Fetish fashion in lockdown/2: how designer brands are coping
This second trio of interviews for our Fetish Fashion in Lockdown series features accessories brand Ada Zanditon Couture, latex fashion designer Krystina Kitsis of EctoMorph, and custom latex creators Elliot Salt and Natasha Tonks of Seven Sin Latex. As with Part 1 of this series, all talk frankly about the impact of the Covid crisis, their coping strategies, and their hopes and fears for the future. All have also had the chance to respond to Boris Johnson’s lockdown changes announced on Sunday. Banner: Chloe Anna Marie wears Ada Zanditon’s Golden Breath Mask and Mermaid X Bra in black and gold cork, with black Golden Sphere Choker
FETISH FASHION IN LOCKDOWN: SECOND 3 INTERVIEWS
FETISH FASHION IN LOCKDOWN:
ADA ZANDITON COUTURE
London
Fetish-inspired harnesses, accessories, custom pieces
Using mainly PVC, cork and crystals, Ada creates harnesses, accessories and made-to-order pieces with a queer/sex/body positive femme perspect- ive on fetish and BDSM. Into ‘spiritual kink and inclusivity’, she creates performances, works with ‘incredible drag performers’, has dressed celebs such as Ariana Grande, Lil’ Kim, Mariah Carey and Ava Max, and says even her non-fetish commissions always reflect her fetish aesthetic
Q&A with owner Ada Zanditon
Effect on my work: Normally this time of year is very busy for me — I sell a lot and meet many of my customers through events like LAM, BoundCon, Le Boutique Bazaar, German Fetish Ball and many others. The closure of clubs and events is having a huge impact on the scene and while Zoom can be fun, it is no replacement for the ‘real thing’.
However, I am deeply touched by having had some new customers online, and regular customers who have commissioned and bought pieces even though there are no parties or events on! I have also hugely appreciated messages of support from my followers.
The workshop with the click press machine I use for cutting some of my pieces is currently closed. Luckily, I had many shapes and straps cut out ready for the summer (usually my busiest season), so hopefully these will see me through this time. Otherwise, so far so good. Thankfully most of my suppliers are online, including Trussed UK, where I get my wax-play candles for my OnlyFans page.
Currently I can’t go to my studio, so I took the essentials and my stock and have been working from the tiny spare bedroom at home. I am very grateful and lucky to have a spare bedroom but it is still a big change for me.
I don’t have access to my industrial machines and while I recognise that I’m very blessed in many ways, it is a daily struggle and a big adjustment to make as I don’t have any income outside of my brand. It’s been my full time job for 11 years and my studio is the heart of that.
Also of course, I can’t really work with anyone but me at the moment. So everything from making, cutting, photographing, modelling, editing… I’m doing it all. The showroom/PR I work with in LA cannot lend out my press samples and neither can I, which is a huge change for me in terms of marketing.
Effect of event cancellations: I cannot stress enough how sad I am to be missing events like LAM, BoundCon, LBB and more. Events have been a key part of building my brand and being part of the kink community. May is usually very busy and while online sales have been happening, it’s very different.
Parties and events are a really important part of people experiencing my work, even if they usually order online. BoundCon, now postponed until May 2021, is such a great way to meet and see international customers, models, performers and community. It is a huge loss not to be there this year.
Even if some of the international events do go ahead, all the flights and hotels I had booked are cancelled so I can’t see how I can travel until much later in the year, or whenever conditions become safer.
Effect on life beyond fetish: I am very grateful to have the family and friends I do have. Without them, I’d be having a much tougher time during lockdown. Which is why, at the start of it, I considered what I could do to be positive and amplify other artists, performers and designers.
I exercise a lot and I don’t drink. I love discipline, so being rigorous with my time helps me manage my anxiety.
I also like to draw and paint just for fun. I started donating part of my sales of Pride-themed pieces to Stonewall Housing and amplifying their work with LGBT+ people facing homelessness. I love audio books so I’ve enjoyed having more time to ‘listen-read’. My vice is dark chocolate every day — the real key to happiness in my opinion.
Repurposing skills to replace lost income: The lockdown got me thinking: why not use this time to finally create an OnlyFans page where I can eventually feature workshops and other models as well as making it a more intimate view into my kinks, interests and creations through my photo-
graphy and videos. I was planning to do Pride-themed wax-play performances this year with various LGBTQ+ performers so I already had ideas/concepts I wanted to try out.
