Sand Confessions with...

Hiya, this is my second interview to a Celebrity in SL :), he is a talented, but TALENTED designer, his designs are unique, why? because they interact with you and/or other avis, sooooo cool.

He is very kind and gives me an outfit called Ephemerette White I try it at the same moment that I received it, is a Futuristic White Dress with a gorgeous Hat. I was at my store and a good friend of mine comes and I went to say Hi!, with no reason a part of my skirt and hat was black???, looool I started to rebake like crazy and nothing, and I thought another lovely SL issue ;). Today, I read the NC that comes with the dress (yes, we have to read them LOL) and my surprise was that the clothes interacts with the avatar that is near us, more avis, more colors, Imagine that!!! LOVE THAT IDEA ;)
He is part now of the great group of Designers in Maritima Mall with his Futuristic Designs.

Oki, enough talk and let me introduce you the amazing person who creates this revolutionary products, Mr. Sanders Beaumont :)

Sand Confessions II with Sanders Beaumont

LV: Hi Sanders is a pleasure have you here, tell me a little about your beginnings in SL.

SB: Oh it was like everyone's beginning I think?!, No I was forced to create an avatar because the university I was in wanted it to be like this. I got involved with a project there in the early beginning. This was 2007 in Switzerland, Zurich. So in fact my avi is Swiss ;)

LV: wow! interesting story

SB: But I think the first experiences I made were quite the same as everybody did in SL the first days, weeks and maybe even months. Lurking around, exploring and then finally starting to create.

LV: same, trying balls, gestures, TP to every were :), until I was sick of that and start to build

SB: He he yes!

LV: Since when you started with your stores and from where comes your inspiration?

SB: Hmm.. Sanders was always my tool of creation, since the very beginning. When I heard people are able to sell things here I was wondering about that would work. But at the beginning I discovered concepts of roleplaying which led me into individualizing my own clothing. So did I and I started to create items. After a while some people asked where they could buy the designs and therefore I was thinking it would be nice to open an own shop and start to advertise it. First in the roleplay community by the word of mouth, then by landmarks when my store as established a bit more. And so it went.

LV: and you now just work for your stores, or still with the University project?

SB: No no, not at all. I just finished a research work about synthetic and virtual worlds and about how they can be used in education and research in higher education. So the whole desining is a 'private' hobby which comes next to my work in SL and RL. But it helped me very much to understand the platform and for what it can be used ;)

LV: I'm sure :), and is a very interesting beginning in SL, doing a research for RL.

SB: It was not only a research but my final thesis in RL too. You see Second Life is a technology which raises a lot of new questions. Did you know that the AGNI Grid, the Second Life grid is bigger than Singapore? And that was in 2007 already. It means, digital places are able to get into competition with real physical spaces. What does this mean for economies and other questions? I think you get the picture. It's a phenomenon. SL is sort of to be seen as the 3d internet though. I think people don't realize the potential of such technologies yet because they snapshot only a few momenti. Their own Second Life. But in the whole context it's a very fascinating matter.

LV: yes it is and a lot, I'm in my little world here try to learn and knew more about SL everyday, others just use it like an escape, and just dance or others things, I respect that, but they lost the magic that here we can discover, but their creates their own magic, so what you look in SL you'll find it.

SB: I think it is as you said. There are a lot of people here making their experiences. It is like with every technology. First you observe it, then you join, you gather and take an active part in the community you identify with yourself. If you have the time, then you even produce or create. There are different degrees of use here and every degree is how say... interlocked with each of the others.

LV: yes, I have renters here or friends that sayd that I'm crazy, always working, but this is what I love and I choosed to do that, they work in RL and SL is their escape from RL, for me too, but in my way, so all creates here our little world

SB: I think you point out an important thing. What you describe is the shifting of realities into the digital space. Since SL is connected to an economical system, it's very interesting to discover it as tool for producing value. The internet changed from a place of information to a social place where people interact with each other. So there is a potential market and it becomes very divers. To discover this opportunities needs a mindset which goes beyong the usual perspective and view in our everyday life. And of course there is something which is called creativity. If you connect everything with the right tool, then you can make it happen no matter what people say.

LV: agree 100% :), You think that SL economy is better or worster since you started? bussines are harder now or the same?

SB: This is very difficult to evaluate actually. Sure there was the crisis but I firmly believe that economy here works very different compared to the RL economy. That is why most RL companies fail in here. For me, my business grew and grew.. I can't say it's running worse. The longer your build on your brand the more you get established and offer stability for your customers and clients.

LV: agree with that, but lately I saw a lot of brands here, and a few good ones, closing doors, and also I feel it in my rentals, people come and go, now is a miracle almost all is rented lol, but was a time that they went because can't afford the tiers, even for me is hard to pay tiers to LL.

SB: Well let's say LL isn't the cheapest provider but provides a good service and on the leading edge. See.. I think you could easily go to another grid, like openSIM or any other kind, but the connections and buddies you made here, in fact your digital identity and the reputation is gone then. Then you need to restart over there.

