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Interview: Simone Stern and hyasynth Tiramisu
By Celebrity Trollop | March 16, 2006
Tuesday morning I had the opportunity to sit down to tea with Simone Stern of the eponymous Simone! and hyasynth Tiramisu of ~silentsparrow~ in a lovely garden created by hyasynth’s partner Jessica Ornitz. We had a wide ranging conversation about the business of Second Life fashion, inspiration and a lot more. Plus, at the very end, a teaser about the duo’s collaboration on a very special, very limited edition gown! Read on for more.
CT: Would you please talk about how you came to be in Second Life? How did you get started in this place?
hT: I was looking about for an alternate to the typical chat program or channel. Something where I was able to meet new people and also be creative.
hT: After being disappointed in the slow nature of various forums and artists groups. I was lucky enough to stumble upon the article about [Cory] Doctorow’s [virtual world book] signing. I had just read the book and he appeared in world.
hT: So it just clicked…
hT: A whole world created by its users. Not just words and posted images.
CT: And you joined in July of 2005, right? That was before free accounts?
hT: Yes I joined a few weeks before free accounts. I only spent a week or so as basic when I realized the WA was not the environment to…get anything done. :)
CT: OK. What about you Simone? How did you end up in Second Life?
SS: I read an article in the Wall Street Journal about SL. I was interested in being able to create things here. I knew what I wanted to do pretty much from the moment I logged in.
CT: Is your clothing design an outgrowth of a RL interest, Simone? Or did you just realize this was a platform with a lot of potential for building in general?
SS: Yes, and yes. I’ve been sewing since I was a kid, have loved fashion and design from very early on.
SS: I also see the potential of SL as a platform.
CT: Yes, I am fascinated with the ability to do machanima and other “movie” style productions here. Would you talk about when and how you decided to start designing clothes here in SL? Simone, it was fairly immediate for you. What about you hyasynth? How long were you in world before you started making outfits?
hT: Well, like all new residents I faced two problems: lack of finances and lack of products that suited my taste — that I was aware of at least.
hT: So, the obvious solution was to create what I wanted to wear in world. :)
hT: After many trials and errors I came up with a shirt and skirt I considered passable. :)
CT: Yes. One barrier that many people have is a talent for the tools of the trade: photo
manipulation software. Would you say that you’re fairly familiar with software like Photoshop or Paint Shop Pro? Or have you learned as you go?
hT: I have been using Adobe Photoshop in it’s various versions for many years now. Translating those skills into second life was natural.
CT: Great. Simone, I know you’re using GIMP for a lot of your work. Was that because you knew it best, or Photoshop was too expensive?
SS: *grins* Was because I didn’t know jack about any art program at all, and it was easy to download.
CT: *smiles* You’re entirely self-taught then?
SS: I came in here with zero art background.
SS: Entirely. :)
CT: Wow. Impressive.
SS: Thank you. :)
CT: Do you feel like that’s been a barrier for your designs? Or do you feel like you can pretty much work around any holes in your knowledge of the software itself?
SS: *chuckles* Well, you’d have to ask my customers if they feel it’s been a barrier for my designs. ;D As far as holes in my knowledge… that’s up for debate as well.
SS: The software is not what designs the clothing. I do.
CT: hyasynth, when you first made your “passable” outfit, did you have the idea to set up a store and make other creations or did that come later?
hT: Well, first of all passable was not an acceptable level to reach. I wanted to make something I could be proud of. The store came from neighbors and friends insisting I should sell my creations.
hT: The usual route of..”oh where did you buy that” *smiles* followed by “Oh can I buy it form you?”
CT: I’d like to ask you about your sources of inspiration. Do you find that you’re working from things that grab a hold of your attention in RL (like maybe the costume design in a film or a graphic novel or TV show or a RL designer) or from customer suggestions and requests?
hT: I’m a bookseller by vocation so I am constantly exposed to visual and literary stimuli. Though generally I don’t tend to enjoy popular culture, which is why my designs have a more traditional feel to them.
CT: Simone, this is your RL day job. I’d love to have your take on how the economics of SL affects your RL paycheck, if that’s not too personal a line of questions.
SS: Not at all. When the value of Lindens slips, the money a designer is paid for the sale of those Lindens drops. Now that is based on the presumption that sales for that designer are stagnant.
SS: My sales are not plateaued, nor stagnant. ;)
CT: Do anticipate a point in the Linden/USD ratio where your pricing would be substantially affected?
SS: Of course; if the Linden falls sufficiently to warrant. I can’t imagine anyone in SL would begrudge content creators here a stable income for their efforts.
