I think it’s fair to say that in SL, the fashion community is always on the lookout for fresh, new designs, and there is most certainly a growing market for the more bizarre and “couture” fare. I can think of few stores that fulfill that wish, and one that springs to mind is Baiastice by Sissy Pessoa. Sissy’s creations vary from the fairly ordinary to the abstract and wacky; she makes simple dresses, as well as complex wigs with television sets in them.
I’ve had the good fortune to walk in a couple of Baiastice shows with MAD Agency, and I attended another one just a few weeks ago, so I have been in a sense monitoring her progress as a designer. It just so happens that i’m only reviewing fairly new stuff here, but some of her older outfits are worth a look too; I remember some really nice Georgian/Victorian-esque, dramatic pieces.
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The picture above demonstrates to an extent the variation in Sissy’s designs. On the left we have ‘Creamy Vicious’, which includes the dress, hat and tights. I really like this outfit, firstly because it isn’t too over-the-top; sure, the skirt is really puffy and not practical at all, but it really works without looking horrendously costumey (it also has a really cute, big bow on the back). The textures are really great, and the primwork is similarly so. Next we have ‘Friday Night’ in Purple. This perhaps represents the complete opposite of the previous outfit, in that it’s really quite tame, without being boring. It comes with gloves and leggings, and while I personally could do without the former, they do make the outfit more interesting. On the right is ‘Blame’, which is one of my favourite Baiastice pieces in my inventory. It’s not necessarily the most casual item, but nor is it too ‘out-there’. For me it’s almost ethereal meets glam – pixies meet Cher, perhaps. (as a shameless Cher fan, that sounds like a great combo!)
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The outfit on the left, ‘Teacher Skirt’, perhaps represents my only real qualm with Baiastice; too much going on with the outfit. I helpfully didn’t photograph them as I really didn’t like them, so you have no idea wtf i’m on about, but the shirt comes with very odd sleeve/cuff prims which really don’t seem to look right, to me anyway. The socks that turn shoes into boots are similarly not my cup of tea, but they’re interesting and have grown on me a little since my initial look at them. However, all that being said, the overall aesthetic of the outfit is very much up my alley, in particular the hat. ‘Silver Symphony’ in the middle also has elements I didn’t appreciate; the fishnet leggings and the visor for me aren’t really necessary, but the dress itself is fantastic, so I don’t mind. The sculpted skirt is really amazing, or at least I think so! For good measure I threw in ‘Scandal’ on the right there, a dress I featured in my first post, and I still love. It’s a little black dress with an arty twist – what can I say, it was love at first Right Click>Add to Outfit.
As a whole, i’d say that while there can be little things that don’t quite tickle my fancy about Baiastice outfits, Sissy’s work is really fantastic, and her artistic vision more than compensates. I really would recommend a visit to her store: Check it out!
Other credits
Hair: MMS Ballerina Bun
Skin: Sin Skins 2.0 Preview Skin (<3333)
Shoes: Maitreya Verve Pumps and Stiletto Moody Foxy Slingbacks
