SWEDISH FETISH MODELS INVASION

Based in Gothenburg, Susann — of gorgeous couple A Thing For Rubber, and a talented latex designer with her own Abstinence brand — feels lucky to live in Sweden, where people are “known to be quite humble, which makes them easy to work with”.

She added: “Models, photographers, make-up artists and designers know of each other so it’s easy to get in contact with them and get a good photoshoot.”

Dutch photographer Michiel Kivits and his stunning model/retoucher girlfriend Lara Aimée, jointly known as Mew-Chiel, are a fixture these days at German and Dutch events. Michiel has photographed quite a few of the women featured in our galleries: Sister Sinister, Elegy Ellem, Calamity Amelie, Tea Time, Psylocke, Kwipi Lovebite, Miss Mandy and Kari Berg.

He recalled: “My first close encounter of the Swedish kind was in Germany. It was the first time I spotted Sister Sinister (during the Fetish Evolution weekend in 2009). I was too shy to talk to her, but did it anyway. What a presence!

“Mind you, I’d only had a camera for a few months back then, and it took a while to do our first shoot (in 2010). She was here for the (old school) Dominatrix parties and I kidnapped her for a few shoots.

“I couldn’t resist adding the one Swedish ingredient I knew at that time: knäckebrod. We did so many photosets in one day, and it was such a pleasure to work with a pro like that.”

However, Michiel admitted that he had “absolutely no idea” why Swedish people seem to have such a big presence in the fetish scene, speculating that “probably it’s a genetic thing”.

“When Lara and I visited Stockholm, it clearly showed that there are really a lot of very pretty, stylish and beautiful people living in that country. It makes me a happy man, and Lara a happy girl, that they decided to join the little European scene.”

French designer Sophie Richardoz of the legendary Paris label HMS Latex worked often with Swedish fetish models when HMS was in business. She told me:

“I worked with Sister Sinister, Elegy Ellem, Calamity Amelie, Psylocke, Tea Time, Starfucked… I found working with them very enjoyable. They’re extremely professional, dedicated, accessible, and travel a lot.”

‘The Swedes surely know how to party. When you put a few of them together, an epicentre of fun will spontaneously combust at any party’ – Michiel Kivits (Mew-Chiel) 

In an e-mail exchange after our initial chat in Berlin, NikDesign photographer Nik expanded on some of his earlier thoughts, writing: “Sweden is a country where we have quite a high standard of living, good health care and, importantly, haven’t been through war lately.

“We also have the reputation from the ’60s movements of being sexually open-minded, but I would say that the blond naked girl on the horse is a myth. The country is on the other hand very conservative and also in many ways narrow-thinking.

“At the same time, we’ve come far with the feminist movement, gender equality and human rights. If you put this and more together, you have a situation where subcultures and provocative innovators will naturally emerge — but also more importantly, can take root.

“So, little Sweden with our some nine million people has a high percentage of people that for some reason have the possibilities to dare to explore and challenge.”

Something I’ve been struck by when I’ve been abroad at events, and casually observing the behaviour of the Swedish girls, is what appears to be a remarkable camaraderie between them.

Fruitful collaborations such as the sexy label Virose Affair, the brainchild of Elegy Ellem and Miss Loulou, seem to occur naturally when you get more than two of these models in a room.

In my interviews you’ll notice several cases of more experienced models bringing their friend to a photoshoot, and encouraging them to enter the milieu, which impresses me a lot, after witnessing less supportive model behaviour in other places.

Kari Berg suggested an important cultural context for this spirit of co-operation:

“When people work together for a purpose, it is more easily achieved. In general that might be part of the Swedish way of life.

“On the other hand Sweden has a problem called Jantelagen, which is what we call it in Sweden when people aren’t allowed to be different or talented, rather they’re held back by public opinion saying: ‘Don’t think you are special’, leading to jealousy and backstabbing.

“Subcultures have always been subject to discrimination so I think many who have been part of a subculture movement know what it’s like and try to treat people with respect and acknowledge others’ achieve- ments. That might be a clue to the phenomenon.”