Leg Pocket Design Sketches

I'm getting ready to make prototypes of the leg-pockets, and was considering a variety of options for making the pocket tighter or looser as needed. 

Initially I was thinking of side lacing, which I think would give me the most room for making adjustments. The only thing was, keeping that side panel free of laces would give the pocket a cleaner look. 

Front-lacing would keep the side panel clean. This could look pretty sexy. 

 Or maybe (for the cleanest possible look) no lacing at all...?

Custom High-Heeled Fetish Boots

I was asked recently if I knew any good place to have custom fetish boots made. I actually had a pair made years ago at a small shop called Solanj Shoes on Santa Monica Boulevard up in LA. But the gentleman who worked there was very old, and I don't think he has a shop anymore. 

Some years ago Little Shoe Box (located in the UK) was also an option, but they have since closed down as well. 

During my searching around online I came across Fabulously Fetish, a London-based shop that seems to be doing really beautiful classic bondage and fetish-style boots, handmade in real leather. These aren't cheap Pleaser styles made in China, but hand made of quality leather, and customizable as well. 

My four favorite styles: Aleah (love how tight the ankle fits):

 The Regina: (I think every woman needs a pair of OTK boots, don't you?)

 Ring Master: (Once again, the fit!)

 And the Vivian (shot by Jim Weathers):

I know they're not the cheapest boots out there, but these have that classic beautiful bondage-style look. Anyone have experience with these? I'd love to hear what you think...

Butterfly Straitjacket from McHurt

My friend Mark at Serious Bondage pointed me to a Berlin-based manufacturer called McHurt who is offering a really nice looking butterfly straitjacket for sale. At current exchange rates it's only a little over $250 US! It looks well designed, with laced arm pockets, dual crotch straps and nipple access zippers. I like the added feature of the zippers on the arm pockets, so your slave could wear this out to a club, and you can increase the level of restraint as needed. It's nice to have options sometimes!

A statement on their homepage reads:

"The name McHurt originated from the notion of Scottish frugality. With this we want to express our opposition to the countless, overpriced SM products, which have annoyed us for so many years. Just like the Scots, we attach great value to quality and style. This is by no means a contradiction in terms. Already, there are discount stores in other business sectors, whose recipe for success is to offer high-quality products for genuine fair prices."

I like these guys, and appreciate their philosophy. Anyone who is trying to get more quality S&M toys into the hands of more people to enjoy at reasonable prices is OK by me. 

One thing I can say from my own experience that they are definitely hitting the mark with offering a jacket like this at that price. I'm not sure exactly how they can do it, with the cost of materials and the amount of labor involved. But since they did, they seem worth checking out! Available in a range of six sizes from X-small to XX-Large. 

They also have classic straitjackets, a bolero-style armbinder, and a cool mini single-glove too... Visit their home page here.

Project Sketches 0513

A few sketches to share of some upcoming projects... 

Start with a long time obsession of mine: a breathing snout shaped hood or harness to which a boot can be attached. Part breath-control, part sensory immersion. For all you subs and or boot-fetishists out there who enjoy the smell of leather, hopefully the idea makes you a little weak in the knees...

There's a wood panel in my bedroom that was the inspiration for this hood design, with flame-shaped  eye openings. This is the face I see when I look across the room:

I've been working lately on refining the pattern for both zipped and laced armbinders, which has me thinking of some other variations I'd like to try. One idea: attach the armbinder to the hood, making an all-in-one restraint. This could be either zipped or laced, although getting in and out of the laced version could take a while!

Finally, one that's been on the drawing board for quite some time: a pair of leg pockets. Kind of like the leg pocket in the f-suit, but without the rest of the suit. This is inspired by all the frog ties I see on Straitjacketed.com, which look completely hot! I just want to make my own small contribution to all the awesome stuff Kevin is doing over there. 

Product testing...

