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14-Year Anniversary - A Gonzo Retrospective
Timb
14-Year Anniversary Fetish Weekenda Gonzo Retrospective by Timb
I say this with all sincerity - I've been doing this for so long that nothing really shocks me anymore. It takes a lot to impress this guy when it comes to fetish events, FF or otherwise. Perhaps I'm jaded. Here at the heart of the FF company for over 5 years, I have experienced my fair share of mind-blowing party moments, many that are on par with my expecta
14-Year Anniversary Fetish Weekend
a Gonzo Retrospective by Timb
I say this with all sincerity - I've been doing this for so long that nothing really shocks me anymore. It takes a lot to impress this guy when it comes to fetish events, FF or otherwise. Perhaps I'm jaded. Here at the heart of the FF company for over 5 years, I have experienced my fair share of mind-blowing party moments, many that are on par with my expectations, and even a handful of duds. Like I said, it's been years and it's really no surprise.
In February 2004, I had my first day in the belly of the beast – the tiny, disorganized room hidden inside the FF store where the magic happens. The truth is we have a disproportionately small base of operations in comparison to the insanely large events that we somehow manage to pull off – if you think we are some enormous company with 100+ employees, you would be shocked at just how teensy and family-run we are.
That same year, Glenn hosted a single Anniversary Fetish Party nightclub event at The Copa in Fort Lauderdale. It was the 9-Year Anniversary – the last single party Anniversary event in the history of the company. It was a blast sporting some incredible entertainment including Chain Goddess Brandy, Masuimi Max, Rebecca and more. I don't think anyone was ready for what was to come the following year.
At the beginning of 2005, Glenn brainstormed a huge all-weekend event as something bigger and badder for the 10-Year milestone. I think everyone thought that he was crazy. Well, he certainly is, but we assumed he had bitten off more than he could chew – after all, he always says that a single nightclub event takes everything he's got, so how could he possibly consider throwing three in a row?
Glenn also talked a lot of madness about designating a host hotel and putting the crowd together for the entire weekend under one roof. This sounded like a brilliant idea, but somehow also a bureaucratic and public relations nightmare. I'm sure I wasn't alone when I pictured a hotel half booked with fetish people and half booked with god-fearing families.
Needless to say, Glenn and FF pulled off the impossible in 2005. How does he do it, you might ask? Well, 5 pots of coffee a day to get started. The guy never stops to breathe.
The 10-Year Weekend went off with nary a hitch and was a massive success. The main event boasted a roof-splitting 2,000+ attendance. FF set a high benchmark for a three-day fetish party experience worldwide that has been imitated but never duplicated in the international scene.
Since that year and every year since, Glenn, the FF store, and the promotional machine of which I am an intimate part – we have all been raising the bar. Better venues, bigger sponsors, great entertainment, more parties, smart promotions, and of course a vibe that you get nowhere else in the world. FF really stands alone when it comes to an all-weekend fetish event. If you are coming from out of town, we really take care of every possible aspect for you from accommodations to transportation so that you can party instead of worry.
The kicker in 2009 was a total hotel takeover. We took over an entire 4-star Sheraton hotel in short order, selling out every room in the massive 13 floor hotel way ahead of schedule – a whole two months before the party. This was way ahead of schedule. The interest was so great that we even took over a large portion of the Hilton hotel across the street. The "total hotel takeover" concept on this sort of scale was a first in the international fetish community.
I left work at the bustling FF store on Friday evening very much excited about the weekend. I picked up a trunk-load of alcohol on the way home, packed a huge case full of toys and another full of clothes, and headed over to the hotel to check in. You could feel the energy in the air as you walked in the door. Something unreal was going to play out this weekend and I was already on the edge of my front row seat.
We were lucky with the hotel. The staff was very much fetish friendly – they never made us feel strange or uncomfortable no matter how bizarre we probably seemed to them on the surface. They were 100% hospitable all weekend long without fail. They were good to our crowd and in turn we were good to them.
Friday night at the hotel I met with friends, moved between hotel rooms getting ready, and marched onto the bus which whisked me away to Jackhammer for an extreme night of fetish partying.
This venue was setup like a maze with a lot of areas in shadows – too many hot little secrets going on throughout the club. The front room was probably the best kept secret. Here I found more space to stretch out, play, enjoy and drink or just get some time on a stool to cool my feet from the vicious heels I was wearing. Heavy, creative bondage, crops and floggers, footworship, and dommes with strap-ons seemed to be the call of the night. There was certainly plenty to ogle even if you are a bit to shy to get into the thick of it.
In the front room, I witnessed beautiful Samar in a breathtaking suspension show that was more like a work of art than a fetish performance. In two chapters of the one show, Samar moved from suspension by hooks in her back to hooks embedded in the skin over her knee. It was insane and definitely a command performance that I will never forget. This was definitely the heat and energy of the extreme party – a sanctuary for kinky sexuality. This is the unlimited event where you are encouraged to display your darkest, nastiest fantasy in front of a room of voyeurs who lovingly appreciate your perversions. They'll lap it up and come back for more.
Back to the hotel, I hung out poolside at the official afterparty. This night wasn't going to end until the sun was up. Back to my room, I hung out with friends and proceeded to drink my weight in Bombay Sapphire and orange juice until well into the next morning.
Noonish on Saturday, I woke up with the worst hangover of my life to date. I crawled across the hall and got some Excedrin from a friend. I was thankful that at least she was prepared for the eventualities of this debaucherous weekend. I was dehydrated, starving, in one hell of a bad mood and my head felt like a Gallagher-smashed watermelon. I ended up missing a big part of the pool party simply because I wanted to go off-premise and get some hearty food in an attempt to fix myself up. I will say the bit of time I sent at the pool party was pretty fantastic. It was bigger and better than ever, and the little bit of rain that came and went didn't really slow anyone down. I can't wait until next year. I'm going to get a crazy swimsuit together to wear and slather on some of that SPF 75 sunscreen, and you will see me poolside for hours flirting with all the beautiful people.
