Fetish Alternative Boutique opens in Camden Market.
Fetish Alternative Boutique opens in Camden Stables Market with a big selection of UK fetish and accessory brands, including lots of latex, packed into its compact shop floor space. The project – brainchild of ex-Libidex and Radical Rubber manager Max Pecoraro – celebrates its official launch on Monday June 6, writes Tony Mitchell. Banner photo by Gothic Image
The brainchild of Max Pecoraro (aka Max Deviant), the shop at 87-E Stables Market has the distinction of being, as far as we know, the first dedicated latex clothing store to open in the Camden Market area for a very long time.
That may seem surprising given the market’s long association with fashions from a multitude of alternative cultures. But Max is gambling that it will turn out to be a gap long overdue for filling.
The Italian ex-pat has a long history with the London and international fetish scenes. He started out in 1989 as an alternative and fetish scene model and production/stage manager.
He still does live management work, not least with performer Marnie Scarlet, his longtime partner (they’ve been together for almost 20 years). And since 2004 he has also been retail venture project manager for Marnie’s own label, Scarlet Diva.
But in recent times he has probably been best known for his work at Libidex (where Marnie is also a designer) and its sheet latex business Radical Rubber.
In our earlier piece about the imminent arrival of Fetish Alternative Boutique, we posed the question: why open a bricks-and-mortar fetish shop in the capital now, when (as recent events have shown), even long-established names like House of Harlot have been unable to sustain one?
Max is well aware how difficult it has become to run a viable fetish retailing operation from a physical shop – especially a shop based in London
You can be sure that Max is well aware how difficult it has become to run a viable fetish retailing operation from a physical shop — especially a shop based in London.
He decided to open his own fetish store because, within months of moving its London HQ to Islington last August, Libidex found it necessary to shelve its plans for the shop that Max, recently promoted to retail manager, would have run at the new premises.
(To be clear: this would have been a second Libidex shop and not a replacement for its well-established Liberation store in Covent Garden.)
The postponement of plans for the new shop, combined with a drop in demand for the walk-in sales the old Radical Rubber trade counter had catered for, meant there was no longer a job for Max at Libidex.
But anyone who knows Mr Pecoraro will know that, however much of a blow that news might have been for him, it wouldn’t have taken him too long to bounce back with a new project.
And sure enough, he had soon made up his mind. “I decided to open a shop the way they were in the old days — to go back to my roots,” he explains.
“I asked myself: what would I want to see? And the answer was lots of brands under one roof.
“Plus there’s a lot more fetish art around these days, but still very few opportunities to showcase it. So I wanted to include art, plus accessories, headpieces and the like.”
WORD UP: Fetish Alternative Boutique’s logo
After finally parting company with Libidex in February this year, Max spent almost three months getting potential suppliers onboard while he was looking for premises.
What was the reaction among the labels he approached? “Some designers were very happy to let me have stock,” he says, before adding candidly, “and some said ‘we’re only doing it because it’s you’.”
Given that a lot of smaller fetish labels are not well set-up to supply retailers, comments of the latter kind can surely be taken as an indication of Pecoraro’s good standing in the fetish community.
He’s known as a straight-talker and fair-dealer whom people on the scene have a lot of time for.
But you don’t have to take my word for that. Just take a look at the list below of Fetish Alternative Boutique suppliers confirmed at publication time.
Note, also, that Max has been very careful about which brands he will say are onboard for the official launch.
Those that have promised him stock but not yet delivered (even if they have signed a contract with him) will not get “a shout-out” from him until the promised items actually arrive.
Apple Tart (art)
Arma Medusa (jewellery)
Carapace London (leather)
Corsets by Caroline
Dead Lotus Couture (latex)
Eustratia (latex)
House of Harlot (latex)
Karina Akopyan (art)
Katrina Lilwall for Stripped Beautiful (pasties)
Lacing Lilith Latex Couture
Lady Lucie Latex
Mantis London (accessories)
Marnie Scarlet Brederoo for Scarlet Diva (latex/accessories)
Michelle Mildenhall (latex art)
Miss Katie (corsets)
Prong Jewellery
Shahin for Leather Stud.IO
Tainted Love (latex)
Zorenko London (latex).
STOP PRESS: Since first publication on June 1, the following additional brands and artists have supplied stock to FAB: Kaori’s Latex Dreams, Latex101, Broke Boutique, Mr Von Hugo and Rigulio Graak. There may be more by the official opening on June 6.
DEVIANT, MOI? Max in his modelling days
As those who read the earlier Fetishistas piece will be aware, Fetish Alternative Boutique is sharing its Stables Market premises with legendary alternative hairdresser Pepi’s.
FAB has taken the front section of the unit (which comes with window display space), while Carlos and his Pepi’s team continue to cut hair in the rear area.
It’s a compact retail space but it’s amazing how many rails of clothes Max has managed to fit in, along with display cabinets and shelves for the accessory lines.
He officially moved into the premises when the shop contract started on May 16. He calculated this would give him a couple of weeks of setting-up time and a few days of trading before the official launch party on Monday June 6.
And that’s exactly how things have worked out: the store actually opens to customers at noon on Thursday June 2, four days before the party.
Because of her help setting up, says Max, people assume Marnie is involved in the venture. So he feels he should make it clear that she isn’t
Max says he couldn’t have got everything ready in time without the help of Marnie, who devoted a good deal of her personal time to running errands and helping to sort out problems of the kind that inevitably crop up in such start-up situations.
Because of her help, says Max, people have assumed Marnie is involved in the venture. So he feels he should make it clear that she isn’t.
“As regards this business, it’s me on my own,” he says. “Marnie is very happy at Libidex.”
Fetish Alternative Boutique celebrates its official launch on Monday June 6 between 5pm and 9pm at the shop premises. The Stables Market is on Chalk Farm Road, postcode NW1 8AH.
Unit 87 is located very close to the entrance at the north-western end of the market, on the access road to Morrison’s supermarket. If you use that entrance, you’ll find FAB on your left after a very short walk.
If you come into the Stables Market through its main entrance (nearer to Camden Lock), turn right immediately and keep to the right, walking parallel to Chalk Farm Road until you reach Unit 87 on your right.
After the Monday launch, FAB’s normal trading hours will be 12 noon to 8pm, Tuesdays to Sundays.
Check Facebook for posts about new stock arrivals, special opening hours and the like.
A website is on its way too, but only for branding and general information purposes — Max has no plans to become an online retailer.
With this man, it’s bricks and mortar all the way.
Fetish Alternative Boutique/Facebook
Max Pecoraro (Max Deviant)/Facebook
Gothic-Image.com
BRAND AWARENESS: Click on the previews below to see 18 of the fetish brands in stock at publication time. Brands are represented by publicity images which may not depict actual pieces stocked at FAB
Tags: Accessories, Clothing, Corsets, Designers, Latex, Leather, Retail