On Monday April 14th, MODA is featuring designs from Toume Yao in its weekly Fashion Spotlight. Toume lives in the beautiful french city of Limoges so due to our very different schedules, we were not able to meet face to face. Toume was very gracious in responding to a few of my questions. This way, we can all get to know a little about Toume Yao, fashion designer.
Helene Diplomat: I am always curious if the designer I am interviewing is also a creative field in RL.
Toume Yao: My real job has no link with clothes design since I am a personal assistant in a small company. I have always been interested in fashion and I like to learning about software like Photoshop. In my real job, I had an opportunity to have a Photoshop training course. That helped me a lot with my creations in Second Life.
HD: You mentioned that you live in France, which part of France or which city?
TY: I live in the center of France in Limoges which is known only for the porcelain lol. It's not a very big city. That's the reason for my mistakes in English.
HD: How long ago did you open your first designer studio?
TY: I started to create clothes in second Life last summer, but I only built my first shop in September 2007 on the sim Adobe. I stayed there only two months and moved into a larger shop after that. Last month, I moved again because of a joint venture I started with my friend who is also a designer. We now have an half sim for the Toume Yao Shop.
HD: How would you describe your style of designs?
TY: That's a good question because I have a lot of different styles. I created mostly formal dresses in the beginning and then I expanded my collection to casual and now for my latest collection, it is more inspired by the gothic and vampire worlds.
 |  |
| Style: Baroque Red | Styles: Lisa and Mia |
HD: What type of fashion do you enjoy the most creating?
TY: I have no particular preferences. I do like to create very diverse styles. It's a good way to expand my own wardrobe. lol.
HD: Where do you find your inspiration?
TY: I must say everywhere: in Real Life, in fashion magazines, on the web and from video games. And sometimes, just from images in my brain.
 | HD: What is your very favorite design you've ever created? TY: I think it's the Anyanka outfit from my last collection. I am proud of the finished product where the top is very sexy but not vulgar. |
HD: Your creations span the contemporary to the traditional, to the exotic, where are you spending most of your creative energies lately?
TY: In the past little while, I haven't been able to focus on fashion designs because I was building my new store. Also, with two of my friends, we are starting a new project still associated with the fashion industry. In few days, we are going to publish a new magazine but only in French.
HD: How difficult is it to be a successful designer and business person (time commitment, marketing, etc)?
TY: I am not very famous yet. I think it's too early to say that I am a successful designer but I do hope it will happen. lol. I spend a lot of time in Second Life designing new fashion creations. That's the reason why I am not not doing much marketing. I don't even have an advertising campaign.
HD: Do your customers ever give you suggestions and you just go for it?
TY: Not really. I think it's because I provide a few colors for each outfits and they can purchase their favorite color.
HD: Can you give me a pearl of wisdom for young designers wanting to follow in your path?
TY: I think it's better for young designers to take their time in order to make good quality creations. Also, present pictures that are very clear and attractive.
HD: What appeals to you the most in SL? Do you know of a place that feels totally magical to you?
TY: The freedom to make what I want and when I want! ;-) There are a lot of places I like to visit. For example, I like sims which remind me of reality, such as Paris 1900 or where there is a good architecture (Armidi, Pixel Mode...) I also enjoy fairy lands with big castles, forests, ruins and gardens (Svarga , SL Botanical Garden...)