Saturday night took place at Purgatory which is the usual venue for FF monthly parties, so this one was simply titled "Alter Ego" and was meant to be a taste of the tradition and ritual that we do once a month of the second Saturday. This party was very similar to a monthly, only a bit bigger. This was the party where I expected to see all of my friends and have a good, social time. No bad surprises – this is exactly what I got. It was a great party in a cool venue. It was packed yet comfortably full so that there was plenty of space if you want to dance, chill or play. Purgatory is a club that really knows about fetish parties as FF has been there every month for the better part of two years.
While I was there Saturday, I witnessed a great performance by top fetish models Ruby Luster and Angela Ryan. In this show, Ruby had been given a huge gift which stood wrapped on the stage. As this curvaceous beauty unwrapped the present, out came her new toy – a masked latex sex doll with Angela Ryan underneath the rubber skin – her mouth permanently agape in an "O" position. Ruby put on her strap-on harness and went to town, bending sex toy Angela over or filling her mouth with the shiny latex cock.
The Saturday afterparty was even better attended than the night before which increased the trend that the weekend was building momentum with each night and each new party. I played the booze a bit more conservative on Saturday night since I had learned my lesson with the gin n' juice from the night before. I have to remember to pace myself accordingly. Slow and steady wins the race.
Sunday, I woke up late and met up with friends to round up some food.
After a brief but passionate kinky midday interlude, I spent the better part of the day resting, relaxing and socializing over some cold beers with friends. As the big main event hour drew closer, I snuck away to my room to start putting together my final outfit of the weekend. Everyone getting ready for the big finale is quite a spectacle unto itself. This was it – the biggest and baddest party of the whole weekend with nearly 2,000 expected in attendance.
Sunday, I arrived at the club via the bus shuttle skipping over the car line piling up for the underprepared valet parking and waited only a brief moment in the door line before pretty much strutting right up into the massive venue.
As I entered the door, my jaw dropped. I've seen a lot, and there are very few moments where I really feel that original excitement about a party that I used to feel in the beginning when attending these events, but this was definitely one of those rare moments.
A few come to mind like the back porch at the Halloween Ball in 2007 at Revolution, or the huge crowd that shocked us and packed the house after the hurricane in 2005 at Club Cinema, but I daresay the main room of the freshly reopened Coliseum (now known as Club Premier) takes the blue ribbon.
This place was decorated to the hilt, and I'm talking top to bottom. The place was comfortably packed and the partygoers were blowing up in time to the pulse of the music. The main event had come alive.
The lights, the booming sound, the inflatable decorations in the rafters, the music, the madness, the partygoers – it was at least incredible, and at best the fetish party experience of a lifetime, and this was only the start.
The rooms in this venue just go on and on forever. After you have explored all the action in one room, you can move on to the next. There's no end to the fun and trouble you can get into at this party. You can circle the rooms in this venue all night long and never get tired of the party action even for a moment.
Outside the main room, you could also enjoy the lounge where the music wasn't quite as loud. People ordered drinks from the bar, complimented each others' outfits and generally got into some naughty trouble. Behind the main stage, you could enter into another room with its own separate dancefloor, bars and DJ – basically another nightclub unto itself, and the home of the old Venus Room back in the day. Behind this room, there was an open-air porch with it's own bar and its own DJ. Outside, I caught a fire show by Kikimora who spun fire poi, then a bo staff with the ends lit, and then a pair of long, flaming claws which seemed to mesmerize her audience to no end. She was a very skipped artist and performer and one hell of a hot beauty to behold.
Back inside, I witnessed a multi-sexual fetish performance by beautiful queer couple Matt Havoc and Robin Rotten who joined FF's own tattooed fetish diva Rebecca on stage. This show was simply incredible. At one moment Robin bent over Matt on stage, and the next moment, Rebecca took her place behind Robin simulating the sort of kinky sexual energy that really embodies this pansexual scene. Robin kissed Matt deeply and passionately – it was so sincere. Rebecca knelt down in front of them, masturbating her enormous latex cock as she watched. It was such a spectacular microcosm of the fetish scene in so many ways. Definitely a breathtaking spectacle for anyone in the audience regardless of their individual sexual orientation.
There were so many shows going on all weekend but I only managed to catch a tiny handful of them. When there's a show on stage, I'm likely making my rounds of the club, flirting, playing, and catching up with fetish friends, both old and new. Some people do go to the parties for the performers, but I am there to mingle - to see and be seen, and sometimes to get into some kinky trouble. For me, that's what it's all about.
Sunday night's afterparty was also well off the charts and stayed packed until the sun started to come up and the DJ turned on the lights and turned off the music. Fetish friends mingled and flirted on the poolside loungers, others swam in the pool in their latex. Some got familiarized in the hot tub. Whatever your poison, this was a great night to be on the scene. No one was in a hurry to run off to bed at 6am – even though this was the end of official parties, it really felt like it was just the start. Everyone went up into the hotel rooms and continued to party well until the sun was high and warm in the sky Monday morning.
All in all, I would say that Glenn and the entire FF company from Donna to Rebecca to the store staff to the graphics department to the promotional machine – the FF company has really set the bar high this year. We worked tirelessly, and you, the partygoer, have shown in a way that you appreciate our hard work by partying hard with us year-in and year-out.
