Interview With Tenshi Vielle of High Fashion By Tenshi

I recently had the pleasure of chatting with Tenshi Vielle, who is the owner and designer of High Fashion by Tenshi. She has been in and out of the news and on the blog circuit for being a different type of diva...here she is, unplugged, (oh wait, this *is* electronic medium), unedited and uncut. :) This is the real deal, folks!




Q. Who is Tenshi?

A. I am a person that loves to laugh. I also love to make other people laugh. I have strong opinions about what is right and what is wrong and I stick with them. I am not a republican, a democrat, a christian nor a pagan. I don't believe anything is 100% the right path for any one person. I believe you must make your own path in life. I love being a jack of all trades.

Q. You recently had an article published in SL Herald about a certain "SL Fashionista" that garnered quite a row. What has been the fallout from this article and how has your RL/SL changed since then?

A. You mean it's still going on?? Holy crap. Most of the people that dogged me on the Herald I haven't run into. However, the few I have run into are what I call the "LL clique" and are kind of fake stuck-up women that I'm sure are just like their idols... Oh, dear sweet LL! Save me!!

Q. It appears you rock the boat on occasion with your commentary on SL Fashion. Why are you this way? Can you be stopped?

A. SL fashion has two spectrums: The fashionistas and the wannabe's. One is mostly 100% fantastic and one is just... well, they just plain suck. You know which ones are which. As for the princess fashionistas, I could give two shits less about what they think. I do what I want. :P

Q. Why do you care so much about fashion in Second Life?

A. It's quicker moving than the RL world of fashion. If nothing else, maybe Second Life will give people the MINDSET to not wear some of the crap I see people out in RL - including pj's in Wal-Mart. For christ's sakes, people, PUT SOME CLOTHES ON.

Q. Is the glass half-full or half-empty?
A. Depends on what's in it.

Q. How did you choose your SL name?

A. I'm a big gamer in my free time. I've always been Tenshi. As for Vielle, that was kind of a mistake. If I had bothered to check the french meaning, I would have noticed it meant "old". Forgive me... I've been out of french for a few years.

Q. What is the meaning of (Second) Life?

A. Hopefully to learn how to be more of a functioning member of society. To learn that to give is better than to recieve. To be true to yourself, I guess.

Q. Do you feel that your peers like you as a person or are you to be feared as a crazed, obsessed fashionista?

A. Oh, god. People that know me love me as much as I love them. The only time I get a little bit crazed is when I start losing inventory.

Q. Do you ever feel like you are misunderstood?
A. Sure.

Q. Why?

A. People don't bother to gather all the facts before they shoot their mouths off. It's a common human syndrome. I've heard the only cure is to remove said head from arse using a surgical procedure.

Q. What inspires your designs?

A. I make what I want to see. Sometimes I respond to the market - hence the unisex shirt and pants sets I've put out lately.

Q. Are you really 12 years old?
A. SIXTEEN! GET IT RIGHT!!! GOD!!! (22.)

Q. What do you like and dislike about SL fashions?

A. I like how quickly it can change. I dislike how some people half-ass items and sell it for an insanely jacked up price. Then again, what I hate even more are the idiots that buy it.

Q. Are there any fashions in SL that just need to DIE, already?!

A. Yeah. That whole trashy look. I'm sure Britney Spears appreciated it for a while, but for god's sakes. Blech.

Q. Biggest SL gripes:
A. Photosourcing. I HATE PHOTOSOURCING. There! I said it!!

Q. Favorite place in SL:
A. Tableau.

Q. Coolest event you recently attended in SL?

A. I attempted to attend a fashion show recently - Second Convention or something like that - but I crashed and then couldn't get back in.

Q. Funniest griefing you've seen in SL?

A. I honestly don't think any griefing is funny. I feel bad for people that get caged... but there ARE some people that deserve it. I remember once when my SL Mum and I were out shopping and some idiots WERE TYPING ALL IN CAPS. I made an off the cuff comment to the effect of "HEY YOU LEFT YOUR IDIOT LOCK ON" They orbited me. My SL Mum orbited them. It was a great turnabout.

Q. Best thing(s) about your second life?

A. My friends. They're all spectactular. (Big hug!) Plus the opportunities I get in here. Where else would I get to meet people from Vogue or NBC?

Q. Is your avatar a reflection of who you are in RL?

A. Yeah. I don't know why, but I like keeping my avatar looking like myself - if I get a good fashion idea in SL, sometimes I'll translate it to RL. I just enjoy keeping things linked.

Q. Are you just hatin' on everyone because you can't take the heat?

A. LMFAO... are you serious? ...I can take the heat. I don't spout off my mouth about nothing. When I have something to say its usually true. I just happen to have the balls to say it and sign my name.

Q. Do you eat popcorn and watch train wrecks while laughing?

A. Actually, I do. I'll be playing Counter-Strike Source and if someone gets an amazing shot normally I'll be laughing. It's a game. And I am a little sadistic.

Q. What issues do you think need to be taken seriously in SL?

A. OH MY GOD FIX THE GROUP NOTICES!!! I'm sick of having to use every single one of Honey Fairweather's Tips and Tricks for getting a notice out to the Fashion Consolidated group.

I just think LL needs to take a step back from their new projects (uh, voice? wtf?) and fix what they've got. I seem to remember a game called Tribes that went down a similar road... nobody plays it now.

Q. Any parting shots? Er, comments?
A. :) I wuv u, Boo.


And that, my friends, is a wrap. Not a jacket, or a poncho, a _WRAP_.

~KiTTIE