| The Libidex Story |
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Libidex has grown to be one of
the latex world's most sought-after labels. The name was originally established
in 1989 when Helen Saffery, encouraged by her friend Julian LaTorre, brought
her design talents and fashion industry experience to the fetish scene,
creating exquisite rubber couture and pre-empting the couture/fetish crossover
designs of Gaultier, Mugler and McQueen |
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| Those who know their rubber call
Libidex the 'Saville Row' tailors to the fetish world - but that might make you
think they're rather snooty and exclusive. Not a bit. Simon Rose, who worked
with Helen to establish the company which he acquired in 1998, believes that
rubber is for everyone, and that everyone deserves the best from their latex
wardrobe |
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| "Our main selling point is that
we offer a high quality latex clothing and a
made-to-measure service at a
very reasonable price. We are always keen to create new looks from our
customers' ideas as well as our own, and our aim always is to produce something
that suits in style, appearance and fit." |
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| Libidex customers come from all
walks of life and in all shapes and sizes. From mature, experienced rubberists
and SM aficionados, to the gay scene, transsexuals and transvestites, clubbers
just looking for something funky to wear, and shy first-timers. Libidex offers
a very wide range of styles and
colours, from classic to more stylised designs, including catsuits, tops,
leggings, trousers, shorts and lingerie to more exotic outfits based on
military uniforms and even more fantastic designs using techniques such as
appliqué, printing, inflatable rubber and combining rubber with other
materials. "We have recently been designing a series of really startling
outfits based on the work of Leigh Bowery", explains Simon. "These have been a
great hit at clubs, and we are planning to produce more of these for our new
range which we are launching later this year." |
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These and other fabulous
creations are now making frequent appearances at events throughout the UK as
part of Simon's performance duo 'The
Candy Dandies' in partnership with Empress Stah. Their repertoire includes
stilts and aerial acts as well as body piercing. Simon is a regular performer
at Torture Garden, the Rubber Ball and events as far afield as
Japan.
Libidex is becoming increasingly popular with the
transvestite/transsexual market. "Most of our designs are for women (though we
are constantly expanding our male range), but these always look excellent on
men too. Because we offer a bespoke service, we can adapt any of our female
designs to fit perfectly on the male figure. A good many of our customers are
cross-dressers and we are very pleased to cater for them." |
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Libidex has always been a hit
with the glitterati and society's more notorious characters. In the
quintessential eighties scandal David Mellor's mistress Antonia de Sancha
cavorted Sun style in a Libidex catsuit - much classier than a Chelsea Strip!.
The late Paula Yates chose to relaunch Britain's seminal eighties style and
music show The Tube in Libidex. More recently model Caprice front paged on
Esquire in Libidex designs, doing a double encore on the cover of The Times
magazine and photographer Bob Carlos Carke's 2000 calendar, along with actress
Rachel Weisz and models Paula Hamilton and Vanessa Upton. Vanessa, one of
London's favourite fetish models also appeared in the Loaded Calendar, this
time in a Libidex nurse's outfit |
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| This high profile patronage meant
that throughout the nineties Libidex was a sought after label, but did not have
the resources to produce in large numbers. Under the direction of Simon Rose
since 1998, Libidex has expanded into a new Studio in London, NW1, streamlined
the ordering process and gone on-line, making it more accessible to rubber
royalty worldwide. In June 2001, Libidex opened its own showroom at the back of
the British Library in London's King's Cross. Most Libidex designs are carried
in the shop, and customers are always welcome to drop in and try out the latest
designs |
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| More recently, Libidex designs
have been much in demand from film and advertisement makers, and have featured
on programmes made by Granada, BBC TV, Bravo and many others. Libidex was also
commissioned to produce the eponymous trousers in the film 'Thunderpants', and
its more surreal outfits were a feature of the Dali Film Festival in London in
July 2002. In 2003, Libidex was commissioned to produce hoods for Emma Bunton
and Harvey Nichols and complete outfits for a troupe of LA showgirls and a band
of raunchy 'Tequila' girls accompanying Eminem on tour |
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| According to Simon, "It's our
ability to think differently and to push forward the boundaries of latex
fashion that people seem to like. It's great that so many people come back to
us again and again - we must be doing something right!" |
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