Without question, FF has somehow managed to throw it bigger and better this year than in any year in the history of this company, and it's all because of you. In all honesty, the attendees made this the best one ever by coming out in droves. Even though times may be tough and money may be tighter than ever before, let there be no doubt - we still love to party, and nothing is going to stop us from doing what we love. We did it, and damn did we ever love doing it!
If you missed the FF Anniversary Fetish Weekend this year, you really missed out. No offense, but shame on you. At least you can get over here and be a part of this thing next year, and you really should. You really, really should.
Old and Jaded to Young and Invigorated!
Kim RUB
Over 20 years ago I found myself new on the UK fetish scene (‘a virgin’). It has been singly the most significant thing that has happen to me in my life...
... When I arrived I felt like I had ‘come home’. I had found ‘my place in in the world’ and I obviously wasn’t wrong – because I’m still here when many have gone by the wayside – 21 years later!!! Over the years I have grown accustomed to the scene and it’s fascinating characters, seeing many come and go and just like ‘ordinary life’ . Nothing stays the same and to mourn the past and missing old faces is fruitless. In order to enjoy the changes life throws at you, you must ‘reinvent your own wheel!’ Keep yourself fresh and not look to the past but the future.
When I first joined the scene I travelled a lot thinking other countries where doing it bigger and better than the UK and in particular London. After trips to Germany, Holland and the USA I came to realise we had the most diverse, creative and biggest scene in the world – in my opinion - undisputable world leaders. Since then I have noticed the worldwide scene grow and many places are catching up.
In the last year I have been fortunate enough to go to fetish weekend parties and balls in Paris, San Francisco, Fort Lauderdale and Montreal. The scene doesn’t need anyone putting it down so I will focus on telling you about a party that blew me away – literally – but that’s another story ;))
The Fetish Factory 13 Year Anniversary Fetish Weekend – a mouthful, handful and full-on! My travelling companion Sass owns her own fetish clothing company was my travel partner (in crime!). We arrived late on the Thursday night but with enough time to gather our thoughts and prepare our clothes for the weekend ahead. Dam! - I forgot my Eros rubber dressing!!!
We spent Friday looking for a liquor store (good old Brits eh!) and taking a trip in the free limo service to the Fetish Factory shop to pick up our tickets and some rubber shine! We shared the limo with a Master and his two female slaves plus another lovely couple. Whilst waiting for the limo ride back to the hotel we met another young couple. Over the weekend we would bump into these people over and over again – sometimes we were inebriated, sometimes hung-over! Back in the room we had a couple of wee drams to help us on our way, on our way the the hotel bar that is!!! If life always sent a coach/bus to pick you up at the hotel, like at the FF 13 AFW, then I would probably be an alcoholic! Joking! The coach is a great idea and at only $25 (£13) for three nights that’s an absolute bargain!
The first night at Purgatory Nightclub was a favourite because I had a snog with a lovely young man (wish I’d got his name!). We ran around the club giggling and laughing – generally having a brilliant time. I wore red rubber Westward Bound leggings, with a House of Harlot matching red checked jacket, beret and cravat and red shoes - not forgetting the red rubber hood with blond wig on top!. I felt great. Must have felt great too as I got felt-up all night!!!
Hang-over Saturday! Moped about most of the day trying to shake off a headache. Went to the pool and chatted to more people including the lovely Emma, Swiss Tony and Steffy. Then it was time to get ready and slide into more rubber. Variation on a theme; this time blue rubber Westward Bound leggings, with a House of Harlot blue Military jacket, matching Military beret – not forgetting a slightly different red rubber hood! We crawled on the coach and sat a little more sedately this time as we made our way to Club Cinema for the main event. We both wondered how we would get through the night. Two Red Bull and Vodkas later and we ran around terrorising people and have a laugh. Even though it was an early finish we arrived early and made the most of it. By the time we got back to the hotel the pool was busy with the party people and a few eagle-eyed pool attendants - “stop that”! I wasn’t even doing anything – YET! The Jacuzzi was fun at 3am and fully clothed.
Everyone that stayed in the hotel was invited to the Sunday afternoon Pool Party. The sun shone brightly as a bizarre array of fetishists listened to the DJ, ate barbeque and and wore lots of rubber and skimpy outfits. I did more of a Cannes glamorous large floppy hat look, remaining under the canopy out of the sun – due to my British complexion. The music was excellent and I was disappointed as no one danced and only a couple of people were swaying. Lots of beautiful people milled around, some lovely large bosomed ladies got tied to the canopy and the smell of the barbequed food tantalised. Then it was time to go get ready again!
The last night felt different again! Sunday night’s Extreme Players Play Party was held at Solid Gold, a strip club which was gorgeous and sexy with plenty of secluded nooks and crannies. Solo dance booths allowed for those who wished to have a bit of privacy while playing. The numerous ‘pole’ stations saw gyrating girlies doing their thing. Sass and I sat at the bar and held court talking to everyone as they came and went. Over the weekend we met so many amazing, quirky and fun people. In those immortal words “we will be back”! Oh yes – 2009 – here we come.
thank you
vawn
I just want to thank everyone at FF!! Especially Glenn,Donna,Timb,and Rebecca....Stryker and I thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.The staff is truely friendly and proffessional!!
The club was Frisky,Flirty,and Lascivious.....we look 4ward to returning back....Thankyou
I just want to thank everyone at FF!! Especially Glenn,Donna,Timb,and Rebecca....Stryker and I thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.The staff is truely friendly and proffessional!!
The club was Frisky,Flirty,and Lascivious.....we look 4ward to returning back....Thankyou
FF Halloween Fetish Ball 2008 by Timb
Timb
Halloween Night, the biggest party on earth, a gonzo journalist's voyage into madness, and Alice as the belle of the Ball.
