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Today is the first of what I hope to be a regular series of fashion profiles here at ITG; interviews with designers who may not have something specific to promote at the moment, but who who are well-regarded and I thought would make for a good interview subject. Today's profile is of Shai Delacroix, owner of Casa del Shai [Deimos 235/30/43]. If there's a certain designer you'd like to see profiled, by the way, please let me know at inthegrid [at] gmail.com.

In The Grid: So why don't we start with a little background? Had you done any fashion or clothing design before coming to Second Life?

Shai Delacroix: Ah, I have no formal training whatsoever. Although I did work for an advertising firm, where I did a lot of fashion art direction for some brands in RL.

ITG: Did those experiences meld into your time as a designer here? What skills are good, anyway, for being a SL clothing designer?

SD: Photoshop skills definitely helped a lot, and my interest in clothing since I was a child. I used to sketch a lot of designs growing up.

ITG: If I'm getting this correctly, designing a piece of clothing for the grid is mostly a matter of loading a special template in Photoshop, then working from there, right?

SD: Well, all sorts of things really. When I start on a piece of clothing, I source out a concept board -- picking up ideas off the web, fashion magazines, my personal wardrobe, etc. Then I consolidate them into the SL template. There are a lot of templates out there; you just need to find the ones youre comfortable with.

ITG: Just from a technical standpoint, is it important to have Photoshop skills before becoming a designer here? Or can a sketch artist make the transition easily?

SD: It's integral that you know a graphics program. A sketch artist, designer, patternmaker can do the form, but the shadows and highlights are difficult to achieve.

ITG: Speaking of which, let's walk through the process a little bit, since like you mentioned there are actually several steps. Let's start with textures. Where do you find you getting most of yours?

SD: I start out handpainting and sketching them. Some designs I [then] mold with actual fabrics, or photos of the fabrics I own. Sometimes there are textures off the web that are fantastic and free. But I make sure I add my personal touch on it.

ITG: Do you find a stylistic difference between a sketch-based and phorealistic piece of clothing? Is it jarring to have one type of outfit next to the other?

SD: Stylewise, it is a bit jarring. I still believe in handpainting, since we are all toons in here and should look the part. But I do like some [of the] photo-realistic skins available out there, which are quite a good marriage of skills.

ITG: And then as mentioned, the process of fitting the pieces together within the templates. Is this where the women are separated from the girls, so to speak? What part of the design process really separates the amateur from the professional?

SD: I think perfection in details; little things like how a fabric molds the body, how a skirt twirls, how a texture is rendered to make it stand out more. That is how you can tell if a designer is skilled or not. I say this also because I've been shopping for clothes quite awhile in SL. And there is a lot of talent out there.

ITG: And what's one little hint, for example -- something about the process that took you while to catch on to?

SD: Templates [laughter]. They're a blast to work with. This is my first time ever to work in 3D -- I've never touched a 3D program ever before. The templates of Chip Midnight's are the ones that are most effective, I think.

ITG: Is it tough to make the leap from the Photoshop 2D environemnt to the 3D one here? Can you do a good job imagining them as you're working on them, or do they not become "real" until you see them on an av?

SD: It's quite tough to imagine. I had a [bad habit] at first with uploading them again and again, just to see how they look like. Some folks use Daz or UV Mapper or Poser to do that.

ITG: Do you consider yourself more a gamer whose primary interest is designing clothes, or primarily an entrepreneur whose primary interest is running a business?

SD: Initially I was more of the former; I [simply] loved to design. But I'm sure I'll get into the business scheme of things pretty soon.

ITG: Speaking of which, what is money like for you with all this? Do you consider yourself "breaking even" yet, as far as how much time you've put into it?

SD: No, not yet. I've used up a lot of Lindens just uploading all the textures, and I think a return on investment will be further down the road. Also with the current state of the SL economy, it's a bit of a tough battle out there.

ITG: What do you think of third-party websites for commerce? Is it important for a designer to offer their wares there too, or is an in-game store of primary importance?

SD: Honestly, I haven't thought about it much. I think offering wares in-game gives you a much better experience than offering it outside. I like to provide great content. But with the grid going down, more consumers tend to buy off these third-party sites.

ITG: And speaking of which, how does one bring more attention to a store, in the ever-fantastical environment like the grid has? Are physical elements like location and architecture more important, or communication elements like mailing lists and coupons/sales?

SD: Online commerce even off websites such as Amazon need to feed into the user experience a lot. Bombarding them with ads and confusing details in architecture would turn them off instantaneously. [My] location is [based on] my personal love for the beach life, and it contrasts I think quite nicely with the casual and fall wear I'm selling.

ITG: Since we're on the subject, you have a lovely little build here; two gazebos with the wooden teleport pad between. Your concept?

SD: No. It's Barnesworth Anubis' little hovel, which I fell in love with when Tableau opened. It reminded me of the little beach huts in my country [the Philippines], where I go all the time during summers.

ITG: Now, I've noticed that you've recently opened an exclusive men's department. It's so rare here, it warrants the question: was there a special reason?

SD: Oh, I hang around a lot with gay men.

ITG: Here in the grid, you mean? Or were RL friends the inspiration?

SD: In RL and SL; I'm a fag hag. But seriously, I like looking at well-dressed men.

ITG: And what's next for you? In which direction does the catalog next expand, and what kinds of other events or projects will you be working on?

SD: I think I'll grow this season's line into a winter collection. Also I'll be working on my skills in building tiny prims, so I can offer more accessories for the ladies and gents out there. I also would love to do an advertising or marketing project for the content providers in SL in the future. I'd love to use my marketing skills in the virtual world, and enrich the consumer experience much better. This is a noteworthy time to get into ambient advertising, as the advertising world has been checking into online avenues for major brands, such as Reebok and Adidas.

ITG: And what exactly do you mean by ambient? How can such a thing be translated into SL easily?

SD: Ambient advertising, I think, although I'm not an expert, is to get your brand to be top-of-mind, in avenues that are bigger than ads. Non-traditional advertising, which can be found everywhere now. You don't need billboard space, nor a big-budgeted TV ad to reach into your consumers' minds. Plus it's revolutionary in terms of [MMO environments] in general; now that content [creation] is in their hands, they can bring anything on the table.

ITG: And then let's finish with this, which I imagine is how I'll end all designer profiles in the future; if maybe you'd like to mention some of your own favorite designers in the grid.

SD: Yes. I'm a great fan of skinmaker Tete A Pied -- CJ Carnot and Roslin Petion. Also the Tableau gang -- Barnesworth, Nylon, Toast and Ingrid. And let's not forget great works from Artilleri, Shiny Things, Elka Lahane and Callie Cline. I like original content, and they bring creativity to the next level.

Casa del Shai is located at [Deimos 235/30/43], and is open 24 hours a day.