We recently tried the sleepsack with attached hood over an armbinder with a severe 3.5-inch-tall patent leather posture collar just to top it all off... I'm kind of amazed she could handle the armbinder inside the sleepsack - it's a pretty strenuous position. But overall we have to declare the experiment a success. =0)

The surprising thing is I had extra room on either side of the sack with her arms in the armbinder. I could actually make a more fitted sack (without internal sleeves) to really be snug in the waist area, but it would only fit in that position. It might just be worth it though - it looked incredible! 

Gucci Fall Winter 2013 Runway Show

Images and video from the Gucci fall 2013 runway show. More photos on Style.com. 

There's just so much to love...

The boots are just spectacular. They are super tall, but not quite OTK's. The short glove with the long boots looks so tough. Why don't more girls wear those? Are they too "dominatrix-y" for everyday wear?

 Love the custom hardware clasp on the cuff over the extra-long gloves. 

 The fitted high leather collar...

I love how in this shot it looks like the respectable, more conventional outer layer is falling away, revealing the sexy leather beast within...

This jacket is really amazing... The fit, the cut, the shape. Does anyone remember "Lair of the White Worm?" Looks like something she might wear...

The gloves disappearing into the sleeve, the boots sliding under the skirt. I have a recurring vision where everyone is wearing Gucci for just one day... Wouldn't that be something? 

Buzz Bissinger’s Gucci Addiction...

I don’t know if you happened to catch the article on GQ.com on Buzz Bissinger’s high-end leather habit. He’s the author of “Friday Night Lights” and a self-described Gucci shopping addict. He wrote a stunningly honest and revealing story a few weeks ago about his out-of-control spending on sensual leather clothing shoes, boots and gloves - mostly from Gucci, but he namedrops Mr. S leather, Ines gloves, and a few other favorites that most internet-roaming pervy shoppers would recognize. 

If you’ve ever given thought to the kind of hedonistic lifestyle you might be able to live with nearly unlimited funds and an ego untethered to conventional reality or social mores, his story serves as a kind of fantasy (or is it a nightmare?) come-true. I think it's meant mostly as a cautionary tale, although some of it seems kind of liberating. It may be a case of “Be careful what you wish for!” Unlimited funds to pursue your perversion? Seemed like a good idea at the time!

I’ve long felt that high-fashion has traded in clothing that could only be rivaled by dedicated fetish manufacturers. Fetish is the life blood of high fashion, and they borrow (or maybe steal?) from the world of fetish on a regular basis. If you want to find the highest possible heels, the slickest leathers, and the tightest body-conscious fits, high-fashion is the way to go. For years Prada, Gucci and Versace have turned out boots and shoes straight from a dominatrix’s (or cross-dresser’s) fantasy closet. Gucci's designer Frida Giannini even called out fetish pop artist Allen Jones as an influence on her Fall 2013 collection. You just won’t see these (often impractical, sometimes almost unwearable) styles at mainstream retailers. 

These are the ethereal products of unlimited budgets, finest materials and craftsmanship, and sexual imagination. They are taking inspiration from a common source, something deeply attractive and seductive to the human animal. It's just most of us don't have the half-million dollars to spend to pursue our own predilections. 

Check out the full article here...

New Original art by Michael Manning

Michael Manning just announced some beautiful new drawings for sale on his website... I love his stuff so much. If you don't know his work, you need to do yourself a favor and check it out. His Hydrophidian and Spider Garden are classic works, just treasures of illustrated fantasy erotica. 

I closely studied his style years ago when I was trying to find my own way of inking black and white line art. When you've struggled to master a skill like that for a long time (as I have), it really makes you appreciate someone who has mastered the art. His ability to create these fantasy beings and scenarios is second to none. I would love to live in the world of his imagination for just one day.

The symmetrical piece above reminds me of a drawing I almost purchased a couple of years ago (someone else just barely beat me to it), Conjoint: 

Check out more work on Michael Manning's website here, and follow his blog here. 

5/15 update: looks like both of the works referenced above have been sold! Congrats to Michael Manning, and to the new owners of the original art.