shop while you have a few days left...Happy Birthday Gwen!