PAINKILLER CLOTHING designer Sophie on her stand at the Oct 2024 LBB (photo:Tony Mitchell)
Charlotte says that, as a promoter, she could see the potential of an LBB-type event to “help people access a bigger selection of dresscode options” for their TG clubbing adventures.
“We would see so many people buying outfits from a small selection of designers, and invariably in the exact versions of the pieces that were shown on websites.
“We could see the benefits of having a space with a big variety of dresscode-friendly items that would help people get inspired and expand their ideas of what they could wear to the club.
“If in that same space they could meet designers in person, see a wider selection of colour options, try things on, check the quality, get something made longer or shorter, with or without sleeves, add a zip, add some trim in a different colour… it would all make creating more bespoke outfits more accessible for people. Which could only be a positive for the club.
“Plus a lot of fetish clothing definitely isn’t cheap. So it’s important you feel confident in what you are buying — perhaps a reason recognised brands were the go-to choice for so long.
“And also that you are getting what you really want, and potentially something that no one else will be wearing if you are making a big purchase.”
Charlotte goes on to observe: “Torture Garden was started in order to fill the space of a party that Allen and David wanted to go to but couldn’t find. And I think LBB follows the same ethos.
“Alex and I both love alternative fashion, but weren’t going to the existing markets, so we looked to make something that appealed to us and took it from there!
“There would be no point starting something new to do what established events are already doing, and LBB is a good reflection of our own ideal fashion day out — it’s still somewhere I want to go to!
“We knew a big pool of designers that we had shown at the club over the years, and increasingly also customers who made their own unique items and were turning this into side businesses.
“But it was difficult for these designers to reach customers, and yes perhaps they didn’t feel they belonged in the existing markets, or that what they were making would work there.
“So we approached them, along with plenty of other brands that Alex found (sourcing new fashion is one of her super powers!), and explained to them this would be a fashion/fetish crossover event, aimed at people who enjoy the art of dressing up and having fun with their looks.
“And it works both ways as it was also a way to attract a new fashionista crowd to finding fetish designers, who might not have previously known it was a place they would fit in, or had reservations about trying out a fetish party.
“Now that LBB is established, we might find traders will get in contact to sell with us, and after I see what they’re making, I suggest they do a show at the club. So it’s been great that both businesses can inspire and feed into each other.”
Gothic Image Le Boutique Bazaar Studio, 2016
So far we have a good general sense of the collaborative nature of the Le Boutique Bazaar operation. But how does the ‘division of labour’ break down in detail? Asked how she sees the contribution made by Charlotte and TG, Alexandra says:
“With Charlotte being super-busy with the TG empire, LBB has mainly been ‘my baby’.
“I do most of the day-to-day running of it, as well as the seller curation, socials and creative direction stuff (like choosing flyer images and booking models), but I always reach out to her for input.
“Charlotte is the all-seeing eye — she knows everything there is to know about the fetish scene in London (and everyone in it) so I often run things by her.
“Charlotte also comes with a huge amount of experience in running events and often has to calm me down when I’m panicking about stuff — I call her the oracle!
“We also have different approaches to things: I’m more of a labrador puppy bounding into things, while she will think things through properly and look at opportunities from all sides before committing. And this balance makes for a good partnership!
“We also have wildly different fashion sense and always show up at LBB looking like total opposites, which has become something of a running joke. We said we might put ourselves on the LBB 10 year anniversary flyer in totally mismatched outfits, haha.
“TG itself supports in spreading the word about LBB, especially as a party that is known for people pushing the boundaries with their outfits. It gives people a place to buy those kind of looks, so it”s a synergistic operation.”
Charlotte adds: “In the early days, all the decisions were jointly made and more tasks were split as we worked out what LBB was and dealt with each new element as it came up.
“But we both came into the business with our own ‘areas’, so dealing with the vendors fell under Alex’s remit and event production was mine. As things settled and we got into a routine, Alex took on managing the LBB socials, while TG promoted within our own mailing lists/followers.
