As with the previous survey of fetish performers, we asked this new article series’ purveyors of clothing and accessories to tell us about the effects on them of the Covid lockdown, and to share some thoughts about the future.

We asked first about the lockdown’s effect on their work, specifically including the effect of event cancellations, and also lockdown’s effect on their lives beyond fetish.

Thinking about the current trading circumstances, we wondered if any of them had been repurposing skills to replace lost

FETISH FASHION IN LOCKDOWN:

ATSUKO KUDO London
Couture latex clothing
and accessories

Designer Atsuko Kudo founded her latex brand in 2000, and she and partner Simon Hoare have worked together on it full time since 2005. AK is widely considered the world’s most successful latex fetish/fashion crossover brand, with a celebrity client list to die for. It is one of very few latex labels still boasting a bricks-and-mortar store, though the store (in north London) is currently closed under lockdown rules

Q&A with owners Atsuko & Simon

Effect on our work: Our retail store in London is currently closed of course. We haven’t had any problems with suppliers, our business premises or staff.

Effect of event cancellations: This is impossible to calculate that at this stage.

Effect on life beyond fetish: We are very fortunate in that for us at worst this has been inconvenient. We cannot compare our experience to those working in the front line of the crisis. And we have also been very fortunate that no one we know has had the virus. The main feeling is being aware of how fortunate we are, as so many people have had the worst possible experiences.

The situation has of course given time for more reflection and we have probably watched more films than usual. And our garden looks better! We have also stayed in close contact with those we work with both within and outside the brand.

Repurposing skills to replace lost income: This hasn’t been necessary as most of our time has been spent on ensuring Atsuko Kudo can remain the brand it has always been. And that hopefully we also have a future.

Crisis-inspired projects/opportunities: We have more time to think about new plans, designs etc, so yes, in some ways the situation may be helping us to consider how we will progress in the future. We have also just filmed an interview with Atsuko for Love magazine (see link below).

Financial support from government/ elsewhere: We can’t discuss the financial situation. But overall it seems the government assistance for business has so far been better than its handling of the medical crisis.

One thing to make life better: The obvious answer is a vaccine. Which is what everyone wants. However, we are also very concerned that the world should not just ‘return to

FETISH FASHION IN LOCKDOWN:

MEDFETUK Newton-le-Willows
Medical fetish clothing
and equipment retailer

The ‘only online store dedicated to medical fetish, kink and roleplay’, MedFetUK made headlines in March when it donated its entire stock of hospital scrubs to the NHS. In recognition, we’re featuring the Mersyside company here — primarily for its medical clothing, which it sells with all manner of other top quality medical grade items. Outside fetish, owner Justin also works in photography, graphic design and digital marketing

Q&A with owner Justin

Effect on my work: A big increase in demand for infection control products (e.g. hand sanitisers) and PPE (masks) in March, possibly partly due to not raising our prices while some were taking advantage of the escalating situation to profiteer from these items.

We took a decision not to re-stock these, so that we weren’t taking supplies away from healthcare facilities, so most were sold out very quickly. Some have become difficult or extremely expensive to obtain anyway, which we also anticipated.

Since then we’ve seen fairly normal ordering patterns for other products like needles, probably from people still wanting to enjoy their medical play and fill their time during lockdown.

Our suppliers have of course been very busy, so we’ve seen some delays, but we’ve been able to keep the majority of our products in stock or available to order. We have a very small team and operate without expensive premises so we’ve been able to continue with little change operationally. Overall we’ve been quite fortunate, as an online business, to continue relatively normally.

Effect of event cancellations: We did have tentative plans to begin trading at fairs this year, but obviously those ideas been put on hold for now. We’re unlikely to do this before 2021 now, even if restrictions are lifted. We were also in very early planning stages for possible workshop type events, again on hold for now but still definitely in the pipeline.

Effect on life beyond fetish: The biggest challenge has been having two teenagers permanently stuck at home! What have I been doing to stay sane and cheerful? Wine, mostly. And Bourbon. Also Gin.

Crisis-inspired projects/opportunities: As some people will know, we found ourselves unexpectedly asked to supply the NHS frontline with PPE. We sent what we had free of charge, which we were happy to do to help in a small way (we don’t carry large stocks).

But we were also quite shocked and angry that hospitals were asking us for basic equipment (and desperate enough to accept our offer of just the few items we had) while the government was claiming it was making sure the NHS had what it needed.

FETISH FASHION IN LOCKDOWN:

EUSTRATIA Manchester
Latex fashion design and manufacture

As well as running Eustratia, owner/creative director/designer Stacey does photography and personal branding under the name Spruced Image. “I love helping other brands with their vision,” she says. She is also a model, both for her own designs and for occasional external fetish and non-fetish projects

Q&A with owner Stacey

Effect on my work: When the news first hit, I had a large bout of order cancellations and didn’t receive any new orders for a few weeks. This was extremely worrying and I did wonder if this would be the end for Eustratia, at least in the way it currently operates.

I have had to change the direction of the brand before, and I am open to trying to adapt to a changing world. But in a time of uncertainty, it would be an extra challenge that I didn’t want to take on unless necessary. Luckily, after those first few weeks, things have picked up and it looks like at least a portion of my customers like to have fun in latex at home!

I have had limited issues with suppliers but not anything I have been unable to work through so far.

I am fortunate enough to work from my home studio and shoot the majority of my content in-house with the help of my partner, so I haven’t had to face a lot of the issues affecting other professionals at this time. At times I have felt that being cut off from the outside world could be a hindrance, but the current climate has made me extremely grateful for my situation and the ability to continue to do the work I love in safety.

Effect of event cancellations: A third of my clients are models and performers and almost everyone in the scene looks forward to the summer party season, so the closure of large-scale events is inevitably a blow to business. But I actually didn’t have plans to trade anywhere abroad this year so the loss to me personally is minimal.

Effect on life beyond fetish: To be honest, it feels like the rest of the world is giving my lifestyle a try for solidarity. I have lost count of how many sunny days and bank holiday weekends I have had to miss out on

BELOW: Stacey models her Eustratia Erato dress because I had orders or new collections to work on. It has been a shame to miss out on seeing family and friends but I don’t generally feel like my life has changed that much day-to-day.