FF Hallowen Fetish Ball 2008
an editorial by Timb | photos by MisterVibe
October is a spectacular time of year and Halloween is definitely my personal favorite holiday, no question about it. There are many reasons why this spooky night is far superior to more widely celebrated holidays such as Christmas, Thanksgiving or Easter.
Halloween is creative – figure out your costume, put together something. Buy a fancy one if you can afford it, or put together some ingenuity and assemble something clever from bits and pieces.
Halloween is all about cheesy horror – that’s been a staple of my pop culture interests since I was very young. I just can’t get enough Romero zombie films, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Freddy, Jason and the like. A holiday that brings horror to the forefront is more up my alley than a strap-on dildo.
Halloween is adult – you may think this is a kid’s holiday, but you’d be wrong in your assumption. Sex is not for kids, and no longer is Halloween. Each year, this holiday becomes more and more adult as urban legends about poisoned candy corn make their way through the media and paranoid parental units lock up their young at home. But when the moon is high in the sky, these same parents greet the babysitter. They head out to the block parties and fetish extravaganzas to get hammered (and maybe even nailed) in their skimpy, sexy costumes.
Halloween is sexy – 80s rockers Motley Crue call out Halloween and New Years Eve as the two sexiest occasions of the year in one particular song that gets much play at your neighborhood titty bar. I’m not one to agree with glam metal misogynists too often, but this time I can’t part company. Halloween is one damn hot night where you could - and very well should - get your freak on, whether you are a disciple of the game, or just interested in the sport of the chase and the keep-your-hands-clean fun of flirting. This party, the Halloween Fetish Ball, is living, breathing proof, and this year was no exception.
This year’s event set a new high-bar for Fetish Factory with over 2,100 of our fetish friends confirmed in attendance. That’s massive. In 14 years of live fetish events, never have we had so many kinky friends in the house at one time. Let me be clear about this statistic. This is not the usual industry-inflated number to try to impress the local dirtsheet media and the other large fetish parties of the world. This is for real. There were a confirmed 2,100+ filling massive Club Cinema to the rafters.
The amazing thing is that these awesome numbers don’t really make the party so much as the energy that these friends bring with them. Small events can have a great vibe too, and many people actually prefer them, but when you have big numbers and big energy, that’s a recipe for an insane, kinky night you will not soon forget!
Dressed in my staple Alice in Wonderland costume, I spent the day helping out at the Fetish Factory store with the hustle and bustle of last-minute Halloween customers looking for something unique. I greeted dozens of customers throughout the day and helped them pick out their costumes and accessories, advising them on this or that. Some were having fun, others were stressed or in a hurry, but in the end, they complimented me on my Alice costume, promised to see me again later that night at the big event, and left the store with an outfit that couldn’t wait to wear.
I had a lot of social obligations on Halloween which is no surprise. It’s business as usual for an arugula latté-sipping fetish socialite elitist at the heart of this pretentious fetish scene. All of my friends, both kinky and vanilla, like to get together on Halloween and celebrate, showing off their clever (and not-so-clever) costumes and enjoy a dozen or more drinks together, so after getting off work, I made my way to the Halloween Fetish Ball between house parties.
My girlfriend had an obligation to attend her friend’s birthday / Halloween party this same night and couldn’t make the Ball, so I was cut loose. I decided to go it solo, and while I missed her, being at a party alone is a very different experience than attending with a significant other. I see more, I socialize more, and, though it is innocent in practice, I flirt more. Tonight would be no exception. She definitely missed out on one hell of a party if I dare say so myself.
Strapped tight into a corset and collar, and lifted towards the ceiling my massive platform boots, I looked as if Alice had just ate a piece of the mushroom and was now 10 ft tall. I kept on my sexy, skimpy crossdressing costume for the night and headed out to Club Cinema, initially just intending to “pop in” before heading off to the next obligation.
As soon as I entered the door, I could tell that something special was happening. This party was insane, even by my extremely jaded standards.
This was not going to be just some short “social appearance”. I rolled in around midnight and I could already tell that I should have gotten here at the beginning of the night; I had missed so much already. The party had just come to a roaring boil. The place was bursting at the seams with energy. The incredible fetish shows were already in progress, and my friends were already meeting, greeting, and beating each other for fun. The dancing, drinking, flogging and flirting had begun without me!
Walking into the main room was an overwhelming sensory experience – the bass of the music like the quickening heartbeat of some mythical colossus – the lights pulsed through the masses of the dark space like bolts of lightning, piercing lasers and flickering electricity – the brilliant colors of the costumes, and of course the undeniably beautiful attendees themselves – all filling this cavernous, multi-room, multi-level venue from top to bottom. The screens over the stage flashed live-generated and simulcast VJ imagery that spread out in psychedelic patterns to the beat of the pounding dance music. The decorations transformed this old theater house-turned-concert venue into an otherworldly landscape that only a Fetish Factory party can create.
I looked to the stage as my new friends Stryker-Vawn put on a sultry, debaucherous performance. The voyeurs in the audience definitely took note of their super-sexual, uninhibited exhibition. The impossibly shaped demoness body of Vawn slithered and twisted on the stage box like some salacious serpent, as Stryker, in futuristic red scale armor straight out of an H.R. Gieger sci-fi, put his lusty lover through the gauntlet – candle wax, corporal public punishment, teasing, torment - finally inserting a devil-tail butt plug as she threw her head back in ecstacy and accepted the invading penetration. Her costume finally complete, Vawn arched her back on all fours atop the box and whipped her devil tail around the stage, licking her lips at the lusting onlookers.
