What drew you to designing hair? When did you start? What are some of the changes that were most significant for you? 

I started creating in secondlife about one year ago. Hair Fair was my first big event, so it is nice to celebrate my creating anniversary with such an amazing event. The motivation to do hair was to make some gender neutral styles for myself.

How did you choose your store name? Does it have a special meaning for you? 

lock&tuft was an aesthetic and phonaesthetic choice more than significant to myself personally. I’m a graphic designer in first life and the process of brand development is a fun, creative experience for me. The icon of a rabbit, however, came from one of my first friends in sl, Tori, who had made a joke about a hair store with a hare.

What sets your hair styles apart from other hair designers, in your opinion? What is your style or aesthetic?

I try to focus on unisex and alternative styles as much as possible. Even when a hair is highly masculine, I try to test fit it to a woman avatar as well. Other than that, I try not to be too influenced by other creators here. I feel as though the pressure to compete with one another is high in the event-based high demand economy in sl, but that committing to paying too much attention to other products in sl can dilute the market with obvious trend cycles.

Where do you get inspiration for your designs? What is your process like?

It depends! Sometimes I am freeform designing by playing with the mesh, and sometimes I am hugely inspired by something I see. Lately I have been motivated to make hairs inspired by people that I admire personally. Sometimes that’s a friend or family member, other times it’s someone that I really look up to in entertainment.

What is the most challenging part of being a creator in Second Life? What is most rewarding?

The most challenging part is pushing to continuously put a lot of yourself and your creative energy into a product that gets seen by potentially thousands of people. It’s a lot like performing for an audience, except instead of singing, dancing, etc, you are designing. That can lead to feeling quite a bit of pressure, but I am very proud of myself and others for being able to put ourselves out there.

The most rewarding experience is when someone that has really connected with your work messages you or runs into you and explains that they love what you do. I am really grateful to my customers for giving me a platform here and it makes me smile when they enjoy something that I do.

How has your Second Life changed your first life?

Big question! Second Life is genuinely just a part of my first life. I’ve learned to include the activities that I do here and the people that I share my time with in my first life. With that in mind, Second Life really highlighted a few things in my first life that were not making me happy and gave me the courage to address those things. I also met my girlfriend, who I view as my creative partner, here. Life’s good 🙂

What’s the craziest, silliest thing you did in SL?

I would say that I feel as though I have seen just about everything that Second Life has to offer, and that I now spend most of my time isolated on a building platform with a few friends in response. lol

What does Hair Fair mean to you?

Hair Fair is really a pleasure to take part in. The staff is always so hard working and dedicated to bringing the event to life, all with the intention of charity in mind. There is something so inspiring and beautiful about that, and it highlights a long history of charitable giving from the Second Life community.

Links

• Alyxx Banks Flickr
• Lock&tuft Flickr Pool
• Lock&tuft on Marketplace
• Lock&tuft in-world
• Lock&Tuft at Hair Fair