Vintage ad featuring Straitjacketed beauty...

It's hard to imagine, but at one time this was actually published as an ad for a business form company. Well, you have to admit: The ad does capture you attention for a rather boring product...

Bitchsuits Part II - Tumblr galleries

I can tell from the traffic of visitors to my blog that there are lots of "bitchsuit" fans out there. Technically, I've never tried making one, although sometimes I'll see the f-suits I make lumped in together with them. Without getting too far into it, the primary difference from a design standpoint, is the f-suit is more for restraint and play in a supine position, while true bitchsuit designs are geared towards having your pet slavegirl walking (or crawling around, more specifically) on all fours. 

There are many better sources out there for galleries of bitchsuit images, and I thought I'd share a couple with you that I recently came across: this one and that other one. (Probably from something my friend sammy posted.) Lots of great stuff to see, and many images I haven't seen before. (And I thought I'd seen everything...) Go have a look! 

Incredible Japanese bondage by THL

Huge thanks goes out to my friend sammy for turning me on to THL, a photographer doing some jaw-droppingly, mind-bending, flat-out beautiful work... If you are a fan of Asian cuties tied very well (and lit well, and photographed beautifully) and in fetish-y garb, STOP NOW and go check out his site (or his tumblr) this instant. Come back and thank me later. 

Here are just a few of the many (oh so many!) images that will have you drooling (you're welcome!): 

Every one of his images is so good it makes me want to cry. The girls he shoots are so pretty! How does he get such wholesome-looking Japanese (I'm assuming) girl-next-door types to endure such kinky torments? "Would you like to play dress-up in head-to-toe rubber and ballet boots with a gas-mask my dear?" Of course they say, only too happy to oblige in THL's amazing life. 

 I take photos myself, so I appreciate all the work that goes into getting an image like this: 

 The rigging, the lighting, the location-shooting. My question is "How does he get so many beautiful shots, each so unique and different?" He'll do an entire setup, in a particular location, with a beautiful model, and then he is posting just a single, solitary shot. Damn!

 Obviously, this guy THL has an amazing eye, and a beautiful, willing lovely girl(s) to model for him. But man, what a way with the lighting and setups... One beautiful image after another. 

 Even the straightforward shots of his fetish gear are pure artistry...

Once again, visit THL's website, send him commissions and money, follow his tumblr. Give the man what he wants people, just let's hope he keeps doing what he's doing!! 

The Journey by Monica Menez

Came across a short film by fashion photographer Monica Menez that prominently features the female lead wearing those (oh-so-lovely) tall Gucci python boots from the current fall season. I just had to share this for all my fellow boot-lovers out there... 

A still from the movie. Yes, every boot fetishist hopes to see this whenever a car door opens...

The Journey from MONICA MENEZ on Vimeo.

The actress does a pretty amazing job of making the skyscraper heels seem almost manageable. Bravo to her! 

Straight off the runway...

Thanks to my friends over at Trendland, for the link to this visual treat.

2014 Boot Roundup

It's a great time to be a boot fetishist (if you are one, you probably already know this) as designers are putting sexy designs into the marketplace with great regularity nowadays. Every season a fresh crop of new ideas and innovative styles pop up that push the boundaries of materials and technique even further than before. And they don't shy away from blatant, sexy S&M styling. 

All strapped up YSLs.

I'm interested not only for the fetish angle, but the design details as well. I always get inspiration for features that could be integrated into leather craft designs or bondage gear. To me shoes are the ultimate design challenge: make something beautiful but functional, completely impractical but totally sellable. Especially for the high-end brands, shoes are one place where selling the fantasy can over ride the rational part of your brain. Nobody needs a pair of 5-inch stiletto boots, but just look at them! Do we want them? Yes, we do! 

 The concept of what a designer would call negative space is a hot trend. Openings that allow the skin of the leg or foot to show through create an interplay of enclosure/exposure. Lots of designs seem to take advantage of laser-cutting techniques - a relatively recent innovation in shoe design. I'm also seeing some interesting things with woven leather (as in the Bailmans below), and almost architectural design elements (Daniele Michetti). Hand work has always been a part of shoe making, and the high end is bringing an almost craft aesthetic to some of their designs. 

Straps are happening everywhere, ranging from subtle contrasting-finish (patent on chrome-tanned leather in that subtle strap on the top of the Ballins), to the add-on almost harness look that is popping up (see the Emilio Puccis). The combination of lacing with additional straps just screams bondage to me, but hey I do see things a bit differently I suppose. 

Brian Atwood's designs are covering a lot of creative angles in use of different textures and materials to create contrast, all the while maintaing that sexy silhouette, and in a range of heights.

And finally Gucci this year had an incredible pair of boots on the runway: these skin-tight super tall beauties in black patent. 

I love the little detail of the horsebit hardware and loafer-style false front on the upper. The fit on the leg is incredible! 

 Unfortunately, by the time these hit the stores the design had been toned down a bit and they didn't fit nearly as close as the runway version. But at least they left us with these beautiful and inspiring photos. 

A Random Collection of Images...

We probably have access to more images than any previous generation thanks to the internet… I can literally spend hours on tumblr browsing through random images taken out of context by people who re-post. The decontextualization lends a kind of mystery that always makes me curious about the image, its origin, who created it and why. I don't know what ties the following together other than I find them visually arresting and inspiring for one reason or another. 

Alexander Wang 2013

Boot Breather Gallery

I am happy to present a selection of photos of the final Boot Breather. I think the experiment was a success, although I won't know for sure until we've done some extensive real-world testing...

The 1.25" buckles are definitely overkill in terms of what would be needed to do the job of holding this device in place, but they lend a rugged, heavy-duty feel to the piece, and they closely match the sketch. I'm glad I didn't go smaller.

 I initially thought the boot breather would be made of molded veg-tan leather, but that would require a wood form to mold on, and this turned out to be a sufficient way to test out the idea in the real world.

 I'm happy to report that the boot seats onto the breather with a satisfyingly snug fit. 

 For those of you who are wondering "who the heck would want such a thing?," I can only say: The things I make are certainly not for everyone. 

 But for those who do appreciate such things: ardent boot fetishists, fans of breath control, leather enclosure freaks, sensory overload seekers: this could be right up your alley. You know who you are. 

Thanks for visiting...