I made my way to the side room of the club – a smaller dancefloor and a notoriously popular area for the BDSM players. Spread out throughout the club is Fetish Factory’s staple bondage equipment installations, and the players take advantage. Mistresses and Masters put up their favorite submissive slaves for all to see as they dish out a delicious public punishment.
I met up with friends, both new and old, and ran into my old friend Tom O’Shields who was wielding the camera as usual, and brought my nearby friends in close for a photo. I then got dragged onto the dancefloor for a few select songs of the energizing DJ Godfather spun set.
The night, nearing the 2am mark, was finally coming to a close, but no one wanted to sneak out early to “beat the crowds”. These partiers were going to stick it out until the last second when the house lights come on and the music finally grinds to a halt.
This is the party that the people made, and without them, it would just be an empty room with some expensive decorations and one very disappointed promoter. Clearly, when times are tough and life seems strange, this is the best time to put your worries aside and indulge to excess for one evening with your friends, and there is no better night than Halloween.
All in all, this was a record-setting night for attendance, but more importantly, this was one hell of a party. If you were there, I’m sure you’d agree. If you missed this one, you definitely missed a sexy spectacular – a classic in the making. Don’t miss out next year. I am definitely looking forward to Halloween 2009 and feel especially energized about the upcoming monthly parties. I tip my hat to you, our loyal friends, who continue to support the local South Florida scene, allowing Fetish Factory to be the fetish party pioneers of the world.
See you next year!
Fetish Factory - Keep Cumming back...
Perish
Thanks everyone for making Fetish Factory one of my favorite venues to perform and play at each year - I look forward to seeing all of you sexy people very very soon -
Its all a vibration in collaboration, don't fight it, just take it!:)
xoxo
Perish
Thanks everyone for making Fetish Factory one of my favorite venues to perform and play at each year - I look forward to seeing all of you sexy people very very soon -
Its all a vibration in collaboration, don't fight it, just take it!:)
xoxo
Perish
Fetish Factory's Halloween Fetish Ball - by Timb
Timb
Working at the Fetish Factory as their graphics artist for nearly four years now, I am shocked by very few things and I guess you could say I'm a bit jaded when it comes to the fetish lifestyle and fetish parties in general. I've been to a million of them. I still enjoy them so I keep going back, but I envy anyone who gets to experience these fetish parties for the first time. Every year, the Fetish Factory store experiences a brief l
Working at the Fetish Factory as their graphics artist for nearly four years now, I am shocked by very few things and I guess you could say I'm a bit jaded when it comes to the fetish lifestyle and fetish parties in general. I've been to a million of them. I still enjoy them so I keep going back, but I envy anyone who gets to experience these fetish parties for the first time.
Every year, the Fetish Factory store experiences a brief low tide and then a steady buildup that culminates into its biggest single event of the year, the Halloween Fetish Ball. Over the last few years, this event has grown from a larger-than-usual fetish party into this event of epic proportions that must be seen to be believed.
So in the months leading up to this party, I hear the usual from my boss and the promoter Glenn about how enormous the lights and the sound are going to be, and about the high-end decorations and the veejays and the venue.
Weeks of hard work and constant promotion pass. For lack of a better term, the stress level is getting sort of bonkers around the office and the store. The place is packed with shoppers every minute of every day trying to find that perfect costume to set themselves apart from the crowd. Glenn is acting more insane than usual as he makes thousands of calls every single day, verifying plans, sorting out issues and solving problems as they come up.
Finally, Saturday arrives. It's October 27th, and though it's not actually Halloween, you would be hard-pressed to find a day better suited than the Saturday before Halloween. I pick up a few final necessary elements for my costume. I spend several hours in my friend's hair salon getting my usual platinum locks dyed pink and green, and then to a hardware store to get a few do-it-yourself bits and pieces as well as some colored electrical tape, and then back home to work on my mask. I had built an earlier version that just didn't look good enough to satisfy. Fortunately, my sophomore effort comes out looking like a professional job. Tonight is going to be spectacular.
After a rendezvous with some old friends and a failed attempt at getting a cab to come to my house in a timely manner, I finally decide it would be best to beg my roommate to drive us a few blocks to Revolution and drop us off at the doorstep.
The costumed crowds outside the club swarm towards the entrance. A few moments later, my friends and I have entered the club and we stand awe-struck.
The size and scale of this event have seriously set a high watermark in my mind, and I daresay I am not easily impressed. I have been to so many fetish parties that I've lost count years ago. I think back on the events I've been to and this one is a serious standout.
Glenn meant it when he said it, even though I really didn't think anything of it at the time when I was writing all of those promos, but there really is nothing like the production of the Fetish Factory Halloween party. This year, he's really outdone himself, and so have everyone involved with the event.
The energy, the lights, the sound, and everything was so top-notch and so world-class, it's no wonder why people travel the world for these events. I am just fortunate enough to be a part of this scene and get to experience the entire process from the front lines.
This famous South Florida music venue, in which I have seen countless bands that I idolize, and I have even been so fortunate as to have performed on that very stage, has been transformed into a visual spectacle that is absolutely mind-blowing. Shapes and lights dance throughout the club from the dancefloor through every level all the way to the ceiling, where surrealist shapes hang, spin and reflect the pulses of color and light throughout the venue.
I've seen the incredible decorative job Fetish Factory has procured for previous events and I daresay I was not prepared for the scale and magnitude of what I witnessed on this night. My simple words cannot do any of this justice. The photos may give you a better perspective, but being there is the only real experience.
