When I first became aware of Darenzia’s work in the late 1990s, she was very much the alternative fetish model, with a distinctive punky look that screamed “New York tough” to me.

The labret piercing and the partially shaved head topped with a lustrous mane of blue hair that she occasionally teased up into an impressive mohawk (mohican for us Brits) were strong statements about the way she saw herself, and ensured that she instantly stood out from the fetish model crowd.

However, what had at first defined her, visually at least, also came to limit her. And being an intelligent woman, she realised that if she’d kept that trademark look, she would, to use her own words, have “been pigeonholed as a an ‘alt’ model for ever and lost some amazing opportunities”.

But dispensing with the mohawk, blue hair and labret were not purely career decisions. They were also signs of a woman who was maturing and growing in confidence about her natural beauty.

Perhaps that’s why her decision to have breast implants four years ago created so much controversy in the fetish community. While she admits that the move has not hurt her career, she insists there was never any industry pressure to do it — that it was “a completely personal decision made to balance out my large hips and accentuate my tiny waist”.

An accomplished writer, Darenzia discusses these and other issues connected with fetish modelling at length, and with great articulacy and self-awareness, on her website, Darenzia.net. In fact I’d say her About page should be required reading for any girl who is considering, or in the early stages of, a fetish modelling career.

But busy woman that she is, she last updated that page three years ago, and for Darenzia, the three years since September 2006 have been a time of great achievement, not least in terms of her international profile.

So in this Fetishistas interview, I have focussed on what she’s been up to in the last three years, beginning with how that “international fetish model” tag first attached itself to her…

TM: I always think of you as someone whose career benefitted from key appearances at international parties. How much was this a conscious strategy and how much just a happy accident?

Darenzia: When I was younger, I never really had opportunities to travel very much and had always had a huge desire to see the world. Until 2003, I'd never been outside the USA. 

Part of what lured me into the fetish world was the mystique of all these different worldwide events and creative personalities that I'd read about in the pages of Skin Two, Marquis and <> magazines in the 1990s and tales I'd heard in New York clubs of older friends’ travels to wild, uninhibited crazy events throughout Europe.  

So it wasn't really a strategy, it was more that I finally had the means and the time to be able to travel to different places in order to have these experiences.

The side effect of that I suppose was that I was able to meet and form friendships and business relationships with many of the photographers, designers, magazines, club promoters and personalities in the scene — which, in turn, helped increase my visibility worldwide. 

I do believe that travelling and meeting people face-to-face helped me immensely in my success and that if I had simply sat at home in NYC and only contacted people online, I never would have had all the opportunities I've been given.  

I honestly believe the fetish community values personality as much as, if not more than, physical appearance, which is why it's important to meet those you want to work with in person.

‘The fetish community values personality as much as physical appearance, so it's important to meet those you want to work with in person’

TM: Looking back on the past three years, which events have been the most significant for you to attend, and are major events the career-boosting opportunities that a lot of aspiring models assume?

Darenzia: I think the most significant event I'd ever attended was Torture Garden in the UK. Torture Garden was completely welcoming to me when I first started modelling.

I attended my first TG party in February 2003 as a regular paying customer and met David, Allen and the whole TG crew and several of the amazing personalities and performers I'd previously known only by e-mail. Everyone welcomed me with open arms and I got a taste of what the European scene was about.  

When I returned in October for the Rubber Ball Weekend, TG gave me my first international modelling opportunity in their show and they also introduced me to several international designers who were showing at that same event, many of whom I would eventually model for, based upon that meeting.

Mistress Persephone put me in her Rubber Ball show, and that further increased my exposure.  I believe that's around the time I met you too, Mr Mitchell!

There are so many worldwide events now, it's almost too daunting to think about. But I personally think exposure/networking shouldn't be one's sole driving force for attending them — experiencing the culture and people and immersing yourself in what each scene is all about is the most valuable thing I've taken away from all my travels.

Unfortunately, I think a lot of girls assume that simply attending these events and walking in a latex fashion show will guarantee immediate success and notoriety.

They don’t realise it takes quite a bit more than just being another pretty face in a latex frock to stand out. You really have to love what you do — you have to be humble and friendly, undemanding and appreciative — all without getting taken advantage of.  

You should have respect for the people who have been in the industry longer than you and never have an attitude like you're the next big thing — humility goes a very long way and people generally want to hire/work with people they find pleasant to be around. You have to be responsible, reliable and genuine even though much of the fetish scene revolves around partying.

You can be wild and have fun, but you also need to be the kind of person that a designer or promoter can hire and know that you're not going to go on a three-day bender and throw-up onstage or no-show for a shoot because you're detoxing somewhere.

