Today we’re shining a spotlight on Kiria Mama, the creative force behind VELOUR, whose trailblazing efforts in beauty and fashion have revolutionized the shopping experience in Second Life.

How long have you been in Second Life and how did you first hear about it?
Seventeen years ago, I was on an old social network called Orkut when I noticed Brazilians creating profiles with photos of characters that were unlike anything I’d ever seen. Intrigued, I started chatting with one of them, and they introduced me to Second Life. That’s how my journey began in 2007.

What inspired you to create VELOUR, and could you share more about the range of products you offer and what makes them unique in the Second Life market?
Before creating VELOUR, I managed It Girls, a store owned by my childhood friend Annie Jolifaunt. When she was on vacation, I would take care of her store, analyzing sales through the vendor system. During that time, I started noticing patterns, identifying the best-performing products, and understanding which niches were the most successful for It Girls.

I wanted to apply this analytical and statistical knowledge to my own brand while continuing to support It Girls. Annie taught me many skills in SL, including how to create makeup and skins, which set the foundation for VELOUR.

Today, VELOUR offers a wide range of products, from body and face skins to makeup, add-ons, and hairbases. What makes us unique is our Universal Match Project, which allows customers to seamlessly match our body skins with face skins from other creators. With more than 1,300 affiliated stores, we’ve created a collaborative network that elevates everyone’s work.

VELOUR has played a pivotal role in standardizing body skin tones across Second Life. Could you tell us more about the decision to offer such partnerships to other creators, and how can new creators sign up? 
The idea of offering our skin tones to all creators—whether they started yesterday or are already well-established—came from Annie. She recognized my business skills and encouraged me to pursue this concept. While she focused on textures, I worked on developing the Dev Kits and reached out to designers to invite them to join our affiliate program.

Our partnership program is open to everyone, and all applicants are accepted. To join, creators can apply here: https://tinyurl.com/VELOURpartnership.

Could you tell us more about the concept behind VELOUR Mall and how it enhances the shopping experience for Residents?
I’m obsessed with malls. Whenever I visit a new city, the first place I look for is a mall because I love being able to shop for everything I need in one place.

In Second Life, I’ve built lasting friendships with some incredible people who have become real-life friends. One day, I said to them, “What if we all joined forces in one big space that looks like a real mall? A place where residents can come to buy a skin, and then shop for shoes, clothes, hair, and accessories all in one trip?”

That’s how VELOUR Mall was born. It’s designed to create an immersive and convenient shopping experience for our customers. Residents have told me it’s one of their favorite destinations, and that kind of feedback means the world to me.

Velour Mall

Velour Mall caters to all your avatar needs with a variety of high-end stores that sell skins, shoes, cosmetics, poses, accessories, and more! Some of the stores include Velour Beauty, It Girls, Faenzo Hair, Salvadori Paris, and more.

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In your view, how has VELOUR influenced the beauty and fashion landscape within Second Life?
VELOUR has set a new standard in the community by simplifying how customers match their skins with our body tones.

Although we weren’t the first to share Dev Kits, we were the first to make them publicly available, which made VELOUR the top choice for body skins. Our initiative has helped establish a collaborative and inclusive approach that benefits both creators and customers.

What are some of the future plans or upcoming innovations for VELOUR?
We’re planning to expand VELOUR Mall with a second region connected to our current one, giving customers an even bigger and better shopping experience. (Hair stores, we’re looking at you 👀).

In addition, we’re excited to announce new body skins coming in 2025. These will feature significant improvements over our previous lines, and we can’t wait to share them with everyone!

Where can people see your work? Please share links to your sites and social media accounts.
You can check our work in our FLICKR! https://flickr.com/photos/133402407@N06

Thank you, Kiria, for your visionary contributions and for elevating the virtual beauty landscape in Second Life.

Each of our Spotlight interviews offers a unique glimpse into the diverse experiences and vibrant personalities that shape our virtual world. Explore more stories and get inspired by visiting our full collection of Spotlight posts.