Every girl loves a pretty hair accessory, right? And it seems there just aren’t enough of those handy stores in SL…and believe me, I’ve searched. Well, no need to look any further because Eolande Elvehjem has just the place and it’s brimming with goodies. From sweet floral hairpins to elegant, beaded headbands, she’s got it all. I caught up with Eolande this week to find out how she got started and where she intends to go in this big old world we call Second Life.
Harriet Gausman: When did you first start designing in SL?
Eolande Elvehjem: I “rezzed” in June of 2006, but didn’t start creating things until months later. I started fiddling in December and by the end of January I made a cute little Celtic Trinity Hair Stick.
Harriet Gausman: Did you have any RL design skills or did you learn in-world?
Eolande Elvehjem: My real life design skills are in beading, silversmithing and lapidary work. I have some Photoshop skills from playing with and enhancing my own family’s photos. I’ve never played with any 3D graphics programs or anything remotely like SL until last year when I learned about SL. I found out slowly how to get around, and one day out of curiosity clicked that build button, and rezzed a box. It scared the hell out of me. I decided I wanted to learn about building though as I’d seen all the things people had made and I told myself if all these thousands of people can make stuff so can I. So I sat down and started rezzing all the basic prims one by one, and playing with all the fields in the object edit menu. Several weeks later I had a folder of cool shapes I’d stumbled upon and started putting things that I liked together.
Harriet Gausman: What or who do you consider your inspiration for your designs?
Eolande Elvehjem: The inspiration for my business came from a real life love of accessories (unlike clothes, they ALWAYS fit!) and I especially like putting all sorts of goodies in my hair. When I went about getting clothes and accessories for my avatar, I couldn’t find any hair accessories at all – and the business woman in me couldn’t resist the opportunity. The inspiration for my actual designs comes from all over – things my customers suggest, concepts I’ve seen in real life and I love making something with a particular friend in mind – it brings a lot of character into it.
Harriet Gausman: How would you describe your collection?
Eolande Elvehjem: Primarily hair accessories since that’s my main focus and though I try to make a wide variety to fit a vast range of tastes it seems they all have my own touch. Repeatedly, I get requests to make matching jewelry, and so lately I’ve been making a variety of jewelry pieces to match the hair goodies.
Harriet Gausman: Who do you think buys your items?
Eolande Elvehjem: I see all sorts of people in my store – fashionistas, geishas, gorean women, dancers and sometimes goths. (I don’t do goth very well, my friend Doc says I suffer from perpetual prettiness. *sigh*)
Harriet Gausman: Where do you see yourself headed in terms of business and design?
Eolande Elvehjem: I have a huge list of ideas and things that are still taking shape. I hope to keep improving my prim and texture skills, and making more innovative and versatile accessories. I’m also planning on opening more islands to house more fun attractions for visitors as well as more space for new designers’ main stores. I’d like to grow my business to the point where it’s my main source of income, but maybe I’m just dreaming big. One thing I’ve learned though is that the sky is the limit in SL and I’m aiming for at least Jupiter.
When I stepped into Eolande’s brand, spanking new premises, I instantly spied the ETD and Calla customised hair decorations. Perfect if you have a favourite style and want to liven it up with a fresh look. Well, we girls tend to get bored so easily, don’t we? Visit Accessories by Eolande and give your hair a treat.
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