On the road back to Second Life – Mellow Elie

When you’ve been in Second Life as long as some of us, you see people come and go – but the returns are always the best part. Some creators leave, come back, leave again – and each time they’re welcomed back with excitement. This has been true for people like Anya Ohmai, and now, more recently, Emma Gilmour.

Emma, known for her early work as Sand Shack Surf, later rebranded to Surf Co., she then joined projects like Armidi and went on to open Body Co. as a collab project (she does love a good “Co.”), Mon Tissu (another collaboration with Julliette Westerberg of Tres Blah), and her recent return had her teaming up again with Legacy to launch a collection based brand with Ginza. Now, she’s returned to her roots with her own brand, Mellow Elie. Her style is unmistakable, and those of us who’ve worn her designs since the early days can see her signature touch in each piece. Emma began as a creator back in the days of system layers and prims, then moved on to sculpties and mesh – staying consistent with her unique aesthetic throughout.

If you’ve seen her real-life Instagram or her previous real-life blogging, you’ll know her look and feel are the same in and out of Second Life. Her designs don’t just reflect what she creates – they also embody what she’d want to wear herself. But Mellow Elie is more than just clothing – it’s a brand experience. For instance, if you visit her new in-world store, you can pick up a Mellow Elie gift cup without joining the group. Group members, however, get discounts and other incentives to be part of this growing brand. You can join by copy-pasting the following link into local chat and clicking it, or simply searching for “Mellow Elie” in groups:
secondlife:///app/group/1f3fc3ec-58ff-16bf-5fe5-2b1be9b0b52b/about The official opening date of the store is the 9th of November, but as a group member there have been soft opening options, so check out notices for more info.

Emma has always been about creating a “vibe” – from her packaging to her product displays. She carefully considers how her customers will wear her designs and what experiences they’ll associate with Mellow Elie. She’s bringing back the social experience that many Second Life stores used to offer – a sense of community where people shared styles and ideas. For many of us, this return to form is something we’re excited to see unfold. The new collection is about versatility, pieces that are mix and match with themselves, or go on to enrich the style of multiple brands. I decided that this Bomber jacket – it is sold as single solid colours but in the fatpack options you can change the colours of the body, sleeves or trim, giving you a contrast look – was the best fit for this camo inspired look, the tan option with the black picking up the tan in the camo.

One thing that surprised me about this collection is how seasonally themed the colours are… when half the world isn’t in the same season, it makes you think outside your stylish box a bit more than usual. I personally hope future releases might broaden the seasonal approach, as it could limit the appeal of certain items outside that specific season. Second Life itself has adopted a “more is more” approach to colours in recent years, and we want our basics to fit that – pieces we can mix and match with everything are a must these days. The right colour can really lift a look, and having options makes all the difference.

In the theme of renewal and returning ‘home’ I wore this beautiful Swallow necklace by Sigma, it was just a perfect way to symbolise what is going on with Emma and Mellow Elie, and that hopefully it all results in growth and happiness for her going forward. I was so glad that the Jacket fit over this lovely bandana top by Fashionably Dead that is an actual Group Gift and has so many options, a print panel, a solid colours panel and a denim panel, with a lot of colours in each panel…It has been my go to top for a few weeks now, when I am in the middle of working out what I am doing, I have been popping it back on. Then with the wrap skirt by She Said Destroy, who amaze me every time they do something, because they create such eclectic looking things, but with that ‘that is so them’ feeling to it all. I am a big fan of camo, no idea why, it is a teen in the 80’s thing I think, and with the beautiful greens and slight hint of tan, I was able to mix it in with the duo combination of the jacket. I had to wear some leggings in Bakes on Mesh though, because it is a bit shorter at the back than I am comfortable with, but it does cover what it should. Finishing off the look with these ankle boots I picked up over the weekend from Dazzling, they have the option to colour the individual parts, and had the perfect olive green to tie it all together.

I am wearing the Mell hair by Mina, this style was a perfect showcase for the look, with its behind the shoulders look, and the half up-do style that we tend to have as a go to often when dealing with longer hair. It was the perfect pairing with this look, and has a no bangs option also.

Credits:

Equipment Used

VR Studio and HUD/Library – VR Foundry Marketplace

LeLutka Axis HUD Face – LeLutka

Important: Moles featured on face or body unless otherwise stated are created by me, for me personally. If wearing moles or freckles etc layers by other creators they will always be credited. As my face moles are the same always, it will be clear to know it is mine not part of the skin.

Poses & Props by :

Loel Poses

Body Parts

Body :

Reborn – EBody

Head:

Genus Morph (Straight – NoseMorph, Heavy – Lipmorph, Round – EyeMorph, Triangle – HeadMorph, Ears Human) – Genus

Appliers:

Nail appliers – Flair – Marketplace

Skin Worn:

Emma Skin (face), Rhea Body Skin – Nuve

Head and Body BOM Layers: