MAX RELAXED: Max Kuhl supported by Inner Sanctum models at this year’s GFB. Inner Sanctum will be the only label with a fashion show at November’s Dominatrix Party (photo: Bommi)
Dominatrix 2017 Weekend returns to its traditional November slot.
Dominatrix 2017 Weekend returns to the event’s traditional slot on the second weekend of November after its temporary move to December last year. But it will retain most of the internal changes introduced for the 2016 weekend. Tony Mitchell previews this year’s programme, which for the first time features only one fashion show at Saturday’s party. Our article also includes four galleries of pictures from Dominatrix 2016, with explanatory notes in a dropdown panel above the images. Banner: Louise L’Amour photographed during her Dominatrix 2016 performance
The December date — occasioned by a double-booking at the weekend’s regular venue on the outskirts of Amsterdam — was a one-time change in 2016.
But the internal timetable rearrangements that were also introduced last year have been retained more or less intact for this year’s edition.
That means the Dominatrix Dinner and Awards, previously held early on Saturday evening, will for the second time occupy early Friday evening, with Friday’s traditional Meet & Greet now following it.
These Friday events both again take place at the party venue, A9 Studios. Prior to 2016, the Dinner took place at the A9’s ‘club within a club’ area but has since been moved to A9 Studios’ main auditorium.
And the Meet & Greet used to be in the event hotel (the Van der Valk Akersloot, not far from the party venue) but has now moved to the gallery overlooking the main auditorium at A9 Studios.
Meanwhile Friday’s Play Party hosted at Mistress Manita’s Showboat venue in nearby Zaandijk continues unaffected.
This leaves Saturday November 11 now ‘officially’ dedicated solely to the main Dominatrix 2017 Party at A9 Studios — followed as usual by the ‘unofficial’ Area 51 After Party hosted by Inner Sanctum in a nearby space.
For members of the public attending the weekend, this moving around of individual events within the overall programme probably won’t make too much difference.
But not all of last year’s industry participants were happy with the changes, and one wonders how much effect this might have on industry involvement in this year’s event.
Also possibly not helpful to industry involvement, Dominatrix 2017 finds itself in a head-to-head clash with the new Avantgardista event being launched on the same weekend in Munich.
Insofar as Munich is 700km distant from Amsterdam, and Avantgardista is aiming to present fetish fashion to a largely fetish-curious, fashion-loving audience, it is not a direct rival for Dominatrix.
But it would be surprising if the involvement of the numerous fetish designers and fetish models enlisted for the Munich event’s debut were to make no dent at all in industry participation at this year’s Dutch weekend.
Indeed, some effect might already be indicated by the drastic reduction in fashion shows planned for Dominatrix 2017. This year, in place of the usual four to six designers, there will be just one: Inner Sanctum.
Given the German latex label’s enduring support for the Dutch weekend both with catwalk appearances and after parties, its choice as this year’s sole fashion show provider will have been an easy one to make.
Ironically, Inner Sanctum is also the only fetish brand also taking part in Avantgardista.
Most latex labels simply don’t have the resources to attempt a double act of this kind. But if anyone were going to try, it would be Inner Sanctum’s tireless showman boss, Max Kuhl.
So it is against a background of internal changes and existential challenges that we present what we know about the detail of this year’s Dominatrix 2017 Weekend.
Perhaps we should start by clearing up a misunder- standing about the involvement of one particular fetish celebrity.
It seems more than a few people have assumed from her image on the Dominatrix 2017 flyers that
Unfortunately, however, Bianca won’t be attending. But a fellow Québébecois — the singer Gabriel Langelier — will feature prominently, both as host and presenter of a fetish opera show at the Dinner on Friday November 10..
The dinner cabaret will also feature the return of rising Portuguese star Louise L’Amour (see banner image above) who this year will be presenting what’s described as a ‘spectacular’ aerial show.
And we’re told there’ll be another specially created fetish dance performance by Amsterdam Ballet dancers too.
The dinner traditionally also hosts the awards for Miss Fetish Europe and Best Up & Coming Fetish Model.
Promotion of this year’s awards has been rather patchy, and at publication time, no information had been provided to us about Miss Fetish Europe nominees.
However, Best Up & Coming Fetish Model nominees have been announced.
They include Alexa Ferocious (Netherlands), Bunny Glittergun (Netherlands), Katie Martin (Finland), Katie Miller (Netherlands), Kiet Katharsis (Netherlands), Lady Vengeance (Belgium), and Louise L’Amour (Portugal).
Further nominees are Mandy Xotoxic (Germany), MissHorrorModel (Netherlands), Misplaced (Germany), My Little Vronie (Sweden), Necrinity (Sweden), Noise Noire (Germany), Satoria (UK) and Vladimira Lavey (Italy).
Price of the Dominatrix 2017 Dinner/Cabaret has increased to €55. But it does include free admission to the Models Meet & Greet, which otherwise costs €5.
If last year’s layout at A9 Studios is repeated, the MM&G will happen in the gallery area overlooking the auditorium where the dinner and shows take place.
Mistress Manita’s Showboat play party in Zaandijk the same night goes on until 4am, so for those seeking an opportunity to play, it is feasible to attend both. Showboat tickets cost €40 and hopefully there’ll be a shuttle service between the two venues.
Dominatrix The Party takes place at A9 from 9pm on Saturday November 11 to 5am on Sunday 12.
As previously mentioned, there is just one fashion show this year, by Inner Sanctum. However, the organisers do promise “new décor, a new and larger play area and various live performances”, as yet unspecified.
In addition to the BUCFM nominees listed above, models attending include BonitaBonBon (Japan), Crescent (Israel), Elena Lovebite (Netherlands), Hibiki (Japan), Jasmine Suzanna (Netherlands), July Shine (France), Mery SP (Spain), Nathaly Blue (Netherlands), and Yazzabel de Warth (Germany).
The DJ line-up features REM, Marcello Dimitrijevic, Brasco, Ruben Vitales and Renji on the main stage; Mally Clark and Ramon Baron in Area 2; and Statik Sky and Anoxemia in the Alt area.
Advance Dominatrix 2017 Party tickets for couples, single females and single males are currently available at €36 per person. Note that there are specific tickets for single males which are strictly limited, and single males will only be admitted with the correct ticket.
Final event of the weekend, the Area 51 After Party, is a small-scale invitation-only affair. But while it‘s primarily for industry folk, other suitable-looking people might also find themselves gifted with a ticket. So dress to impress!
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Last year’s new early evening start on Friday reduced travel options for those wanting to attend the new first event of the weekend, and consequently some models (including awards winners) turned up late or not at all.
Some also couldn’t make it because the unfortunate one-off December date clashed with important exam schedules.
But on the plus side, the new Friday dinner set-up in the main party auditorium was much more atmospheric than the brightly-lit space previously used, and the high stage made it easier for diners to enjoy the cabaret shows.
Entertainment was provided by MC Jack Woodhead; a gent called Collins whose speciality was balancing on stacks of chairs; Portugal’s Louise L’Amour performing a classic burlesque strip; and Mistress Hibiki doing a bondage suspension show.
The award for Best Up & Coming Fetish Model went to Spain’s Mery SP, while Britain’s Dani Divine received 2016’s Miss Fetish Europe trophy.
GALLERY 2 (below, upper right) offers a small flavour of the Models Meet & Greet which, new for 2016, followed on from the dinner, and took place in the gallery overlooking the auditorium that had housed the dinner.
It would almost certainly have been more vibrant had a full complement of models been able to attend. But with or without them, this new, smallish L-shaped space was hardly a match for the big room in the hotel where the MM&G had previously kicked off the whole weekend.
GALLERY 3 (below, lower left) was shot mainly backstage, before, between and after 2016’s four fashion shows.
It depicts a selection of the models participating in the evening’s four shows by Chronomatic, Iris Thespider, Inner Sanctum and House of Harlot.
You will also spot the brands’ owners — Carina, Iris Trika and Max Kuhl respectively — and various other unsuspecting industry folk who
Echoing the new Meet & Greet space, the backstage area in 2016 was much smaller than the previous large changing room, whose opulent décor and lighting had provided such a good backdrop for candid photography.
GALLERY 4 (below, bottom right) features representative images from 2016’s four Saturday night fashion shows — Chronomatic, Iris Thespider, Inner Sanctum and House of Harlot — and from the three BDSM sideshows hosted by Amsterdam community group Kink Info.
The original plan for 2016 had been to split Saturday night’s fashion shows into two sets, with the two smaller labels appearing during a new, early evening pre-party in the big auditorium.
This was to be followed directly by the main party, with the two established brands taking to the catwalk later on.
The pre-party was supposed to have ‘standing tables’ in the style of the original Meet & Greet room at the hotel, and there was even talk of snacks.
At the bewilderingly early kick-off time of the new pre-party, these promised features had not materialised, and neither had more than a smattering of partygoers.
Fortunately, sanity eventually prevailed, and the two early fashion shows were rescheduled to take place nearer to the time when audiences actually expect parties to be in full swing and shows to be happening.
Three sideshows were also hosted during the evening by Kink Info on what came to be known as the Black Stage.
The location in question wasn’t actually a stage: just a small area of upstairs gallery floorspace near the entrances to the Play and VIP areas.
Black it certainly was, though, since no lighting was provided, meaning little of the action could be seen except when photographers’ flashes were firing. None of this, it must be said, was the fault of Kink Info, who made the best of what they were given.
The performances were a sub-dom scenario enacted by Miss Mirjana and two playmates; a RopeMarks bondage performance; and a rope suspension featuring Bob RopeMarks’ ex-partner Dutch Dame, making her debut as a rigger with Xander Hoose as her willing victim.
Published October 26, 2017
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