Goedde (pronounced Geddy) planned for the three-volume retrospective — to be edited by Eric Kroll (another West Coast photo legend) and published in collaboration with Los Angeles fine art gallery Century Guild — to be published in reverse order.

Arrangements Volume III, covering the years 2007-2015, was slated to appear first, in the summer of this year. And it has arrived bang on schedule.

The standard hardcover version of the book (there are also two clamshell editions) immediately evokes The Beauty of Fetish and The Beauty of Fetish Volume II, Goedde’s highly collectable monographs from Edition Stemmle published in 1998 and 2001 respectively.

The large 248 x 311mm (9.75 x 12.25in) page dimensions, the expensive art paper, the heavy board covers and the cloth binding send out an unequivocal message of serious intent, of artistic quality to be savoured and cherished.

And the 148 pages of black-and-white and colour images between the covers easily live up to that promise.

The only immediately obvious departure from the presentational style of the Stemmle books is in the cover image of the new book.

Rather than the shiny latex-clad models fronting the Swiss publisher’s offerings, the cover of Arrangements Volume III reflects Steve Diet Goedde’s increasing interest in low-fi photography during the years represented by this book.

The cover’s grainy and tonally muted close-up of a corseted torso, nylon-clad legs and high heels reflected in glass is revealed inside to be a photograph of Eden Berlin taken in Germany in 2007, at the start of the period covered by the book, when Eden was still very new on the scene.

But while you’ll find many more images of this type, featuring ‘softer’ fetish looks (lingerie, hosiery, heels, vintage frocks), those who admire Steve’s distinctive way of capturing latex will not be disappointed. Fans of the era’s best-known models should be happy too.

The mainly (but not exclusively) US-based selection found here also includes Masuimi Max, Angela Ryan, Jade Vixen, Skin Diamond, Ulorin Vex, Mosh, Kumi, Stoya, Ancilla Tilia, Nola Berlin and Caroline Aquino, to name just a few.

‘The word “languid” comes to mind…  Moments glued together by Steve’s demanding standards… creating a world that is fashion, not photo- journalism’ – Eric Kroll, editor

As Steve Diet Goedde and I go back a long way (I published his first ever magazine portfolio in Skin Two Issue 15 in 1994), I was delighted when he agreed to be interviewed about his new book for our August cover story.

I began by asking him what it felt like finally to have the finished product in his hands some 18 months after it was first announced.

SDG: It’s an incredible thrill holding this book as a physical object. For over a year it has existed only as a collection of digital files. It’s a relief knowing that it turned out so well.

When the Kickstarter campaign was in gear, I was constantly nervous about whether it would get funded or not. Once that hurdle was achieved, I was nervous about the quality — I didn’t want to disappoint all those people, especially the high-dollar pledgers who put a lot of money into this project. So yeah, a big sigh of relief from me! I couldn’t be happier.

TM: Do you feel that everything you hoped for in terms of ‘product quality’ meets with your satisfaction?

SDG: Yes, I’m extremely happy with the publication.  There might be a few images that I’d tweak a little bit to adjust contrast, but those are things only I would notice.