Idunn Sabra on right (Note that her sleeves are not rezzed)
Margie Meng smiles to the Lady and begins the interview, "Today we are meeting with the talented Lady Idunn Sabra, owner and creator of Sabra's Dresses. Welcome to the new Margie's Gorean Corner set and thank you for taking time off your busy schedule to meet with us!"
Idunn Sabra smiles "oh.. it was pleasure and honor being invited... Lady.. "
Margie Meng looks to the first of her notes then back to the Lady "First let me ask the standard question, what brought you to Second Life and what caused you to stay?"
Idunn Sabra smiles behind her veil "my first steps in this world were like for many others... curiosity... and imagining what possibilities this medium can bring to us.. Chance to meet people from other cultures and of course here all is easier .. Very early I started building things.. and enjoying the simple creating process... this is I think what keeps me here.. people and chance to make things"
Margie Meng grins nodding and glances down at her notes for the next question "Let’s get a bit of a background on your sl Gor experience. How long have you been a part of the Second Life Gor community?"
Idunn Sabra "its no secret that when I stepped onto a gorean sim for the first time I had no clue about Gor and about role play. It was 2008 and it was a long process of learning. I was lucky to meet people who helped me a lot – such a lucky beginner."
Margie Meng: Where do you spend the majority of your time roleplaying?
Idunn Sabra sighs "Starting out I role played in a northern small torvie village, Jotunheim. It was a small community but I have to admit that when sim was closed it was a big loss for me. Later I joined Ivars Landfall, it is in the north as well. It’s not hard to guess why my dresses are simple - I made them for myself. When Ivars was closed I moved to Salernum and there is my homestone now. I love that place and the people who make this place in a way which forces me to get better and better"
Margie Meng grins as she takes a delicate sip of her Cosian wine, then looks back up to the Lady "What got you interested in fashion in sl?"
Idunn Sabra laughs "oh.. well.. I was looking for dresses which would be fit to northern roleplay but will not look like rags. We all have our taste and image of how our avatar should look. I wanted dresses which weren’t fancy and rich but on the other hand I wanted dresses which aren’t damaged. As a woman I have a big weakness for shopping and well… Creating my own dresses allows me to have both: dresses which you like and for free.. or.. rather for almost free"
Margie Meng: A very good reason to start creating!
Idunn Sabra laughs "best I know so far"
Margie Meng: Which is your favorite outfit and why?
Idunn Sabra blinks "oh.. well.. I’m horrible in this case… I really have many dresses from other great creators. And sad to say I stick to my own dresses.. When I make a dress for some weeks it’s my favorite one. Till I do another new one. Actually I liked my last released dress, Freda a lot. However now I’m testing this one, not sure if its deserving of selling. So all my thoughts are now about this one I’m doing now."
FredaMargie Meng laughs "We actually have Freda up on the back wall now. What goes into making an outfit such as Freda?"
Idunn Sabra looks at wall and blushes "well.. I wanted to make something warm.. simple but with a shadow of elegance. I know it’s horrible talking this way about my own work but it is like I see this dress... My friend from Salernum who, I don’t know why , likes my dresses asked me once to make modesty versions of dresses, with hoods and veils. And I added it to Freda set. I do dresses which I want to wear.. Blame me and my taste for how my dresses look. I tried to do something that would be perhaps more fancy and rich but I couldn’t find a muse."
Margie Meng grins "I was going to note about how your dresses are becoming a bit finer and wealthier in appearance, maybe not overly wealthy but noticeably so. Is this a hint of maybe you leaving the north or is it just a phase?"
Idunn Sabra laughs "oh.. its just comes with time and skills.. Each dress is kind of a training ground. I have dozens unfinished dresses which i started but failed because I’m still learning things. And well.. I have to admit that all these women who are purchasing my dresses give me a reason to look for the next challenge.."
Margie Meng: I am glad that I am doing my part in encouraging you to continue *chuckles*
Idunn Sabra laughs "and its a good time for thank you.. "
LauraMargie Meng: Who is your favorite designer in sl?
Idunn Sabra gasps "oh this is a hard question really... but first name which comes to my head is Ginny Talamasca. It’s sad that her things are not more available to buy. And if you ask me for favorite gorean designer I would say its Dream Resistance and Vilandra Miles from ViGo "
Margie Meng smiles "Good one, I enjoy shopping at Vigo!"
Margie Meng looks down at her notes again to refocus, "When I look at some of your designs I get a feeling of the 1920s. Was that effect done on purpose or did it just happen?"
Idunn Sabra laughs "Oh.. it has to be just accident. But I have to admit that generally when doing my dresses I want to run away from medieval tends.. Not that I have anything against it. Perhaps its lack of my skills or its just this mentioned lack of inspiration. Maybe its also because of the fact that I like steampunk style"
Margie Meng grins "I can see some of the steampunk influences in your designs. So what should we be looking for in the future from you?"
Idunn Sabra smiles "well my dear friend who is also a great creator, she said she can recognize my dresses from first sight. I’m not so sure if that’s a good thing. Perhaps something about being boring?" Laughs again "Well.. in my head there are so many things which waits to be made.. Lately i did some darker dresses but deep inside I believe that we all should wear more colorful robes... And when spring comes for sure I will wear some light dresses... with hope someone else will want to make our grey and brow Gor more vital"
Margie Meng smiles "You make some of the best spring robes, so I am definitely looking forward to this spring."
Margie Meng: What is the most difficult part of your job?
Idunn Sabra thinks a while "I would be lying if I said there is nothing that I don’t like about being a designer, but the whole process, from getting an idea, by looking for the best textures and shapes of skirts and additions, gives me pleasure and joy. Part of checking permissions and putting things in boxes demands patience and attention for no fail and I don’t want to let people buy things that they didn’t wish to have... "
Ax (summer/Spring skirt)
Margie Meng: What is your favorite part of your job?
Idunn Sabra smiles "oh.. I have to admit that I never expected that someone else would like my new releases. I do dresses for me even if its sound selfish. And then, when someone else finds it interesting and worthy of paying for... this is the most pleasing part of this ... that someone else will share with me that vision... In Gor I like that we have so many different styles. And every new customer makes me part of this. When I meet at an unknown city, an unknown woman in my gown - gods... it always makes me feel better. "
Margie Meng: That was the last question and on behalf of all my readers and group members we would like to thank you for your time and contribution to the sl Gorean fashion community.
Idunn Sabra bows head "and I thank you again for this talk... I wish you and all members Happy New Year"
Margie's After Thoughts- Out of all the interviews I have done over the years, this has to be one of my favorites because the designer was so humble and unaware of her great talent. We laughed and had a great time with this interview. It was truly a pleasure. Another aspect that I love about her designs is that they come with an abundance of options, take for example the dress I was wearing in the interview, Ax in maroon. The dress comes with both a summer/spring skirt and a winter skirt. It seems that all her outfits come with special surprises such as different styles of tops and skirts. I would urge each of my readers to take a visit to Sabra's Dresses.
