Kuro Neko – Marsha’s Second Life Interviews

Greetings, people and nekos. Today I have for you an interview with Lost Thereian of Naughty Designs.

Kuro Neko: When you first started SL, did you have a gameplan?
Lost Thereian: I came to SL a few years ago with little experience with computers and no experience in computer graphic art or 3d programs (Photoshop, Poser, 3ds max, Maya). I found a review about Second Life in a gaming magazine and became pretty fascinated with the whole idea of a 3d virtual world. So I went out and bought a graphic card to try out this strange new world; never really intended to come here and sell things. Well I made friends fast and become pretty addicted.

I started making candles, beds, and sculptures (lol) and sold them on a friend’s property. Later on I bought my own property and decided to start making goth apperal for men and women… I made a few hairstyles myself for ads because I was not happy with what was available at the time. It turned out people wanted to buy the hair as well. So on this small property I owned I began to sell things in this square shop I had built in 2 minutes. Well a lot of people liked my stuff including Midnight City (who were really popular and well known at the time) so I ended up moving my things to their sim as well…and well popularity grew from there.

Ambyance2 Anubis (named her stuff Naughty Jazzze at the time) invited me to her shop with another friend of her’s to sell my stuff there as well. We became really good friends fast and started doing a lot of things together, later naming everything under one name: Naughty. We later on purchased an island together (Naughty) and took our time (about a year) building a shopping area, beach, and other cool stuff. That’s pretty much how I got to where I am today.
Kuro Neko: I consider your Alina skins range probably the best skins in SL. How much time on average do you spend on getting them looking so good?

Lost Thereian: Well I took the time later on to really learn how to make a quality realistic skin for women. It really took several months and tons of trial and error to come up with Alina. In ‘06 I finally released a female skin line to the public (without the name Alina). It was a pretty successful line but I was not completely happy with it. I took them down and revamped them, then naming them Alina….and that’s pretty much how they got to where they are now.

Kuro Neko: What was the first thing you ever made, and did you sell it?

Lost Thereian: I think the first thing I made was a chair learning how to use prims. The first clothing item I made was this realllly low rise revealing goth punk skirt for women. It was pretty awful. I never sold it.

Kuro Neko: When was Naughty born?

Lost Thereian: The name “Naughty” probably came about in ‘05 in our small shop in Zazi. We wanted to start advertising more and expanding and just ended up turning everything from “Lost.” and “NJ” into “Naughty”.

Kuro Neko: Who do you consider to be your inspiration in SL, if any?

Lost Thereian: My inspiration would definitely have to be Ambyance2 Anubis. She’s someone I can really trust in pretty much all aspects. She has great taste and always tells me if something looks cheesy or whatever. I would definitely have to give her credit for getting to where I am today and not putting out some of the shit items I’ve done in the past.

Kuro Neko: Do you find making a good skin or hairpiece more rewarding than the customer’s praise you get for it, or vice versa?

Lost Thereian: It’s the customer’s opinion that really counts. I’ve done a lot of things that I’ve liked personally, but customers really hadn’t…which isn’t such a rewarding feeling. This gives me an idea of what they like and that’s really important. Seeing that a lot of people are interested in my products I’ve worked so hard on and are actually willing to spend their money on it is a very rewarding feeling.

Kuro Neko: Does SL take up much more of your time than it did a year ago? And, is SL work now your full time job?

Lost Thereian: Second Life is a very different place than it was a year ago. It does take more time now than it used to. A lot of the time spent here I use to hang out with friends, but now my time is dedicated to customer IMs and creating new content for Naughty. I also have set the bar high for myself on what is quality and that really takes time to achieve.

Me and Lost at my home.

Interview time. Today’s interview is with Kin Keiko, owner of KIN Hair. Marvel at her wonderful designs and prices that won’t burn a hole in your virtual pocket by clicking here. But before that, read on…