LV: oh no, I never will leave SL, lol they have to kick me out :) (hope they not lol, I'm a good girl :)

SB: But at the end I don't lose hope that one day Second Life and other Grids will find a same standard so you can be yourself on other platforms ;)

LV: yes, but for now I stay here :) Can you tell me a little about your brands, FDL and Dojo?

SB: Yes of course, FDL is a short form from "Feur de Lys" which is the insignia of the French Court in the 18th Century. That is the brand where I started to design roleplay fashion, mostly historical fashion. DoJo is the total opposite. It's more the try to experiment with conceptual fashion and designs like the piece you wear now. DoJo is a concept store. I just didn't only want to place simple vendors but rather to make people think about why they come to the store and tell stories about the place. There are many small stories hidden there which appear when you approach different objects.

LV: have to see that I just passed fast in both, but that is what makes you unique and different and people will know you for that, and remember your creations for that reasons. (after this interview I went to the store, and is amazing, you are near the vendors, and in the walls start to appears text, images, the store interacts with you is a different concept and is interesting, makes your shopping experience unique)

SB: Oh then I did a thing :) thank you. But it really happens that people leave the place with any experience. They just cam around and find nothing interesting. But those who really get in touch, get into relation with the things at the store, they know about the designs there. And honestly... I don't mind if people leave without having seen the things there then. It is a nice experience for me too and makes me think about how important images and signage are. Sure I could make a lot of more profit. But I think the experience has much more value.

*FDL* Giela Delpaso

This RolePlay Outfit is so well done, love the textures, the fabrics and even the Hair is included when you buy it, is a great deal and a very good price.

LV: What you like to do more, Fashion like in FDL or Future Couture like in Dojo?

SB:: Both. Definitively both. Otherwise I wouldn't do it. What I like very much about FDL is that I create reproductions and people can get warped into roles with their costumes. With DoJo, it's more the experimental fashion and things which never existed in SL before which excites me. To really created more than a conventional piece of fashion.

LV: DoJo is a new brand?

SB: Yes, DoJo is new. I launched the brand in March 2010.

LV: is a baby yet :)

SB: It is more than a baby ;), usually you have to invest a little before your business grows. It takes about 3 weeks and then people take notice of it :)

Ephemerette White

LV: Yes invest in advertising, stores, rent, upload textures, etc... I saw the DoJo Bamboo Living and the Black Butterfly Dying, you are working in more decorations? or this was experimental?

SB: This was experimental in first line. Since I focus on fashion I don't want to mix it up with furniture or decoration. But those two items are 2 symbols of DoJo. The Bamboo as material and symbol of growing life and the Black Butterfly dying as symbol of ephemeral beauty.

LV: very deep :) love the meaning. Any advice to new designers?

SB: Sanders Beaumont: persistence to pursuit the own creativity and time. everything takes time.

LV: yes and in SL things are slower so if you believe in what you do and have passion, continue :)

SB: Things in SL are very fast and slow. It's very ambivalent but that makes it so exciting too. Risk and failure is required. It keeps the whole experience alive.

LV: yes it is, and invest time and L$ is important, take risks, chances, have good days, bad days, like in RL, no pain no gain

SB: Well it's better to fail with a few L$ here than with a billion in RL ;)

LV: oh! yes looool

SB: But pain experience can be the same. Immaterially wise :D

LV: anything else that you want to tell me about you :) (and READ his answer LOL ;) )

SB: Do you have anything special in mind you are curious about? ;)

Lua Vendetta: (he he he got me with the question lol) I think if we continue here, will never ends, you're a fascinating person, and is always interesting have this conversations :)

SB: Why thank you. So you are and I think everyone is interesting and in SL even more. I guess it's because we can't be fully digital and always bring a part of our own personality, behaviours and identity into here. Synthetic and realism :)

LV: yes, I also think here we can be more open like in RL, in RL I not go and say Hi, and ask things to anyone, here we send Im's, and we are more connected with the people we meet, sometimes we have the bad luck, that one of those persons are not honest, but we have to delete that ones and continue with the good ones.

Thank you so much for give me the pleasure to interview you, I really enjoy it. I'm so glad that Nico Iasmertz CEO of Maritima ask me if I can interview you :). Is amazing how SL have the ability to makes all this possible, you are in other country and here we can be together at the same time with all the SL magic around us. And once again I apologize for my bad english :), but I try to do my best always, and this interview was amazing thank so much for your time :)

SB: No worries about the english. It's the same for me. I enjoyed it very too myself. The bill for the flight to Portugal isn't necessary ;) though. Tysm Lua!

If you like to take a look to Sanders flickr page there you go:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sanders_beaumont/4351804623/in/set-72157623169874144/

The web page:

http://fleurdelys.webnode.com/

And your Limo's for the stores, have to go and see the amazing creations of Sanders

Fleur de Lis Mainstore

DoJo at maritima

DoJo

DoJo Mainstore

DoJo

DoJo at glance style

DoJo

Thank You for read my blog, xoxo :)