GET SHAGGED - Inteview with Shyayn Lusch

Designers often are more than simply creative people. These often eclectic and unique individualists are the sort of folk for whom creativity is a natural extension of their selves. Shyayn Lusch is one such designer. Her creations under the label SHAG are fast becoming a staple adornment for fashionable living. This outspoken firebrand is the sort of person whose strong personality is both overwhelming and inviting. She is a force to be reckoned with who is still approachable and it is this juxtaposition of strength and comfort that makes SHAG creations unique. I had the pleasure of meeting up with Shyayn on a building platform surrounded by the odds and ends that reflect the dynamic flow of a driven creator. Shyayn was wearing an intricate and sexy kimono-inspired ensemble.

Shyayn Lusch: I think I was feeling a bit Ninja...well, Diva Ninja

To get into character, I tossed on my best kimono and sat down with Shyayn around a fire pit and was immediately comfortable as she told me about how she got her feet wet in Second Life.

Shyayn Lusch: Well, I received an e-mail from a good friend that said, "Did you get my e-mails RE: Second Life?" I had been deleting what I'd assumed was porno spam from one Calista Bing for weeks. A week later, Shyayn Lusch was born.

inV: So when you first logged in what did you think?
Shyayn Lusch: Well, it was quite horrible actually....I had no clue what to do. My friend refused to friend me and passed me some LMs to a few freebie places and told me to fix myself as best I could. So I stumbled around to the freebie places for a few days....and managed to get some freebie gear on. It was baptism by fire. She said I had to learn for myself. Honestly, it was the best thing she could have done. Otherwise, I never would have started learning the interface or anything.

Shyayn Lusch: Well, after a few days at the freebie places she offers me a teleport to a club. I was surrounded by avatars with fancy hair, skins, etc. She took one look at me and told me I was a hot mess....and gave me $L700. She said I was only to spend that money on prim hair and left it at that. I quickly learned how to buy lindens to acquire a fancy beach-front property, replete with dolphin.
inV: It seems you conquered the "hot mess" to say the least.
(Shyayn Lusch blushes.)
Shyayn Lusch: Thank you, kind sir.
inV: Once you got yourself sorted, what inspired you to build?
Shyayn Lusch: One of my hobbies early on was modifying and decorating my virtual homes. I liked a lot of the homes on the market, but nothing seemed quite what I wanted....so I learned to modify and re-texture and so forth. I got more interested in making something that was EXACTLY what I wanted as time passed. One day I rolled over to a sandbox and tried to build this couch that I saw somewhere that I wanted to have in SL. I still have it....

Shyayn didn’t blink twice when I asked to see her first creation. While she referred to it as another “hot mess”, it seemed quite well done to me. The black sofa was well thought out and very modern, better than some I’ve seen for sale.

Shyayn Lusch: I was so upset and discouraged that I didn't pick up a prim for months. But I was determined. I started to try to build the couch again a number of months later. I'll show you what came out.

The revamped build she rezzed was certainly an improvement despite having started off well in my opinion. The textures were phenomenal and blended perfectly together to create a striking piece you just wanted to curl up on.

Shyayn Lusch: I have no training in graphic art or 3-D applications other than what I learned here. The first time I opened Photoshop it scared the crap out of me.
inV: How did you come to decide to open up your own store?
Shyayn Lusch: Well, I was forced to....by a friend. I kept building all of this stuff....and I always that it was terrible. I was and still am my own worst critic. Building allowed me to express a creative side of myself.....so I was VERY hesitant to put anything out there. So I set up my first store on a 4,096 prim parcel that I thought I would NEVER fill. In a month or so it was so full that it looked like a flea market....
inV: Obviously you began to see others enjoyed them too?
Shyayn Lusch: Yes, I found that people liked some of the things I made and I was incredibly flattered. But opening the first store took my building to a whole new level....I was on fire.


inV: What inspired the name "SHAG"?
(Shyayn Lusch laughs and tries to think about the name "SHAG.")
Shyayn Lusch: The same friend that forced me to open my first store apparently decided that it was time to do some restructuring... I had started building entire rooms....that were all over my build platform. I was, as before, refusing to put them out there for some reason. One of our mutual friends came over and gave me a proper scolding for not having it all for sale. So we talked about a new store....and started thinking up potential names, including “SHAG”. I delayed as long as I could....and made every excuse. It was starting to look like some type of freakish doll house up here.
(Shyayn Lusch laughs)
Shyayn Lusch: So one day I log in to a group invitation from my friend to the group ~Shag~. And so, that is now "SHAG" was born. I wish I had some sexy or provocative story to tell you about how my creations came to bear the name "SHAG," but that's it.

Shyayn laughed, but the true value of that story is that no one makes it alone. Even with the most immense talent, we require the support of true friends to find our way. Shyayn is nonetheless very much her own person and SHAG is very much a reflection of the woman behind the creations

inV: I don't think you would be offended when I say that you are certainly one tough bitch. :P SHAG seems to have so much of your personality in it.
Shyayn Lusch: I've always been outspoken and willing to push the envelope, so something as provocative as "SHAG" was fine by me.

inV: is outspoken and pushing the limits what you would say is the overall feel in your designs?
Shyayn Lusch: To be sure, my friend saw that in me and aptly named my brand. I know that in creating things and putting my name on them I push myself. I push myself to build things that are a challenge for me. I push myself to make them well-crafted and utilitarian. To me, my creations scream "SHYAYN." But most people say, "OMG, I want this furniture in RL." (After asking if I really did "all of this" myself.) I take that as a compliment.... I create the things that I want.... I want larger-than-life beds made from rich fabrics and expensive wood.

inV: I mean so many designers just borrow from RL or focus on utility or one aspect but you really try to create a mood
Shyayn Lusch: Precisely.... When I started I would build one piece....a couch or sofa. But then I would think, "I really want to make a room that feels like X." I strive to make things that are useful for the way people interact and live in SL.

inV: That must be a challenge...I mean "living" in SL has is own design needs
Shyayn Lusch: To me, if a particular room or space is not conducive to social interaction and does not generate a "good feel" or a place where people want to stop and talk....then it's useless. The levels of intimacy created by particular rooms are different, of course. Or, the levels of intimacy that I attempt to create, I should say.

inV: What are some things you are looking to do in the near future?
Shyayn Lusch: Well, in the near future I'm hoping to start building fully-furnished skyboxes and pre-fabs. But really, I try my hand at everything from hair and jewelry to palm trees.
inV: I can't wait to see those. I imagine doing pre-fabs would be like going full-circle for you, having started modifying your home
Shyayn Lusch nods. Exactly. It's the most natural evolution for me...to be sure.

inV: what sort of advice would you give a noob who just has landed into SL?
Shyayn Lusch: Learn how to do as much as you can on your own and ask for help only when you NEED it. I guess that could be applied to people just starting out their creations too. I could write a book on what-to-tell-a-noob, but that's it, in short. Like I said, Ms. Calista Bing did me a favor my throwing me to the wolves.
inV: It certainly lets you know if you have the stuff to make it in here
Shyayn Lusch: Exactly. She left me to fend for myself. And I learned A LOT in the process.


Shyayn certainly has learned a lot and it’s easy to see the result of that experience in the amazing creations that are displayed in her flagship store, SHAG. Her inspired designs are sure to help you create just the look and feel in your home to express your own individuality. If you haven’t had the opportunity to visit SHAG, be sure to drop by and check out one of SL’s finest up-and-coming creators. Shyayn is constantly expanding and there is always something new and exciting to see.

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Kon%20Tiki%20Island%20West/209/176/22

Interview by Cole Sirnah