Sunday, December 28, 2008

Celebrate with hats!


Couture Chapeau has released four totally FUN hats just in time for your New Year's Eve Celebrations!
These high quality hats come with sounds and animations which will make you laugh right into 2009. All hats have a resizing menu for a no fuss fit and there is even a sculptie lampshade hat with a surprise animation!
All hats are transferable and Demos are available. Each hat comes with three balloons and a resizable poster for you to decorate your party!

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Perfect gift for the man in your life



Couture Chapeau has just released the Indiana Jones Fedora Series of eight fabulous sculptie hats with realistic textures.
The hats feature a resizing menu for a no fuss fit and demos are available in the store. Look for them on the back wall of the Men's Dept.

Monday, December 15, 2008

Colour Changing Hats in Champagne Collection


Included in the Champagne Collection are four colour changing hats (CCH).
These hats feature a menu which changes the crown of the hat and embellishments to four different colours (ruby, emerald or champagne, ebony and white diamond).
It's like having four hats in ONE hat!
All hats have a resizing menu and are transferable so you can give as gifts!
Here is the Gossett Chapeau, with a wide brim piped in white. The hat features toile netting which changes into the four different colours. This hat is a very forgiving with prim hair and will work with almost all styles including updos!

Thursday, December 11, 2008

Launch a fabulous success!

The Champagne Chapeau Collection launch on December 6th was a huge success. The sim was full for the entire duration and only one model crashed! She was able to log back on instantly and didn't miss a beat!
I want to thank Balthazar Fouroux, the show's producer for creating the stylish and dramatic runway and the exquisite champagne glass TPs to the show platform.The show pictures can be viewed at Snapzilla and also in the store on a Champagne bottle slide show!
Thanks again to all collaborators for providing the fabulous clothes and accessories; Jojo Designs, Prism Haute Couture, a piece of Candy and Kat Kreations. A special thank you to the models who were a dream to work with!

Monday, December 1, 2008

Peace On Earth Hunt to begin!


On the eve of the largest freebie hunt in SL, I am giving you a sneak view of SOME of the items in my globe! Not shown are a fabulous men's winter white top hat and an incredible tree ornament from Leo's Tiny Spot!

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Couture Chapeau featured on SLTV last night!


I'm still jumping for joy over the Accessories segment on SLTV last night! Host, Daphne Abernathy wore one of my hats from the soon-to-be launched Winter 2008 collection.
I've been working very hard to create an amazing collection never seen before in SL. All new sculpty shapes, gorgeous embellishments and scripting options to make your head spin!
The hat she wore on the show has veil on and veil off, colour and resizing menu!
Check out the Snapzilla pics on the side of this blog and to see the whole show, look at http://www.slcn.tv/fabulous-fashion-milla-michinaga
The Couture Chapeau Champagne Collection will be launched at a stunning show on December 6, 10 AM SLT at the Couture Chapeau Flagship Store.

Winter Collection Launch

Monday, October 6, 2008

How to break thru' the wall when sims are full

Shopping in SL can be pure hell especially when the sims are full and laggy. I’ve created a CC Minimum Lag Shopping AV ( 1 on the avatar rendering costs) and it is comes with a hip classic black and white outfit and a MAH Base Hair beret so you don’t have to be bald to shop (even Honey Fairweather got one!) You can also swap the skin and shape with your own.
The CC Minimum Lag Shopping AV comes in every hat purchase as part of the standard CC package but here I would like to share the instructions on HOW TO SHOP WHEN SIMS ARE FULL. It can benefit us all.
BTW there are also a selection of Base Hair Berets at Couture Chapeau for AVs who like to sail. (Check out the back part of the store).

HOW TO SHOP WHEN SIMS ARE FULL
1. Take off hair and any attachments including AOs. You can wear the MAH Base Hair Beret since it's not an attachment.
2. TP to landing point or a next door sim. Look at the map to identify the next door sim.
3. Walk in by keeping your arrow key pressed down constantly. It will require some effort but you will now have a better chance if you have no attachments on.
4. Once in, stand in one spot and cam around. Do not try to walk. It is IMPOSSIBLE!

OR...
1. Stand on sim next door.
2. If you don't have your full SL menu on top of your screen, open it with Alt Control D.
3. In Client, click disable camera restraints.
4. In Edit, in Preferences, make sure in graphics you have maximum draw distance.
5. Cam in and buy. It was actually less laggy.

GOOD LUCK, BONNE CHANCE!

Friday, October 3, 2008

How to make hat hair!

Normally in RL we hate hat hair or helmet head... but in SL, this is the time you really want to have a few hat hair styles hanging around! Prim hair just doesn't behave like real hair and sticks out. The trick is not to get the hat to fit the hair but the hair to fit the hat! Just follow my instructions but first MAKE A COPY of the original hair.