I circle the dancefloor and make my way around the side and onto the stage. So many great music acts have laid it all out on this famous stage for an adoring crowd but tonight the stage is a public space. All are welcome to move about as they please throughout every space in the club. Tonight, the stage is home to a large amount of bondage equipment installations and beautiful bodies have found themselves in some very compromising predicaments. Flogging, electro-play and wild scenes of the most sultry and kinky nature are playing out and unfolding for an adoring crowd of voyeuristic onlookers. Many spend their entire night playing or being toyed with. Others prefer to watch. Still, others, like myself, can't stand the idea of being stationary for too long in such a stimulating environment.
I leave the stage and walk out to the open-air patio. This is normally home to the larger stage and a huge parking lot sized standing-room-only sort of audience space. Tonight, this entire space is heavily decorated, lit, pumped to the bursting point with sound and enthusiastic fetish friends who dance the night away. Racked-mounted lights move in huge arcs over the enormous dancefloor and smoke machines are set up that can create fog even in an outdoor setting!
DJ Godfather stands to one side of the stage and the performers intermittently entertain the crowd with their fetish shenanigans.
There are some people who go out to the parties specifically to be audience to some first-rate fetish entertainers take to the stage to dazzle the crowd. I personally am not that variety of partier. I prefer to mingle, to dance, to see and be seen, and so while I may miss out on some great entertainment, I find my own personal satisfaction in being a free-floating entity at the party.
If I'd been out on the porch, I would have been treated to a spectacular show as my friends Paige Austin and Firepixi took to the stage for a sexy medical fetish show. Paige also did an incredible fire show dancing on stage with enormous fire fans extending from her closed hands.
The always fantastic Rubberdoll teamed up with pinup goddess Ruby Luster to do two performances that really captured the crowd's undying imagination. The first was a real horror show with Rubberdoll wielding a knife and donning a skeleton mask, and of course the delectable Ruby Luster as her hapless victim. The second set was a more traditional sort of striptease with a bit of literal whipped cream on top!
Circ-X took to the stage for a bit of Halloween mayhem as the two contortionist pranksters crawled and danced about the stage in their surrealist costumes. The second show was more of a classic cabaret performance with a dark and perverse twist.
The always amazing and flamboyant Kip visited down from Atlanta for the event and covered the duties as Emcee for the evening. He was wonderful as always and kept the show going, introducing the upcoming acts and entertaining the crowd with his wit and charisma.
I was inside the club where music ruled on the dancefloor. I wasn't about to leave until I blew off some steam. The place was packed, and around 1am when the night peaked, the Halloween Fetish Ball had hit a plateau that lasted right up until the end. The packed house was bursting with energy. There was no better place to be in downtown Fort Lauderdale, or maybe anywhere else for that matter.
After expending a good bit of energy on the dancefloor, I decided it was time to see the rest of the club. I made my way upstairs and circled the club on the inside to see what was going on and run into some old friends.
That's an interesting thing about the Halloween Fetish Ball: you are bound to run into some old school partiers that you may not have seen for months or even years, but for some reason, they know that they can't afford to miss this event. While they may have moved on from the scene, or settled down, or whatever their story is, they still show up at Halloween, even if it's for one night only.
I make my way out to the upstairs balcony and get a panoramic view of the outside porch from upstairs. A smoke machine pushes out a cloud that fogs this entire enormous open-air space. Everything I know says that this is an impossible task, but I am witnessing it firsthand. An old friend buys me a drink and as the smoke finally starts to clear, I am treated to my good friend Paige Austin on stage moving in time with the rhythm and encircling herself under long, fanning torches.
Back inside where more flirting and more old friends greet me at every pass. The night has peaked and is now maintaining. In the end, I find myself on the back patio dancing with my beautiful friend Cassandra and some of her close friends to some great tunes. We'll just use up the rest of the night in this blissful way.
In the end, an amazing and memorable night that I won't soon forget, and I so love October and Halloween and all of the creativity that goes into the dark holiday. Next year can't come soon enough, and if you've never been, you can't afford to miss the Halloween Fetish Ball in 2008.
Long Live The FF
Marquis
Walking into the Fetish Factory for the first time was a combination of fear and excitement that would come to almost define my experiences in the fetish world.
When I first realized I was looking for something more esoteric in my life and my sexuality, like many people, I initially found that world online. After years of communicating with people online, I knew I was ready to step into the real world of fetish and every time I passed the Feti
Walking into the Fetish Factory for the first time was a combination of fear and excitement that would come to almost define my experiences in the fetish world. When I first realized I was looking for something more esoteric in my life and my sexuality, like many people, I initially found that world online. After years of communicating with people online, I knew I was ready to step into the real world of fetish and every time I passed the Fetish Factory sign on Oakland Park Blvd I felt it calling to me. Although by that point I had already realized BDSM would be a major part of my life, I was fairly cynical about much of the merchandise I saw and many of the people I would meet. I felt like I would be judged immediately, and I returned the favor, preemptively. I didn't know many people in the area and I certainly didn't know anyone in the fetish scene. I was intensely curious to check it out, but my self-protective skepticism barely allowed me to walk in the door, let alone admit my desire to join the party. But join the party I did, and I've never looked back since. I don't know if any of it ever would've happened without the help of the one person who has brought this magic to so many others like me. At first I couldn't figure out why Glenn was willing to give me so much of his time. I don't know any other retail establishment or party host that cares that much about his customers. Looking back, I imagine that Glenn could see right through me. See how excited I was, but how nervous, and he knew I'd be missing out if he didn't help me through this. We exchanged several emails after meeting in person and I decided to throw caution to the wind. Now, a great deal of my best friends are a part of the fetish scene and I look forward to each month's party with the anticipation of a 9 year old on Christmas morning. I'm not as easily phased as I used to be. I'm a lot more familiar with the people, who, as it turns out tend to be some of the nicest people I've ever met. But I'd be lying if I said that the FF parties didn't still have the power to put that combination of fear and excitement in the pit of my stomach. And it's exactly what keeps me coming back.
