Tuesday, December 27, 2011

MEB and Melu Deco for Peace on Earth hunt!

Today I will present you MEB Fashion and Melu Deco's gifts for the Peace on Earth hunt.
Yes, a modern fashion store and a furniture store.
Why, do you ask? The answer is simple.

I have been following MEB since almost its beginning, when it was a small store in a dubious sim with a big blue neon sign, known as the MariaElena Barstore.


It had the prettiest logo I had ever seen :P

Peace and Love from MEB

I presented it, with an interview to designer MariaElena Barbosa, in an article in BeStyle magazine in the November 2008 issue, and updated the readers again in another article in November 2009 in that same magazine.

Around that time something happened which, in my opinion, changed the destiny of MEB forever.

Melusina Parkin entered the Second Life scene and became MEB manager.
Leaving MariaElena to concentrate on what she does best, make beautiful modern designs wearable for all, as she says "Real Style in Second Life", Melusina took over just about everything else concerning the brand. She is in charge of managing the main store and many satellite locations; she handles the marketing with many fashion brands; she organizes events, shows, sales and special discounts; she investigates the fashion industry and keeps the MEB brand PR alive.

What's more, she's become one of the best friends I have.

With her help, and Maria's incessant hard work, MEB has grown through three mainstores after that, to finally arrive at Klio where it is now. It has been in some of the biggest and smallest fashion shows and is now on its own sim.

And if all this wasn't enough, Melu decided she had time, energy and patience for more. An intelligent, creative woman, knowledgeable in fashion, art, and history of both specialising in all things vintage, she had been experimenting and decided to open an Art Deco furniture store.

Bayou Noir first Melu Deco store
Enter Melu Deco. I was there to see this opening and I was there for almost all of MEB's story too and I must say, both will always be in my heart. The people involved have become important in my SL.

Melu Deco developed more slowly. The target market was a very difficult one. I'd say a good part of Second Life doesn't even know what Art Deco is.
But Melu helped in that respect as well. I have learned a lot about Deco, its development in the 20's and 30's in France first, then its move over the ocean to the American Deco styles.

Currently she is involved in photography exhibits, art lectures, builder contests; her horizons are forever expanding and what's more she's having the time of her life at it! All her products are based on RL versions or styles, and she ranges from furniture to lamps, rugs (she makes excellent textures), perfume bottles, vases, and who knows what more to come.

Here you see, indissoluble and undivided, MEB's outfit for the hunt, MEB : Audrey Red Winter, together with Melu Deco's Hollywood Couch Christmas edition. I'll let the outfit, which comes with boots, speak for itself. Melu says about the couch:


A 1930s luxurious couch in a special version that recalls Christmas atmosphere through red and white colors of the wood and of the leather. A rare deep red mahogany, not veined, and white quilted leather contrast with the black finishing of the wooden parts, typical of Art Deco furniture.
One sitting pose each cushion; 9 prims; no mod, no copy, no transfer.


Now for the piccies:






Style Sheet

  • House: La Galleria
  • Pink shelf and Gacha bottles: Melu Deco
  • Love Sign: Somnia


1 comment:

Melu said...

I'd to wait some time before writing a comment to this post: i can't not reveal that it moved me a lot, 'cause are involved in it almost all the most important persons and things of my SL. Growing up with MEB has been my great chance in SL and meeting girls like MariaElena and Laura has been like gaining two new sisters. Melu Deco completed my identity, linking together my passions for arts and history an all what i've learned about good taste and about management working in the fashion world. Reading such a passionate - but even clear-headed - summary of all that makes me think my time in SL has given something worthy to that world. Thank you, dear Laura!