“Our different characters are definitely a plus point rather than a problem for working together. I find Alex’s ‘go for it’ attitude a good antidote to my risk analysis of everything — it creates a good balance for decision-making, and I think gives us both a good counter-perspective!”
Gothic Image Le Boutique Bazaar Studio, 2017
So now, looking back over the last decade, what do the pair feel they’ve achieved with Le Boutique Bazaar as a retail event?
How would they describe LBB to someone who has only previously visited ‘conventional’ fetish markets, what would they say makes it different, how would they characters their sellers, and how would they ‘describe the vibe’ at their events?
Alexandra tackles these totally undemanding questions first.
“I’m super-proud that LBB has become one of the few places in the kink world that isn’t ‘tribal’. We genuinely host people from all corners of the kink scene under one roof, and there are always so many characters down there!
“We have goths, cyber punks, famous dommes, colourful club kids, gay porn stars, middle-aged crossdressers, theatre types, ‘vanilla’ couples spicing up their love life… you name it!
“LBB is for everyone and you often see the most random mixtures of people having a chat at the bar. A lot of friendships have been made at LBB and I love that.
“I’m also incredibly proud of being a place to nurture brands and help them grow — that is my true calling in life! There are quite a few that I handpicked off Instagram (or even spotted at vanilla markets) and saw potential in, and with support and guidance, theyre now absolutely crushing it on the kink scene!”
Charlotte comments: “Something I’ve seen post-lockdown is that people who stopped going to clubs so much since that time are still very attracted to a social afternoon of shopping, cocktails and catching up with party friends that they might not see so much any more.
“It’s an opportunity to dress up if you feel like it, and socialise without the commitment of being in a club environment. Equally it’s a great way to dip your toes in if you are new to the scene or have got tickets to your first event.
“So I like that — as well as benefiting small businesses and giving people access to fashion they might not find otherwise — it’s added another social option for those of us looking for something that’s not mainstream — another way to connect that also has the community feel you find in fetish clubs.
“I also often get to really speak with people that I usually only meet to shout ‘hello’ at in nightclub environments, which is something I’ve really enjoyed about LBB.”
Gothic Image Le Boutique Bazaar Studio, 2018
Something I’ve always admired about Le Boutique Bazaar is the modest fees charged for vending space. How important is this to the event’s ethos?
Alexandra says: “We’ve always kept our trader’s fees down as much as possible, because ultimately we don’t want to exclude people from having an opportunity to trade.
“We offer small size spaces for just £55, that are popular with brands just starting out, and our biggest space is only £130. We have also only raised our entry price from £6 to £8 in ten years, being mindful of not putting people off coming along for a look.
“We obviously had to raise things a tiny bit after covid (when our running costs increased) but we have tried to keep it as stable as possible, and I’d like to think we offer amazing value for what we offer.”
Adds Charlotte: “It was important from day one that the cost of taking a stall didn’t make it prohibitive for anyone to book.
“If you aren’t used to trading at events, or usually only make bespoke items to order, then the cost of producing stock on top of things like marketing materials to give out on the day can feel daunting.
“But if the stall price can be covered by minimal sales, then it takes a bit of the fear out of trying out selling at a physical market, and that was essential to getting small brands with unique products onboard.”
“As we had no running overheads for LBB when covid brought everything to a halt, we were lucky not to have to make big decisions about our future; everything just went on hold.
“As mentioned earlier, I think a lot of us changed our socialising habits after that time, and daytime or early evening events have massively grown in appeal in general.
READ MORE – GO TO PAGE 3 OF 3Four photo galleries from the previous Le Boutique Bazaar
BELOW: Four galleries from the previous Le Boutique Bazaar on October 6 (photos: Tony Mitchell).
Click/tap any preview below to open its gallery; Click/tap any gallery thumbnsil to start slideshow
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