Crisis-inspired projects/opportunities: In response to numerous requests, I am currently creating all-new harness sets and more minimal designs that are great for summer in times of social distancing.
I have also seen how popular the Pride pieces have been, especially during Lesbian Visibility Week. Keeping queer visible in a year of cancelled Pride events is really important, especially when we see right-wing governments using crisis capitalism tactics to attack trans rights globally.
Financial support from government/ elsewhere: I am not currently receiving any financial support from the government. I am considering it, but see from friends’ experiences that it is very time-consuming and minimal in result to say the least.
One thing to make life better: More people subscribing to my OnlyFans who can afford to. I may not be able to work at my studio but all the bills need paying just the same!
The outlook for me: Social distancing of 2m is of course necessary but rules out selling in person. Play events/clubs are a long way from being back on, so even with the latest update, and even if the government would love us all to kickstart the economy, not much has changed in terms of staying safe.
I have been isolated with my family and following all the guidelines to the letter. I have also been meticulous about sanitising products before sending them out.
I will continue doing what I am doing now and thinking of more ways to create. I would love to start my own line of adult toys and if anyone with a brand would like to collaborate with me, please get in touch!
I don’t want to take the space on public transport of someone who really needs to travel because there is zero work to do from home. So I’m going to persevere with my temporary home studio until the situation is much safer than at present.
I’m working out ways to collaborate online with other creatives. I’d also love to make more friends on FetLife so please connect with me there or on Instagram.
Hopes and fears for our fetish community: My biggest hope is that everyone appreciates each other more intrinsically, and appreciates our community and its spaces even more.
Sometimes we fight or disagree but we should realise how lucky our community is to include so many fantastic people.
My biggest fear is for the physical and mental health of the more vulnerable people in our community. Being inclusive as a community means we have some beautiful deities among us who need extra support emotionally and practically during this time, and beyond it.
Hopes and fears for society and humanity: Being both American and British, I’ve spent years lecturing my British friends about how incredible the NHS is (even with whatever flaws it has), and what it means for my American friends and family not to have that.
It is my greatest hope that many people will not take the NHS for granted any longer, and vote accordingly in the future.
My other great hope is for the same appreciation of and investment into nature and the environment. I think this crisis proves that health really is wealth and that connection is what makes us human.
adazanditon.com
onlyfans.com/adazanditoncouture
instagram.com/adazanditoncouture
FETISH FASHION IN LOCKDOWN:
ECTOMORPH London
Latex fashion design
and manufacture
The UK’s longest continuously-trading latex fashion label is still going strong after 35 years and still innovating — witness its new quilted latex line. Designer Krystina Kitsis’s trademark is latex that is both stitched and glued for a more tailored look. She also runs a kids’ leather biker jacket company called Rebel Rockers, and writes about fetish and fashion
Q&A with owner Krystina Kitsis
Effect on my work: My orders have been consistent and not so far affected by the crisis. Some people are holding off from ordering until the situation changes. I am unable to do fittings so have some garments unfinished. I am still supplying overseas.
Some trimmings are difficult to get and supplies of latex have been stalled by FourD Rubber, rightly supplying the NHS ahead of anyone else.
Effect of event cancellations: I have been affected by the forced closure of the monthly LAM (London Alternative Market) and Le Boutique Bazaar. This has affected exposure and contact with people and means stock cannot be shifted. Sales on eBay are erratic.
Plus, as the cancellation of Mach2 in the Autumn has now been followed by that of London Fetish Weekend in which LAM is a key participant, sales will be hit hard in the Autumn. LAM is doing a weekly streaming webcast that I have yet to participate in.
Effect on life beyond fetish: I work from home, which has been hugely beneficial as I can continue. Unusually for me I have a partner and child at home who are both working remotely from here, rather than elsewhere as they normally would be. So I have company to replace customer visits.
Otherwise, I’ve been watching a lot of films and archived programmes. Reading and drawing and
talking to my family. A daily cycle ride and exercise class are now routine. Plus I did take a week off to do DIY.
Repurposing skills to replace any lost income: I will concentrate on shifting stock and doing all the admin — for instance the website which still needs tweaking — that I normally lack time for.
Crisis-inspired projects: It has made me reflective and I look forward to having time to be creative. I would like to write more articles.
Financial support from government/ elsewhere: Fortunately I don’t need a loan.
One thing to make life better: To be able to meet other people socially.
