Fashion Research Institute's Shengri La

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Paying Forward: Supporting Emerging Avatar Apparel Designers in SL

September 15, 2008 · 2 Comments

 

In the first weeks of my Second Life™ experience, I met a generous, warm woman who became one of my best friends in this mad maze of pixels.  Lexa Pietersen was an ardent supporter of my early efforts to establish myself as an avatar apparel designer, and her support extended beyond just saying nice things.  She went so far as to buy land for me and carry the tier on it for my very first store.   Because of her support, I was able to  move on from my first 512 meter plot of land in the mainland to become one of the top earners in Second Life with my brand Prim & Proper and ultimately owner of the Shengri La islands and a substantial RL corporation.

It is now time for me to pay forward her kindness.  To this end, my company, the Fashion Research Institute, Inc., has developed the Shengri La Vintage Marketplace on Shengri La.  We will provide vendor space for 20 emerging avatar apparel designers on our Second Life Shengri La sim for six months free of charge.  The designers are encouraged to build their brands, to sell their products through both their vendor prims and through the use of our catwalk system, and to grow their business.  We hope that by providing these designers with incubation space on the beautiful Shengri La sims, that they will be able to grow their business to the point that they can acquire an appropriate flagship store elsewhere on the grid when their tenure with us is up.

We are pleased to announce Michele Hyacinth as Curator of the Shengri La Vintage Marketplace for emerging avatar apparel designers in Second Life.  Michele is responsible for managing the design selection process and overseeing the marketplace.   For more information and details about the program, please contact Michele.  You may also visit the Shengri La sims and pick up information from any of the Marketplace boards. To apply, send Michele a notecard with your name and best time to contact you in Second Life.  Include a couple of sentences about the work you’re doing or hoping to do, and if you have any snapshots, add those to the notecard too.  Then send it along to Michele, and she’ll be in touch!

Best of luck to you, and may your dreams come true!

~Shenlei Winkler
CEO
Fashion Research Institute, Inc.
Acting CEO
Black Dress Technology, Inc.

Shenlei Flasheart in SL

Michele Hyacinth 

“Michele Hyacinth rezzed in November 2006.  Her first venture into the virtual world quickly led her to ballroom gowns and flexi hair and an immediate hankering for SL fashion.  She also soon discovered a penchant for talented people of integrity, whose artistry she greatly admires.  She loves sharing SL adventures with treasured loved ones and friends.  She enjoys exploring the grid  and, of course, dancing and listening to good music.  Michele is particularly fond of the hidden surprises in SL…those paths that are less travelled but that contain fascinating finds.  In her spare time, she dabbles in photography, blogging, and very minor prim-wrangling (all skills she hopes to develop more fully).  She sketches portraits, which she brings inworld and shares with those she loves.   Although not rezzed yesterday, she can probably best be described by lyrics from a John Haitt song:  “a child of the wild blue yonder.”  Michele continues to learn and to grow; to be surprised and to be delighted.   She treasures this wonderful opportunity to work with Shenlei, and to collaborate with cherished and like-minded souls in the Shengri La community.”

Categories: Black Dress Technology · Fashion Research Institute · Shengri La · art · avatar apparel · fashion · micronation · secondlife
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