TM: Which of your recent photographic collaborations have really stood out for you personally, and which photographers do you particularly admire?

Darenzia: One of my goals since I started modelling was to eventually shoot for Suze and/or Holly Randall, and I've now done several shoots with Holly that really opened doors for me in the glamour world. 

I've continued to collaborate with one of my best friends Christine Kessler [who provided this feature’s photo gallery]. I credit her with really helping me out ever since I first travelled to LA — she took me under her wing, introduced me to the LA community and, I believe, has shot some of my most memorable and satisfying work.

Alejandra Guererro in LA and Chicago has become a great friend and artistic collaborator and recently shot me as the face for the upcoming Vex latex line, and also for House of Bias.

This past year I've also been happy to be in constant collaboration with some amazing NYC photogs — Ellen Stagg and Steve Prue are the real standouts.

I'll be in the upcoming January 2010 Penthouse with Justine Joli, shot by Ellen. Steve and I have shot a lot of House of Bias' campaigns as well as much of my personal Alexander McQueen collection.

Richard Avery of Juliland.com and I have shot some very personally satisfying work and his style and vision is uniquely demented, yet still retains a glamorous sensuality that is not easily replicated.  

I re-connected with Aaron Hawks earlier in the year and he shot a series of me in a pony bit-gag which was a very artistically satisfying collaboration.

I also shot with Steve Diet Goedde for The Stockroom catalogue this year — it had been way too long since the last time I worked with him.

N S Kinloch also shot me for one of Atsuko Kudo's recent ads at Beauty Bar here in NYC, which was an exciting and very personal triumph for both of us.

It came about as one of those situations where I loved AK's latex, bought a dress from them and set up a shoot on my own, resulting in them seeing the pictures, loving them and asking to use them, which in turn led to us forming a great personal and professional relationship.

That collaboration led to them trusting me enough to represent them at the Prada store opening during fashion week in NYC this past February, where AK's leopard latex stockings were used to sheath the store’s mannequins by W Magazine's editor.

‘A mistake a lot of new models make is thinking that designers are just going to provide them with latex to either borrow or keep’

TM: What kind of professional relationships do you think fetish models should aim to have with designers — and what are yours like? Which labels have you worked with recently and which designers do you most admire?

Darenzia: A mistake a lot of new models make is thinking that designers are just going to provide them with latex to either borrow or keep.

When I started out, I never approached designers asking them to borrow things simply because I called myself a model — I'd be embarrassed to do such a thing because I feel it's presumptuous and a little rude.  

To this day, I still will NOT ask a designer I haven't collaborated with before to loan me anything, nor will I ask for freebies, because I think it sends the message of “I'm such hot shit, you should give me stuff because I’ll be doing you a favour by wearing it”.  

If there's a designer I really want to work for sooooo badly I can taste it and they haven't approached me themselves, I will generally first buy something from them (not asking for a discount but if they offer, who am I to argue?), shoot it and send the designer samples of the result. 

Many times, if the designer likes what they see and thinks that you as a model can bring more of the right kind of exposure to their work, then they will start collaborating with you.

Since the beginning, Laura from Vex has really supported my career and was the first designer to “sponsor” me, so to speak. She approached me before the 2003 NYC Fetish Marathon asking that if she made me outfits for that weekend, would I wear them and promote Vex?  

I was so honoured and flattered by her offer, of course I jumped right on it!  To this day I feel she really helped me out in the beginning and without her clothing, I wouldn't have gotten so far so quickly.

I have a lot of loyalty towards my favourite latex designers, which is not to say that I won't support or work with newer labels — just that I don't like to spread myself too thin simply to get free clothes from whoever might want to give them to me.

You're more valuable to a designer the more exclusive you are, I think, and designers are less apt to want to use you as their “face” and provide you with perks if you'll just wear whatever any designer might offer you, regardless of quality.  

On the other hand, I think as a model, if you're providing a designer with exposure and brand loyalty, you should also be getting something out of it.

My top three latex favourites are Vex, House of Bias and Atsuko Kudo, who also are the ones I collaborate with the most. For corsetry, it's Puimond — hands down.

Venus Prototype is another talented friend of mine, who does great custom work. Last time I was in LA I witnessed her literally slave for days over completing an amazing toreador-inspired ensemble for me that I shot with Stephen McClure.  

Other designers I've found inspiring are Jane Doe, Ego Assassin and of course Torture Garden and House of Harlot. I'm very happy to see the re-emergence of Inner Sanctum as well. Hedony designs also strikes my fancy.  I know I'm forgetting someone...