Second Life Spotlight - Sabina Blakewell

Today, attention is focused on Sabina Blakewell, the creative force behind Magika. For 20 years, his distinctive hairstyles helped shape the fashion and self-expression of avatars in Second Life, conquering a loyal fan base that spans generations of Residents. Sabina joined Second Life 20 years ago, after a group of friends from another virtual world decided to try it out.

The platform from which they migrated was launched in the late 1990s and was so primitive that it only allowed to customize the avatar by editing a code string into a .ini file. And although it didn't stop her from looking fabulous, the transition from a virtual world so limited to something like Second Life was impressive. It is not known how many hours she devoted to her first day in Second Life, but it is certain that if someone had tried to keep her away from her new, brilliant building tools, she would probably have squished for that person.

In a short time, she had made all kinds of furniture, buildings, accessories, shoes, anything, and was ready to open her small mixed-products shop. Hair is such an important part of the identity and self-expression of avatar in Second Life. What attracted her initially to hairstyle creation and what keeps her inspired after all these years? Sabina was informed that "hair is the hardest thing to do in this game", implying that she was not good enough for it.

And to be fair, she really had a hard time at first, but it's rare to be good at something without being bad first, so she persevered with sheer stubbornness. However, the reason why it continued for so many years was because it quickly became the most rewarding thing to do. As she said herself, hair is a very important part of the identity and self-expression of avatar. By the time she finished doing it, she had a large part of her visual ready, and she was building her costumes around the hairstyles she created.

Magika is celebrating 20 years this year, which is an incredible milestone in Second Life. How has it been to watch both your brand and the platform evolve over the past two decades? For Sabina, it's been a little bit like a fever dream. She entered Second Life when she was only 18, so she has been an integral part of her entire adult life. It's hard to understand how many developments she's been, Magika and Second Life's been through the last two decades. One thing on the grid that's in a constant state of change is the fashion scene.

It's always been very interesting how, while the community is inspired by the fashion of real life, it develops organically into something unique. It has been really fun to watch this flow and reflux, and watch Magika develop alongside it as the sense of style and preferences of its creator also change. Although with all developments over the years, it is no secret that the workload for creators has multiplied in the same proportion. So a significant change for Magika was when best friend and husband, Hazza Blakewell, joined in 2020.

While the creator is still responsible for the creative parts, Hazza does much of the heavy work in terms of creating a complete product. It is believed that they are an amazing team and it is not known how Magika would have performed today if Hazza hadn't joined the moment she did. Sabina and Hazza, their textures and styles have always had a very recognizable appearance and feeling of Magika. Could you tell us a little bit about the creative process and how you approach the design of new hairstyles? For Sabina, it is a great pleasure to know that one considers himself a recognizable appearance and sensation! That has been a goal, and others are expected to agree.

As far as inspiration is concerned, it comes from all over. It can be as simple as putting on a suit and not having the right hair for it, or seeing an image on social networks. Other times, it's a real fight, and you end up researching and sketching for a long time before you decide for something. You are also lucky to have a community that sometimes approaches requests, which is always appreciated. The only thing that each hairstyle has in common is that it must be something that the creator really wants to wear. Because if you don't want to use it, how can you expect someone else to?

A very loyal community has been built around Magika over the years, and many Residents have worn their hairstyles for a long time. What did it mean for the creator to see his work become part of so many avatars and memories in Second Life? The loyal community is the only reason Sabina has had the privilege of doing this for so long, and saying she is grateful is a great euphemism. It is believed that it is easy to see your contributions in life as trivial when doing something like this, but the creator is really proud.

It's known how much you love shopping and dressing in Second Life, and how cathartic that can be, so it's a really good feeling to know that Magika is part of that same experience for others. Looking back in 20 years of Magika, is there any favorite release or memory that stands out the most? Ages ago, a toast was launched for Lie Day. It was a spiral hair in the form of a poop (you know, it's very mature), but the present itself was not the highlight, it was how incredibly creative people were with it.

A flood of images was received showing how they stylized the feces-like whirlpool with other pre-existing hairstyles, adding intricate cokes or thick curls, making them completely forget what the original toast was. It was so impressive and it's very desired that you still have those pictures. Where can people see your work? Please share links to your websites and social media accounts.

Main Store: https://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Magika Market: https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/22776 Website: https://magika.se Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/magikahair Primfeed: https://www.primfeed.com/sabina.blakewell Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/sgully Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/magikahair Thanks to Sabina for twenty years of creativity, skill and hairstyles who helped the Residents express themselves and become their avatars only its.

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Official source: Read the original publication in Second Life (Official).