Interview: Getting Tactile with Alan Wijaya of Corduroy

Flickr has become quite the social networking tool for shutterbugging residents. Sign up and show off your in-world photography paired with your Photoshop skills. Users capture a wide array of subjects – everything from day-to-day life, model/photographer portfolios, designer fashion releases, in-world events … some even show off their questionable “assets” thanks to the Second Life Porn group (I’ll save you the effort of googling it). It was through this wonderful medium that I came to meet the lovely Miss Puma Jie and a man whom she calls “Hobo”, a man named Alan Wijaya. Their peculiar brand of SLove becomes quite apparent upon first meeting them. She teases and endearingly chides him while he giggles and occasionally gives her a little verbal jab, then she becomes the giggler. The cycle repeats again and again during the course of a day until he has to go to work or she has to sleep. It’s a thing of beauty.

Even more astounding is watching them work as a business couple, building up Alan’s brainchild, Corduroy, an eclectic furniture boutique showcasing his creations. The fledgling store – a fruit of both their tireless efforts – has a selection of modern and old fashioned lighting, hanging bead screens, comfy houndstooth chairs and includes some of Puma’s original artwork. Alan has recently taken to designing clothing. Leggings are the dish du jour with more helpings of fashiony goodness on the way. Puma? She is total PR. She moves and shakes, tap dances, networks, coordinates shop space, photographs some of the vendor ads, sets up vendors and maintains the store blog. It’s complete balance. Like that crane move in the Karate Kid.

One of the most distinct qualities of Alan’s work is the warm and tangible feel of his texturing. You just want to curl up on one of his chairs (with a loved one) and read a good book. It’s the consummate Sunday morning chair. The couple is also communal, making their friends part of the Corduroy experience. Looking at potential shop space, trying on leggings and sitting on poseballs in need of adjustment are regular requests of those in their expanding social group. Never intrusive, always genteel. In knowing them you experience the warmth and tangibility of them as people.

Y Me: How did you get started with Corduroy, Alan?
Alan: I guess since I came on SL my main thrill here was making stuff and when I got some land I just spent my whole time building. It’s like playing with Lego! I’m such a baby.
Y Me: Hahaha!
Alan: So … I was fiddling with these corduroy textures for lights and sofas and the name was the only thing that came to mind when I had like an hour to think of a name and make a logo when we opened the first shop on a whim.

Y Me: The first time I saw your stuff was a screen Berta had up in the house – shells and twine – and I instantly loved the textures. Can you talk a bit about your inspirations?
Alan: Well … I guess everything starts with the textures usually. I find something I like and then make something around the texture. Except maybe for the screens! Where it was the other way round. Maybe, though, my biggest influence is the 70’s and 80’s. Starting with the music it seems to permeate everything.
Y Me: Corduroy is retrotastic.
Alan: Sexomatic.
Y Me: Hahahaha!
Alan: Hahahaha!

Y Me: Tell me about your designs. I’m leaving it open-ended for you.
Alan: Damn, hmmm … the furniture all seems to sit in my inventory for months and then I’ll suddenly have an idea and just do it and it’s done and I can’t do anything else to it. LOL. Can’t even change the textures. I try! Seems logical to offer different textures and colours for a sofa or whatever, but it just gets screwed up as soon as i change it. The new light was inspired by some designer friends of mine back home. They used to make screens sing old super 8 film.

Y Me: What was it about SL that made you want to stick around, Alan?
Alan blushes.
Alan giggles.
Alan: Ummm …
Y Me: Aside from SLex.
Alan: Hahahahahahaha. Building. Really, I love my lego. And, of course, Puma.
Y Me: Awwww. Did you meet her fairly early in SLife?
Alan: I guess after 4 months here. I’m a boy. I don’t know dates. LOL.
Y Me: ROFL.
Alan: But, yeah, the combination of having someone to laugh with and the freedom we have here to make stuff. Damn, I can’t make sofas so easily in RL and have a chain of stores.
Y Me: So, SL was sort of a freedom?
Alan: For sure! And fun too. And SHOPPING! I hate shopping RL!

