Showing posts with label the Baroness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label the Baroness. Show all posts

Tuesday, August 31, 2021

Bon voyage to The Baroness

As you may know, longtime East Village resident and shop owner The Baroness is closing her eponymous latex atelier and boutique and moving to France. (Story here.)

This past Thursday evening, The Baroness welcomed some friends, customers and fellow local business owners into her shop for a farewell toast on its last day here on 13th Street between Avenue A and Avenue B.

EVG contributor Stacie Joy was there and shared these photos of the closing festivities...
So long to The Baroness — she will be missed!

Thursday, July 22, 2021

A farewell visit to The Baroness

Text and photos by Stacie Joy

After 28-plus years in the East Village, longtime resident and shop owner The Baroness is shutting her eponymous latex atelier and boutique and moving to France. 

Pursuing a move that’s been in the works for a while now, a dream of hers, The Baroness smiles as she greets me at the door in much the same way she did when I interviewed her for my A Visit to column — regally, with grace and sharp wit, and fully decked out in latex and heels. 

Today she is accompanied by her assistant, Persephone, who will be handling some of the garment work after the boutique closes. 
Like the last time I was in the provocative and well-appointed shop, I’m most definitely not wearing latex, although listening to the Baroness wax rhapsodic about its vanilla/milk chocolate scent, its sounds and feels, the way it hugs and holds one’s body, I am quite tempted to try something on. The designer is confident she can dress “almost anyone” and I briefly wonder if that includes me.
In between customers and looky-loo shoppers, the Baroness and Persephone talk with me about their love of latex, the future of the Baroness’ impressive body of work, and what largescale rubber artwork plans (among other things like podcasts and parties) the Baroness has mapped out for her new life.
This is an exciting development, what prompted this change?

It certainly is exciting and rather bittersweet. Moving to France has been a lifelong dream that just kept being put off. During the forced closure of the pandemic, I worked to review, catalog, and preserve the history of The Domain of The Baroness and the fetish world that I have been such a large part of. 

I feel very strongly that this piece of history must be preserved and I’ve dispersed the information to The Fashion Institute of Technology, The Leather Archives & Museum in Chicago, the Texas Fashion Collective, and the UK Leather and Fetish Archive. As a result, I saw that this was the perfect time to change my life and move on to my next phase.

When I began my business almost 30 years ago, I was one of only three latex designers in North America. Now, as latex has become more popular, there’s been a minor explosion of young designers with Etsy shops, advances in technology, including laser cutting and latex printing, and, more important, there’s been a shift in the perception of latex — going from fetish and fantasy into fashion, often used as an accessory to make an outfit “edgy.” 

Whilst I have certainly sold to customers and fashionistas with that mindset, my latex interests are more…complex. 
You mentioned that this decision to close the store wasn’t COVID-related, at least not directly. How long have you been planning the move and what are your plans in your new home?

The boutique closes its doors on Aug. 26, with my bon voyage and final lubricated shopping cocktail party. That leaves a month to organize and pack the balance of my New York life.

I’ve rented a temporary house in southern Beaujolais while I look for my next dream house and studio. I imagine that it could take up to two years to get settled, establish my new studio, and start working. During that period, I plan to finish writing my book on clothing and power. 

Can you walk us through the timeline for shuttering the shop? Are you still accepting custom orders? 

At this point, we are no longer accepting custom orders. We will fulfill all stock orders — in store and online — until the end of July. We will be closed on Saturday, July 31 to take inventory so that our website will properly reflect all available stock. 

Then the month of August will be one big sale as everything must go, including jewelry, feathers, and other costume pieces used as accessories for fashion shows, along with racks, and other fixtures. 

What’s to become of your shop and will you be opening a new shop abroad?

Many people have asked if I would pass along my business to another and I will not. The Baroness domain was built as a reflection of myself, and while others could produce the basic garments, no one can faithfully reproduce my vision. 

Although The Baroness NY boutique will be gone, my chief executioner, Persephone, will be available to fulfill my lifetime guarantee of our work. And once my French atelier is established, I will return to designing, creating, and realizing the vision of my more interesting and creative clients, both in the US and Europe.

You’ve spoken about some ideas regarding large-scale art installations, will you be creating latex-based artwork? What's next for The Baroness?

The art of latex! I am really looking forward to having the time to create bizarre, rubber wearable art, such as The Maw, where imagination is the only limit with the goal of exhibiting them at museums and galleries worldwide. 

I’ll continue to document the fetish world through a series of podcasts, host intimate fetish gatherings, and plan to attend the major European events. I don’t think I’ll run out of projects to keep me entertained!
Interested in snagging a latex outfit or accessory and bidding the Baroness farewell? The store is at 530 E. 13th Street between Avenue A and Avenue B, and is open Monday through Saturday from 1-7 p.m., Thursday 1-9 p.m. You can also follow along on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

Tuesday, October 27, 2020

A visit to The Baroness

Text and photos by Stacie Joy 

I am a wee bit nervous as I approach the Baroness and her eponymous latex shop at 530 13th St. (between Avenues A and B). I’d never worn latex before and tend to go through life in jeans and tees, which is a definite no-no at the elegant, well-appointed and provocative showroom where the Baroness designs, creates, fits and sells her line of custom, bespoke, and ready-to-wear latex fashion.
It is always a challenge to step outside one’s comfort zone, but the Baroness’ no-nonsense yet encouraging and confident demeanor guided me through the process. And I saw myself differently in the mirror…speaking of which, the fitting room mirror at the atelier is kind and the dressing room space is set up to allow for best-case scenarios when trying on outfits.