TEN STEPS ON HOW TO MAKE HAT HAIR

1. Make a copy of your hair and rename by adding Hat Hair to the name of the hair

2. Wear the hat hair copy and a desired hat - preferably one of mine :)

3. Stand on a posing stand and right click on hair, choose edit

4. Check box - Edit linked parts

5. Check box – Stretch. * Make sure Stretch Both Sides is NOT checked

6. Right click individual prim hair

7. Decrease size of prim using the appropriate x, y or z until it disappears inside the hat

8. Repeat for all hair sticking outside of hat

9. If you make a mistake on an individual prim, right click the prim and in the Edit Menu above the screen, click Undo.

10. Be patient since it may take a few tries to get it right. It is really worth it to have that perfect look when wearing a hat.

Q & A with Chigadee

Q: How did you decide to become a milliner in SL?

A: (Grins). My hat building journey has the humblest of beginnings . I used to camp a lot , sorting my inventory and chatting with fellow campers. I started building to pass the time and since I do love hats in RL, it was an easy choice for me. I discovered Hosoi Ichiba where at the time had camping bar chairs which helped cover the texture upload charges. The owner was very kind allowing me to discreetly build behind the bar. After I made the hats, I gave them to all my camping buddies to wear and it was hilarious to see us all sitting there wearing my hats!

Q: Building hats and having a business are two different things entirely. How did you progress from being camper to business woman?

A: (Grins even more). My first friend in SL popped in one day after a long absence and I showed her what I had done with the hats and a little store I had set up called the Union Jack Store. It was just a little tent in the middle of nowhere with re-textured freebie items. We then had this hair-brained idea to open up a shop together and my first attempts were two hat stands with hats perched on them. The store was called Mad About Hats and my first purchase was from a Neko . I was in shock that someone would actually buy one of my products!

Q: You presently market under two store names, could you explain why?

A: Mad About Hats is a boutique which offers everyday elegance and casual styled hats based on RL hats. I have classic Fedoras, top hats, baseball and newsboys caps, sunhats, cowboy hats, cavalier hats etc. Couture Chapeau offers a higher end limited edition collection which I present every season. Here I am allowed to fully use my creativity and imagination. It is a line where you get a glimpse of what I am about since I throw my heart and soul into it. And of course, it is a hat which I enjoy wearing tremendously since I would never sell a hat I didn’t absolutely adore. I have even had RL businesses approach me about designing for them but I’m not sure if I am ready for that.

Q: Where do you get your inspiration for your hats?

A: I get it from my RL experience and also SL experience. The Narnia Collection I presented in December last year was inspired by The Chronicles of Narnia which is still one of my all time favourite fantasy books.

I also have a RL fashion background and association with a world renowned designer, and my designs are often inspired from working with her on her collections. My forthcoming Christmas/winter collection will be totally glamourous with touches of rich colour and textures.

Q: Do you mind sharing some of your hat building secrets?

A: Oh believe me there is no great secret. At the beginning, I used all the simpler standard programmes, such as Wings 3D and Rokuro. I am rather slow, to tell you the truth or as someone kindly put, “ exacting”, so it took me a few months to get the shapes I was looking for. I made some dreadful mistakes but the funny part is that some of those mistakes turned out to be ‘happy’ ones and ended up being part of my best selling hats! So I one tip I will give to new sculptors is to never delete any of your scupltie textures…you never know when they could be useful one day! Right now I collaborate with a RL graphics designer and sculptie master who has tweaked my shapes and now provides new ones which I put together, embellish and get ready for sale.I also use the Photoshop to make my own textures and I am always open to learning more and upgrading my skills. I am a ‘Jill-of-all-trades’ and a painter among other things in RL. Second Life provides another blank canvas for me to create upon.

Q: What is your biggest challenge as a milliner and business woman in SL?

A: Oh that’s easy to answer… prim hair and filling vendors! ( LOL) I spend a lot of time trying to help people to fit hats on their heads and now I have offered hair trimming classes at my store. I post notices in the SL community events under education when I offer them and also in my group I Love Hats! As for filling vendors, that is bane of my existence here in SL and I am forever making mistakes! Fortunately I have sweet understanding customers and I really do try to rectify any errors as soon as possible.

Q: As a relatively long time SL resident what words of advice would you give to up and coming designers?

A: First of all I have to explain that my products are not like a must have animation or hair so I operate a little differently. Friendships have been very important here in SL and my friends helped me much of the way. Many of my customers have also become friends and I am amazed at how much word of mouth business I get. The best advice is to treat everyone with respect and dignity, especially new residents… today’s newbie could be SL next big magnate ! We can all learn the business part eventually but in the end it is a loyal following of customers and friends who will provide your bread and butter through referrals. I would like to take this opportunity to thank them all for their encouragement and help because without them, I would have closed up shop a long time ago.

Q: Anything else you would like to add?

A: In SL, my wish for residents is to have fun, enjoy the creativity and laugh a lot. In RL, my hope is for everyone to have MORE fun and to laugh harder!