12th Anniversary Party as a photographer
ErosArtist
It’s been one year since I photographed my first Fetish Factory party in south Florida. Since that time I’ve attended and photographed 26 different parties and adult conventions around the globe, including the Rubber Ball in London, Montreal Fetish Weekend, Nuit Demonia in Paris, and the LA Kink Ball to name a few. I can now say with some authority, that the Fetish Factory throws one of the best fetish events in the world!Each year on Memorial d
It’s been one year since I photographed my first Fetish Factory party in south Florida. Since that time I’ve attended and photographed 26 different parties and adult conventions around the globe, including the Rubber Ball in London, Montreal Fetish Weekend, Nuit Demonia in Paris, and the LA Kink Ball to name a few. I can now say with some authority, that the Fetish Factory throws one of the best fetish events in the world!Each year on Memorial day weekend, the Fetish Factory hosts its anniversary party. This three day event has been sponsored by FetishMovies.com for the past few years, and once again they graciously invited me to photograph the parties for them. I stayed at the host hotel, where hundreds of other lifestylers gathered. Transportation was provided to and from the parties each night, as well as to the Fetish Factory store throughout the day. The store alone is worth the trip to Ft. Lauderdale. They stock all top designers of latex and vinyl... from high-fashion to bizarre, and carry an incredible array of alternative clubwear, footwear, accessories, toys, media and much more.
Friday night’s Beat & Greet Lounge kicked off the weekend, with a high-energy crowd that was ready to play! This year the open-air patio was the place to be, where the latex and leather-clad crowd mingled, partied, and played well into the early morning hours. One thing that makes a Fetish Factory party unique is the willingness of the players to be photographed. It’s typical for most people to shy away from the camera when they’re playing, fearful of a comprising picture of them engaging spanking, bondage, or some other BDSM play. But the regular players who attend the monthly Fetish Factory parties are exhibitionists who welcome the chance to be photographed in action. Memorable scenes of the night included three girls trampling a bound and blindfolded slave in their high heels, and a beautiful blonde Domme administering a bare-ass spanking with her wooden paddle. I edited my photos from the night down to about 140 of the best images in the gallery that you can find here.
Saturday night was the main event of the weekend, the Anniversary Fetish Ball held at Club Cinema in Pompano Beach. This multi-level venue was converted into a Fetish wonderland, complete with plenty of play areas set up throughout the club. I spent the first couple of hours walking through the club photographing party-goers and players. At one point I shot a really hot FemDom scene between a muscle bound Domme and her equally pumped up slave. Later I was invited to step into the dressing room for a bit where the performers were preparing for the show. On the main stage, Mistress of Ceremonies Bianca Beauchamp announced that the Demask fashion show was about to begin.The show went flawlessly, as each model strutted the stage in the latest Demask latex. In between the two-part fashion show, Master Luk and Mistress Mai from Montreal did a sinful performance with their disobedient slaves in a Demask Nun and Preist Outfit. Following the second part of the Demask show, performances by Darenzia and Chain Goddess Brandy were a prelude for the grand finale. To the rhythm of Taiko drummers, Rebecca of RebeccasRubberRoom.com entered wearing a black latex geisha robe designed by Polymorphe, accompanied by 2 acrobatic Ninjas. She stripped down to a pure white catsuit by Polymorphe and demonstrated her skills with flammable substances.
Just after the Rebecca’s performance, it was suddenly announced that the club was being forced to close two hours early! Although the Fetish Factory anniversary parties have been held at that venue for years, the city ordinance requiring nightclubs to close by 2:00 am was being enforced for the first time. The massive crowd was suddenly dispersed at the height of party-mode! With much of the group being shuttled back to the hotel, you can imagine what the mood was like by the time they were all back. What followed that evening was something extraordinary. The rooms all faced one another 8 or 9 stories high with a courtyard in the middle. Looking out across the balconies, you could see room after room of people still dressed and ready to party. Strolling through the halls, the night became a fetish-crawl as people floated from room to room, the loyal fetishists refusing to surrender to the events of the night. The party kept going until well into the morning hours.Sunday was the perfect day to relax before the final party, and the pool party hosted by Fetish Factory was the ideal place to do just that. People came out to the pool to hang out in their latex or swimsuits (or even their latex swimsuits!) and soak in the Florida sun before heading out to the Extreme Player’s Party later that night.
The Fetish Factory Extreme Player’s Party is something that you have to see to believe. With everyone feeling a bit unfulfilled because of Saturday night’s premature evacuation, the energy of the crowd flowed like a palpable wave throughout the room. It was difficult to tear myself away from the scenes scattered about the club, to return to the main stage for a few more performances. Darenzia performed the second part of her show which was cut short the night before. Also on stage this night was suspension artist Alan Falkner, Chain Goddess Brandy, and the Terror Twins.After the performances I continued to wander around the club, catching photos of Dante Posh using a single-tail whip on her slave or Mistress V from Montreal using a violet wand for a little electro-play. In another area of the club, Goddess Arsine and transgender performer Tara Emery were engaged in a little strap-on play while the crowd looked on. By the end of the evening, I had encountered a number of spankings and floggings, and plenty of bare red asses to make my night complete. I skipped the after party, and head back to the hotel just in time to pack for my morning flight back home.
Twelve years, that tells you right there.
Drac
The Friday Night Party, Always an intimate venue the infamous Venus Room, The turn out was fabulous, A lot of old faces, and so many new. A fabulous way to casually launch into a weekend of fetish and kink. Throughout the night Circ X entertained inside and out, wonderful artists and performers, the small stage area displayed an eclectic barrage of beautiful people, back drop of other pervy parties on slide show.