Y Me: I know that Puma is your biggest promoter/supporter and it’s really … amazing. How instrumental was she in the evolution of Corduroy?
Alan: Really, without Puma I might not have opened stores. Even the first one … though, I had kind of agreed to it. She was the one who went and rented it as soon as I went offline. And then the next two … ahahahahahaha … she kinda did the same. It works well! I’m slow and just like to fiddle around for ages. She’s all action. We kind of balance out.

Y Me: So, customers should address all complaints to Puma Jie?
Alan: Hahahahahaha. Better talk to me. LOL.

Y Me: What’s the whole experience been like so far? Opening the store and working alongside your partner?
Alan: AWESOME. We are having so much fun. And every store is different so I they all give me new ideas for stuff to make, which is good ‘cos otherwise we’d just lie around and giggle. Stores are cool ‘cos you get to meet even more nutty people and really express yourself.

Y Me: Where the hell did you meet Puma?!
Alan: She picked me up in a bar. Hahahahahaha!
Y Me: No way.
Alan: Way! Asked me to dance. I said, “Maybe next time?” or something like that. And well. .. it’s a long story! But, yeah … I was hooked pretty quick.
Y Me: Hm. So, what was it about her that broke you?
Alan: Ummm. She was wearing the most outrageous pink outfit … and she changed it ‘cos she thought I thought she was nuts. And that was that really hooked. [Note to Readers: Puma said that Alan was the first male avatar that she found really intriguing. She came. She saw. She conquered. Which is good. Because she's smart, witty and has A LOT of game. You can't release a single girl like that on the general population.]

Y Me: Where do you see your shop fitting in in the SL furniture industry? What niche does it fill?
Alan: Woah!
Catero pulls out the big guns.
Y Me: I never thought of filling a niche! I’m totally not market oriented. I just make stuff I’d want to sit on in my house. I guess though there is a lot of modernist furniture around … and I feel like I’m making something a bit more comfortable? I dunno. Comfortable and hopefully functional with the multi-sits in there. And no poseballs! Not even embedded. I’m a prim miser. I don’t want to take up 40 prims with one seat. I only have 300 at my house!
Y Me: LOL.
Alan blushes.

Y Me: Ultimately, where would you like to see your efforts here in SL ending up? Making the store bigger and bigger? Eventually buying a sim? Working for or starting your own development company?
Alan: Wow. Those are big ideas, Cat! I’m crap. I just enjoy the moment.
Y Me: So, just riding the waves and seeing where they’ll lead.
Alan: Totally. Hopefully, I can keep making stuff people like. Some cool projects in the pipes, I hope! I guess if I think about it I’d like to do something bigger … like style out a sim or something. But, man, the work scares me! But, yeah, would love to see something like that happen.

Y Me: What does corduroy have in store for the public? You’ve got a few clothing items released. Expanding the brand outside of home furnishings?
Alan: I’m just starting to learn about clothes and for sure I want to do more. I can’t imagine myself focusing on one area. I get totally into the learning curve of doing something new. Damn, Cat, I really have no idea. LOL. Looking forward to having the stores really finished so I can focus on making new stuff.

Y Me: Okay, final question – and its not a question. It’s just free space for you to talk about whatever you want.
Alan: Woah! Hi Mum! Hang on Puma attack.
You: LOL! [Note to Readers: Puma started to send Alan IMs through and independent messenger at this point. She had been in IMs with me requesting status updates on his progress throughout :-D. Miss Jie logged in, came over and checked in on us, then she whisked away like Mary Poppins leaving the interview in her wake.]

» Keep up-to-date on the Corduroy blog
» Teleport to Corduroy (Al’s Diner) @ Fruomo (149, 47, 111)
» Teleport to Corduroy @ LicoLico (154, 34, 22)
» Teleport to Corduroy @ Wetheral (131, 21, 25)
» Alan Wijaya’s Flickr photostream
» Puma Jie’s Flickr photostream

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Credits: Photos 1, 2, 5: Taken by Alan Wijaya • Photos 3, 4, 6, 7: Taken by Puma Jie