Kuro Neko: How and when did KIN start?
Kin Keiko: I started making hair when I was on an older account about 2 years ago and sold some hair styles at a friends shop. I kept with the hair business and I made a new account a couple months later on to start new and try to make a better business.
Kuro Neko: How hard did you find making hair at first, and how many attempts did you make to get a sellable hair piece?
Kin Keiko: Hair was difficult at first but once I figured out all the ways of making it, I started selling 3 hair styles on Kin and I was getting a couple buys for them once a week or a couple times a week and it just progressed. I had more buys and then I made more hair, people seemed to really be happy with it.
Kuro Neko: What was your first ever publicly released hair style, and how popular was it.
Kin Keiko: The first hair styles I made was the Kinny Hair Buns and I started selling the hair on SLExchange and also on some land I had. It seemed to be going well.
Kuro Neko: Do you find it hard to come up with new deisgns to attract the attention of customers since there are so many hair shops around nowadays?
Kin Keiko: It is kinda hard because there are alot of good hair styles that people have made and some that I wanted to try out. I come up with most of my hair designs on my own and I dont like to make something similar like someone else.
Kuro Neko: Is hair the only thing you like to make or have you thought about branching out into the world of skin or clothes?
Kin Keiko: Hair is the only thing I make, but I have made some clothing and furniture. I also like to try to make skins.
Kuro Neko: Where do you get your inspiration?
Kin Keiko: I get inspiration from anime, or any type of fantasy things. It usually just comes to me when I start with a prim on my head and I just see how it will turn out.
Kuro Neko: Have you ever attempted to copy one of your popular styles to your real life hair?
Kin Keiko: No, I havent tried doing my hair like some of my styles. But, I’ve seen some people do there hair like my styles in real life or drawings of there avatars with my hair.
Kuro Neko: Do you often get periods of designers block or do you always have lots of ideas to keep you going?
Kin Keiko: Yes I usually get designers block a lot, when I’m not happy I usually can’t work and it’s hard for me to do many hair styles at a time.
Kuro Neko: What is your favourite all time hair style of yours?
Kin Keiko: I like the hair style Ducan, I just like how it fits the face and its messy and cute.
Kuro Neko: Did you attend the Hair Fair, and if so, tell me about it.
Kin Keiko: Yes, I attended Hair Fair. I thought it was a good idea to have and it was fun just a bit laggy.

Kin and Marsha (slinking away in the background ^.^)

Untill next time, readers, take care.

Hello once again readers. Recently I found a cool shop for skins called PANJEN, which made me turn all girly pink for a few days (see picture at the bottom of this interview) and I decided to meet up with Pandora Jensen, the creative genius behind the name. Please, read on nya…

Kuro Neko: So, Pandora. When did you start making skins in SL?
Pandora Jensen: Just a few weeks after I got to SL.. but selling skins came a lot later.
Kuro Neko: Were your ideas back then as wild as they are now?
Pandora Jensen: Ah yes, I think a blue skin was one of the first… it probably had stars on
Kuro Neko: Ah, the first skin I made had a heart on the cheek and some sprinkles under the eye.
Pandora Jensen: I like the sound of it.
Kuro Neko: Have the prices on your skins changed at all, or have they always been 350L ?
Pandora Jensen: Always been 350L for one. I prefer to sell them individually.
Kuro Neko: You’re coming close to your third rezzday now. Do you ever get bored of SL?
Pandora Jensen: Oh sure I do, you know those days you just dont feel compelled to make anything or hangout. I suppose it’s like being burned out, but for me it doesnt happen that often, I dont usually stay away from here long.
Kuro Neko: I understand that.
Kuro Neko: You must have had a rich and fullfulling time since you started. Tell me the nicest person you’ve met.
Pandora Jensen: There are so many nice people around, I’m not sure who I would name if I must give you just one name I have always thought Palomma Casanova is a great girl, she works hard over at The Free Dove to bring the creators freebies to the newbies. Then there would be the people who I have known for years ….. from before coming to SL.. .Finn Jensen, Phyzz Fizz.
Kuro Neko: It’s nice to have good friends.
Kuro Neko: How much time would you say you put into your work here, opposed to being with friends and socialising?
Pandora Jensen: I suppose I just try to balance it, I have two jobs and making SL things is certainly one of them.
Kuro Neko: Do you have a lot of customers who praise your work?
Pandora Jensen: Haha yes I suppose so. I get sent a lot of snapshots of people wearing things they got here that they wanted to show me. I love seeing them, I should make a collage of the greatest ones for the wall someday.
Kuro Neko: Yes you should. I think you should also get me to model one of your skins, I have a great body.
Pandora Jensen: Yep, your shape is perfect to model a skin here, i should do that =)
Kuro Neko: Have you ever tried to replicate your skin in your real life?
Pandora Jensen: Depends what I’m making really, often people have requested something, but usually its just me trying to match colors and see what looks good together.
Kuro Neko: What is your most popular skin.
Pandora Jensen: Would have to be usually one of the most recently released skins.
Pandora Jensen: I suppose people familiar with the store have seen the others, they want the new one (laughs).
Kuro Neko: Well, thank you for being so compliant with me, and for being so nice.
Pandora Jensen: Thank you for thinking of me to be interviewed, was fun.

A very pink Marsha with Pandora Jensen.

PANJEN have recently released some cool new Drow skins, so check them out. Click here for a direct SLurl to Pandora’s store.

See you kitty lovers!