GFB 2022 REPORT PART 3

skilled construction you want in latex with bold, rich decorative features. It’s a design style she tags ‘theatrical fetish’ — and with good reason!

Her creations tonight switched effortlessly between exaggerated all-black S&M punk style and complex fantasy costumes combining details inspired by actual past times with imagined elements from ‘fictional histories’.

All of this is expertly re-interpreted in latex, making extensive use of black-on-plain-colour hand-dyeing and unusual base colour combinations.

The custom outfits shown at the Ball were, for the most part, about as far from off-the-peg as you can get.

Unsurprisingly, they elicited gasps of admiration from an audience that almost certainly didn’t expect anything quite this sumptuous, or perhaps even imagine it was possible.

The final Antidote outfit, modelled by Witchy Pixie, took my breath away.

Topped by one of Berlin designer Sylva Hattington’s amazing Bubbles and Frown headdresses — a black-and-red, multi-horned creation — it integrated a number of potentially disparate elements into one mind-blowing whole.

Those elements included a neck corset connected to single shoulder piece and chain leash, chest-flattening corset, ruffled hoop skirt with suspenders and attached latex stockings… and of course lots of Santala’s trademark hand-dyed detailing.

Shibari performances, and suspensions specifically, have been a familiar feature of fetish events for many years now. But an aspect of this particular act that adds appeal for many is that the two women are in a personal relationship as well as a performing partnership.

You could see this in the way they interacted with each other — it was gentle, caring and romantic as well as erotic. But with the ambient as well as the emotional temperature rising in this packed auditorium, the performance just went on too long for me.

I had to quit my shooting spot to go and sit down in a cool stairwell before it finished, which meant I didn’t get to photograph the full suspension. But hopefully you can still get an idea from the shots I did get (gallery below).
mieneko.com