CT: Let’s talk a little more about pricing. It’s kind of a tough topic. Do you price your clothes for the investment of time you’ve put into it, or based on a survey of competitive pricing? How do you decide how much a certain outfit ought to sell for?
SS: Hmm, both, I think. When I got here I couldn’t find a prim skirt of any kind under 700L or so. As a new designer, not that confident of my work, I priced myself based on my estimation of my talent. It took a while before I had enough confidence in my work to ask a price commensurate with the time involved in the creation.
CT: Would you comment on the importance of the weekly stipend for your sales? Is it essential or not that important? If LL decided to end that practice how would it impact your businesses?
SS: Hmm, that’s too individual a thing for me to guesstimate. Again, when I arrived, stipends were a huge deal. Between the weekly, and ratings benefits, you could make about 2k a week. Though working events for money always makes a player more.
SS: Now they are not as big a deal for people as they were, then. People have become accustomed to other ways to make Lindens in world… events and contests, selling, even the purchase of Lindens.
SS: I think from a designer’s perspective, I design as if -every- customer who comes into my ship has laid down cold cash for their in-world Lindens, and are spending ‘real’ money in my shop.
CT: Turning back to inspiration now, what about inspiration from within SL? Your [ed. hyasynth's] store here in ironjaw has a certain oeuvre. Are there other builds, other sims and other designers that influence your own work?
CT: Feel free to jump in too, Simone. Do you get inspired by other designers? I know you posted an outfit yesterday created in the style of hyasynth using hand painting techniques. How often does that happen?
SS: Inspiration within SL: Um, no. What Hya inspires in me is a more concerted effort to work with hand painting over and above what I already do, and even less with textures Hya and I use a lot of the same techniques… so it was natural that she would influence me.
hT: As far as Ironjaw and its look..it’s the combined creative expression of Jessica [ed. hyasynth's partner] and I.
SS: The inspiration from my designs pretty much happens from within the designer, and my experiences, past and present, in the ‘real’ world.
hT: In respect to clothing design..I make clothing that expresses who I am and that makes me happy above all.
hT: It’s very important to me to enjoy creating here..to show the world of SL a little piece of who I am. It has nothing to do with other designers. There are a lot easier ways to be a successful designer than making clothing for a niche that small.
CT: What about non-fashion related things in SL? How do you spend any non-work time in SL? What do you do for fun here?
SS: Um.. well, I do have friends here, yes, and I do get to chat with them. Hya and I hang out quite a bit. :D
hT: I keep very separate time for working and “playing”. Though Simone and I can work and play together.
SS: *chuckles* Well, yes, I try to be on for customers during peak hours, and get my creating done during the day or late nights. With something this demanding, you gotta do the frequent coffee breaks.
SS: Yep, Hya and I seem to be a pretty productive combination :D
hT: As far specific leisure activities, I Dj for friends and “garden.”
CT: Is there one outfit or series of outfits that you’re especially proud of? Something that you might consider your “signature” style?
SS: *shakes her head* No, I’ve been asked that before, and no specific thing in my line is a signature. ALL of it is my signature. From my take on ball gowns to the slut wear.
SS: Now I understand that what others’ perception of what I do is as subjective as the clothing itself, but… what I hear from my customers and supporters is that the thumbprint to my work is elegance.
CT: I’d say that’s a very accurate one word summation too.
SS: Thank you :)
hT: I think it’s too early in the game to have my own signature style as of yet. ;)
hT: *smiles* I try to create designs that are subtle and seductive. I think Obscurite (which you are wearing) was the best example of that so far. Your covered from neck to ankle but it’s remains alluring.
CT: My last question today is: Any designs either of you are working on that you’d care to tease readers about?
SS: Muahahahah, yes.
CT: Go for it! I love scoops. :D
SS: Hya and I are working on a line of gowns together. ;D
CT: Oooh.
SS: They will be limited editions.
SS: The first is a black and white gown.
SS: I’d tell you more, but I’d have to shoot you. ;D
hT: Why shoot? Arsenic in the tea is so less messy!
CT: LOL.
Celebrity Trollop is NOT Madame Bovary!
SS: *grins*
CT: :D
hT: *grins wickedly*
CT: Do you have an ETA for the big reveal?
SS: 2 weeks. We both have our own design obligations to fulfill, and our own shops to run.
CT: Looking forward to it! Thank you both so much for doing this. I hope I can do this
again sometime with both or either of you. :D
There you have it. Make sure you take a look at the spotlight articles on Simone’s designs and hyasynth’s designs.
Topics: Interviews |
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