Due to COVID-19, people are not dressing up that much, there are fewer parties and events, and although the Baroness wears latex on the regular, most people would be looking for something special, maybe for a holiday? In that light, I ask the proprietrix to show me what the store has for Halloween as we chat about her history in the neighborhood and her passion for latex.

Can you speak a bit about the history of the shop and how it came to be? What drew you to the East Village and what has kept you here? Are there any special challenges to living and working in the neighborhood? 

When I first started my business (almost 30 years ago) I ran it from my studio. Then the building required work on the front wall, which would mean a total disruption, so I set out to look for another workspace. I needed to keep it close-by as I had been spoiled and feared that if I had to travel too far I would not.

I was very fortunate to find more than an atelier, the ideal workspace came with a shop at street level. Prior to my moving in the space had been poorly used but that both allowed and necessitated renovations including knocking down walls, replacing flooring, establishing lighting and electrical outlets (all in the perfect locations). As our workspace is below-ground, I painted it in lighter tones of purples, pinks and greens and had work tables and closets built so everything was at hand. 

Upstairs I chose soft blues, pinks and purples forgoing the traditional red and black of other fetish shops. I wanted it to be a place that would welcome women and make them feel safe. The dressing room was huge and hung with fabric and fitted with flattering mirrors. 

What I hadn't realized is just how much help it would be for my fit and designs as I now saw more varied body shapes in my elegant latex fashions.

Being on a side street and in the East Village meant that although I had limited foot traffic (which didn’t matter much as The Baroness is a destination) my rent was also lower than in other parts of New York. After all the work involved in renovating and establishing myself on East 13th Street it was easiest to stay put as we have for the last 12 years (despite the steady yearly increase in rent).

Of course, now with COVID-19 and having the boutique closed for months, everyone has been affected and there are many empty storefronts throughout the neighborhood. My business has been particularly affected as many of my customers now have limited funds and the usual parties and events that they would wear latex for have been canceled or simply postponed until next year. I am fortunate that much of my business comes from elaborate custom creations commissioned by loyal longtime clients and that my landlady has been most understanding during this troubled time. 

Latex is both more complicated (in construction of the garments) and more simple (in cleaning and caring for the clothes) than I’d realized. What made you choose latex as a fabric, and what can you tell beginners about wearing it?

My background has always been in clothing, fabric and art, and my motto is "any occasion to dress is an occasion to overdress," so when I discovered latex my life was instantly transformed

Once I began to work with latex, I enjoyed learning and exploring its mysteries. The largest being how to make it! Everything is glued and when I started, I was one of only three latex designers in North America. Latex is still a niche market and now The Baroness boutique is the ONLY shop in the U.S. that makes and sells only its own latex!

What I tell latex virgins (my absolute favorite customers) is to give in, to allow their senses to take over, to inhale the vanilla milk-chocolate aroma, to savor the sensual feeling of it against your body or the touch of another latex-clad enthusiast, to marvel in the gleam, the shine, and the highlights and lowlights of this amazing material as they watch it in motion. There is no material more sensual than latex. 

On the practical side I inquire as to their budget, their intentions, and where they will wear it to help in their choice. I explain and demonstrate how to shine  and care for their latex along with assuring them of my lifetime guarantee. 

I believe wearing latex should be comfortable not only on the body. If you want discomfort, buy it super tight, our sizes range from extra-small to extra-large, along with queen size and custom for both men and women, but also to your personal style and body image. If you aren’t comfortable in what you wear you will never look the best you can and probably that garment will be relegated to the back of the drawer or closet.
You go all out for Halloween. What do you recommend for people who may be interested in wearing latex for a holiday event but have little experience?

Halloween is my birthday and even as a child I fantasized about watching a gathering of well-dressed people. When I moved [from the UK] to the U.S. and discovered it was a holiday where everyone dressed, my dream came true.

Halloween is (as you may imagine) one of our busiest seasons, although this year is obviously an exception. We usually do the best when it falls on a Friday or Saturday and there are many vanilla parties. The most common requests are either Catwoman or a dominatrix, although we also have made an assortment of custom creations including Britney Spears, various cosplay characters, crossdressing and regular ensembles that are so unusual for the customers life as to be considered a costume, but which I hope shall be the start of their latex addiction!

Your shop sign announces You Want Latex. As the Baroness, aside from latex, what do you want?

You missed the sign’s other side, which says "You Need Latex!" What I want currently is what everyone wants: An end and cure for the virus. That, and for a world dressed in Baroness latex!

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You can keep up with the Baroness via social media @LatexBaroness, and from now through Halloween the Baroness’ popular waist-cincher (available in both black and purple) is on sale for $100 off while supplies last.

Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Wednesday's parting shot



ICYMI: The Halloween window display at The Baroness, the latex designer boutique at 530 E. 13th St. between Avenue A and Avenue B.

The Baroness enjoys creating the seasonal windows, as you may recall from Easter.

Meanwhile, you can revisit our interview with The Baroness from the EVG archives at this link.

Photo via @latexbaroness!

Saturday, April 20, 2019

Easter with The Baroness



Here's a look at the Easter-themed window display over at The Baroness, the latex designer boutique at 530 E. 13th St. between Avenue A and Avenue B.

The above photo is by James and Karla Murray, who posted an interview yesterday with The Baroness on their Instagram account here.

And you can revisit our own interview with The Baroness from the EVG archives at this link.