The outlook for me: At the moment I think the new Government advice is so contradictory that making decisions long term are not possible. I’ve thought that I may do fittings in the future with both myself and the client wearing masks and disposable gloves. The work space is big enough to maintain social distancing. How trading at the fetish markets can continue is more difficult. It depends on the limitations placed on pubs and social spaces. There is talk of using outside spaces but that too depends on limits placed on gatherings and if social distancing has to continue.
Hopes and fears for our fetish community: I hope this crisis ends soon but fear 18 months is the possible time likely for a vaccine to be in place for the entire world. As I work in a creative industry I am sure people will come up with creative ways of coping and dealing with the situations we all find ourselves in.
Hopes and fears for society and humanity: There are of course a lot of fearful negative scenarios that I have thought about but prefer not to express. Keeping positive is far more beneficial.
ectomorph.com
instagram.com/krystina_kitsis
facebook.com/krystina.kitsis
FETISH FASHION IN LOCKDOWN:
SEVEN SIN LATEX Hinckley
Custom latex design
and manufacture
Also known simply as Seven Sin, this Leicester- shire label specialising in custom creations was ‘born from the desire to do wicked things with latex’ say partners Elliot Salt and Natasha Tonks
Q&A with Elliot Salt & Natasha Tonks
Effect on our work: As this pandemic has killed off the club nights and events that we participate in, we have found it a struggle at times. We do a lot of custom orders for specific events, so as these started to cancel we saw a decline in orders — and general contact via emails and phone, for that matter — for a while.
We had a few large orders on the go when this all went down and we have been working on new designs, which has been keeping us busy, but the future seems uncertain as it’s all very unclear when things will start to get back to ‘normal’.
The only supplier issue we have experienced is with delivery times. We have found everyone to be very understanding as everyone is in the same boat. We haven’t had problems with business premises or staff, as we work from home and it’s just the two of us.
Effect of event cancellations: They have dramatically affected the business. We were doing three fairs a month and a lot of our business was face-to-face selling, so as you can imagine it has had a large impact on the way we do business.
For example we can’t measure customers, show them the colour swatches or have them try stuff on.
It has been quiet challenging to offer the usual level of customer service when the opportunity to deal face-to-face is removed.
Effect on life beyond fetish: Other than less orders coming in, we don’t feel like it has affected us too much. We were pretty used to staying in for days at a time to finish an order or project we’ve been working on.
However [says Tasha], I have missed going and seeing my family and friends, but we talk weekly if not daily and we are planning a massive blow-out when this is finally all over, like most people.
I have taken to pinning and preserving butterflies [Tasha adds]. I have a collection of ones I have bought in the past, but have always wanted to try it.
Crisis-inspired projects/opportunities: We made face masks about a year ago and the BBB (Birmingham Bizarre Bazaar) used one of the photos taken that day to notify people that the March event had been cancelled. It generated a bit of interest and brought a few orders in for the masks. We have also been working on our next collection, Bullion, for which we are collaborating with artist and model Saint Thorns and which we hope to have ready for the summer.
One thing to make life better: There isn’t a magic bullet that will fix all of this. The problems we are facing are too intertwined and it’s really important that as a community we come together and work together to keep the scene alive. We can’t sit around and expect a handout or for somebody, eg the government, to help support our industry.
The only way this industry has developed and will continue to grow is for the community that loves it in all its weird glory stand up and turn out again when we can. This may not be in the form of massive Torture Garden-style events but it will start with smaller private munches and gatherings and grow back from there. So to put it simply, it’s the support of the fetish community — because without this participation there may not be a fetish community to come back to.
The outlook for us: Any business based around socialising or interaction between people is going to see dramatic changes. Expecting things to go back to normal after restrictions are lifted is a little naive.
The unfortunate thing when planning for the future ‘post covid’ is that there are so many moving parts. For example, on the one hand, people aren’t getting their full income or may have lost their job, so the economic downturn with be a big factor.
However, on the other hand, the best way out of a recession is to spend your way out, and if people feel deprived and have the enthusiasm, then the recovery may potentially be very quick and we could see live entertainment and social events could have a period of strong growth.
Our best course of action is to remain flexible and be ready to take any opportunities as they arise.
7sin.co.uk
facebook.com/7sinlatex
instagram.com/seven_sinlatex
LINKS TO MORE COVID CRISIS-RELATED ARTICLES ON THE FETISHISTAS
Tags: Accessories, Community, Designers, Latex