There is only a relatively small select group of people who have actually made a career from Second Life. That is either people who work in Second Life or those content creators fortunate enough to bring some very real profits from their given venture which, in turn, make a difference to their real life.

All things considered, generally speaking, when we think of a Second Life career it's usually a job that we love and therefore that we dedicate time too. Wether it be a career in virtual journalism or torturing prims into whatever you've decided to make that day, it's safe to say that very few people make any money from their Second Life career.

Undoubtedly the virtual world of fashion is a highly demanding fast-paced one. Couture comes in and out of fashion in Second Life as quickly as it does in real life, of course the real difference is that for many of us Second Life fashions are much more affordable than those of the real world. There is a plethora of fashion orientated blogs and magazines in second life and for many of the top bloggers/ writers they can hold the key to a product, or brands visibility and success rate. With that in mind I set out to speak to one of the biggest and best known fashion bloggers, Ana Lutetia about her career as a model, and blogger, including the highs and lows which come from her chosen career path.


What made you want to be a Second Life model?
I don't remember when or how it started. It just did. I remember deciding that I wanted to be a model inSL and I started looking for agencies and opportunities. Nowadays, I am more a (fashion) blogger and a magazine writer than a model. My RL European work schedule is not compatible with the majority of SL events.

When did you realise that you were a well known model/blogger?
I don't consider myself a well-known model. I realised I was a well-known fashion blogger when people would IM me around SL saying that they love my blog. Nowadays, I must be one of the oldest fashion bloggers around.


What, if any, have been the experiences of this ‘fame’ (good and bad)?
In the catwalk, I was always surprised to see people knowing my name and it still amazes me to get feedback of people saying that they know my work (mostly about my work as a blogger).
The good part is making friends. Some people that follow my work contact me and we start talking and became friends.
I love blogging. I am a addict blogger and if it wasn't for my blog I wouldn't log as often as I do.
It's weird to get random friendship offers and random offers from people...
The bad part is the jealousy involved that results in nasty anonymous comments in my blog and in some SCD SL Secrets. I call it jealousy because I can't think of a better word and because there is no reason whatsoever for anyone to have any issue with me mostly because I don't get out much and don't socialize. (I simply can't find time to do it all.) So the majority of people don't know me in a personal basis and only know me through my blog.
Some people don't realise the hours of work involved for being a fashion blogger and mainting a website updated daily. There are only a few bloggers that keep their blogs updated daily...
On occasion, I feel the fashion blogging pressure and that makes me very anxious. A lot of people send me gifts as well as review copy items and I simply don't have the time to blog it all even though I wish I had but it's impossible. I am only one person and it takes me around two hours (sometimes more) to make a simple post. And... the time I have to be inSL daily is only between two or three hours.

Are there any trends in the fashion world you personally like/dislike?
Personally, I don't like the new freebie and hunts trend. I believe that a lot of designers feel an obligation to release freebies and to participate in hunts. What about the hours spent by designers creating an item?
The sense of entitlement of freebies is bad too.

Do you have any suggestions for budding fashion stars that are starting out now?
Nowadays there are two many fashion bloggers and models and I encourage people to learn another skill like building, texturing or scripting because the fashion world can be overwelming and people will need a break from it.


*All images reposted with the kind permission of Ana Lutetia*
More information about Ana Lutetia can be found on http://analutetia.com