Interview with Washu Zebrastripe

Washu Zebrastripe is one of the owners of Hairspray Island and the mother of modern prim hair:

How long have you been designing prim hair?
I have been designing since early 2003, off and on.

I understand that you were the first prim hair designer, where did you get the idea to create prim hair?
Oh.. lol.. I watch a lot of cartoons and at the time I wanted my av to look more like a cartoon character... and I figured... you could make anything in SL, so I made this huge cartoony ponytail and attached it to my SL hair. It was a hit from then and I went on from there.

Looking at the designers today, how do you think prim hair has changed since your began?
It has changed quite a lot! I was still new when I made my first hairs. When more people came into SL, they all put their ideas into it, and its evolved into what it is now. And I'm sure that hair will continue to evolve as SL develops. My first hairs were just black with no textures. They stuck on the head on top of short default SL hair. I and a lot of friends of mine all had black hair, so it worked well.

You closed Mirada Hair Mall for the new Hairspray, the all hair island. When did you began to conceptualize the island?
It's actually been a thought of mine for quite a while. I'd say for over a year. As people came in to rent spots at Mirada Hair Mall, I realized how much bigger the hair community was getting. Also, with my land being on such a steep hill, I really wanted an area that was nice and flat, lol!

I notice the island has a futuristic feel to it. How did this concept grow out of hair?
When Sinnocent approached me to collaborate on buying a sim together, we had a brainstorming session, thinking of names that we could have for it. She thought of Hairspray and I immediately loved it. When we finally purchased the sim, we decided to give it a 50s theme to play off the movie with the same name. We were looking up google photos, the architecture design of the 50s, and noticed how 'Jetsons' it looked. Right then, my husband got a huge dose of inspiration, and he quickly built the sim all up in a steady 14 hour all-nighter. I think its fantastic. It gives both the renters and customers here something nice and fun to look at.

How does the island differ from the mall?
Well, the biggest and hardest change for me was that Hairspray charges rent to the designers where as the Mirada Mall was free. The designers get an entire shop to design themselves instead of just one small wall. It of course has more designers than the mall did, as well! I hope this sim gives a lot more choice to the customers.

Many small designers were housed in the mall, do you think this move will alter their business?
I certainly hope that this will increase there sales. Not everyone from the mall was able to get a Hairspray shop, however. But I do have a waiting list for anyone who wants to come in later. :) Hopefully the small designers will get their name out faster by being here!

What advice would you offer to the new hair designer just getting their feet wet?
Always keep at it! Hair is a difficult thing to make and no one gets it right the first time. And don't try to sell anything that you would never wear yourself ;)