The Saturday Party “The bal
The Friday Night Party, Always an intimate venue the infamous Venus Room, The turn out was fabulous, A lot of old faces, and so many new. A fabulous way to casually launch into a weekend of fetish and kink. Throughout the night Circ X entertained inside and out, wonderful artists and performers, the small stage area displayed an eclectic barrage of beautiful people, back drop of other pervy parties on slide show.
The Saturday Party “The ball” Club cinema was born for large scale fetish parties, multiple levels of the Scenes most beautiful people old and new. Performances and Shows Top notch as always, Rebecca of Rebecca’s Rubber Room has consistently not only had shows of the most beautiful people but a true professional choreographed show. Worthy of some of the biggest stages.
Sunday XFP, what can I say always an old favourite, when it becomes less fashion and more “Lifestyle” again shows were superb and professional, a wonderful suspension show, performed by two serious up and coming talents. The Venue, The Coliseum, Such a well run club, no shortage of bartenders, great energy of the club created by the incredible people sharing their kinks and drinks.
So again Kudos to Glen, Donna, Rebecca and all the Staff of the Fetish Factory and the Respective staffs of All three venues. They worked hard above and beyond, to make the weekend a success it showed through via the energy of all three events.
Looking forward to the Thirteenth Anniversary *wicked grin* triskaidekaphobia not withstanding *laugh* the opportunity comes to us to evolve a party around breaking and shaking myths of the number thirteen, all kinds of wicked and taboo fun…
Enjoyed my self immensely.
Very Best Regards
~The Draconian Prime (The Rubber Bat)
Keep out doing Yourself ! ! A yearly staple for the World ! !
Dara / d
The first nite, Friday, was spent meeting Icons of the Fetish world. "i" had the honor of meeting some "friends" that had previously only been met online. The different protocols melded beautifully and were well respected by A/all. It was wonderful to see so many F/friends from other parts that come in for the larger, weekend long, parties.
Saturday nite at the "Ball" was phenominal!
The first nite, Friday, was spent meeting Icons of the Fetish world. "i" had the honor of meeting some "friends" that had previously only been met online. The different protocols melded beautifully and were well respected by A/all. It was wonderful to see so many F/friends from other parts that come in for the larger, weekend long, parties.
Saturday nite at the "Ball" was phenominal! From the venue itself to the amazing shows! Again, sharing this with so many great F/friends was an honor for me! "i" missed the last opportunities to experience Club Cinema, so it was an additional thrill for me to be able to have that experience when the energy level of the crowd was peaked! The Fetish crowd has the most amazing and diverse energy of any other lifestyle party "i've" attended. T/they are truly outrageous and "i" luv them!
Sunday, XFP! ! ! well, what can ya say about it other than Xtreme! ! the crowd stood still and all floggers ceased moving when Allan Faulkner and his partner began! Mezzzzzmerizing! It was a night that shared people's Xtremes with O/others. Images are burned into the psyche of the voyeurs of new possibilities! Pushing the limits of others who never thought some thing was possible or errotic, until they saw the images come to life at XFP... From the hottest Wax scene to air on Playboy TV, from the 1st blowout event 2 years ago, that featured Uncle Eric, to Allan Faulkner's arobatics at this last anniversary, Glenn and the Fetish Factory open the doorway into the imagination of the worlds most "Freakiest" players! ! !
Thank You Glenn & Donna, and all the FF employees who worked so hard to give U/us all the opportunity and the right to celebrate. *muahz
"i" personally can't wait for the "13th anniversary"
luv to A/all
de
Saturday & Sunday night, during the 12 year Anni party
Stacey
I had an amazing time on saturday. Got there a bit later than expected but it was great, i walked in the door through the black curtins and i felt as though i was blown away by all the energy in the room. the performances were nothing I've ever seen before an it just made me want to get deeper and deeper into the fetish scene.
Sunday, was a bit slower than i would have imagined, that was before I went to the room behind the stage, or u
I had an amazing time on saturday. Got there a bit later than expected but it was great, i walked in the door through the black curtins and i felt as though i was blown away by all the energy in the room. the performances were nothing I've ever seen before an it just made me want to get deeper and deeper into the fetish scene.
Sunday, was a bit slower than i would have imagined, that was before I went to the room behind the stage, or upstairs. the suspension performance was like nothing I've ever seen, I definitly couldn't hold it in, I told all my friends about it the next day...and, I even have a 100 dollar bill to prove I loved the performance, I kinda wish I could have gotten the to the club earlier too.
I loved every minute i was there Saturday and Sunday, even at the hotel after Saturday night, it was all amazing. I cant wait to go next year!
Fetish Weekend X- periance
Circx
Hi this is Diana from Circ X... reporting on one of the most decadently entertaining weekends I have ever experienced. The highlight for me as you can probably guess would be the performances. I was soooo impressed by the level of production this year... most of all by Rebecca's stage show with the Taiko Drummers...WOW!!
I was also very impressed with the Chain Goddess and the butoh like people suspending from their backs.... (forgive me for no
Hi this is Diana from Circ X... reporting on one of the most decadently entertaining weekends I have ever experienced. The highlight for me as you can probably guess would be the performances. I was soooo impressed by the level of production this year... most of all by Rebecca's stage show with the Taiko Drummers...WOW!!
I was also very impressed with the Chain Goddess and the butoh like people suspending from their backs.... (forgive me for not knowing their names..since I am not really in the scene so much...) But overall I thought it was wonderful time...looking forward to next years extravaganza!!
Domina Erotica's 12 Year Anniversary Party Comment!!
Domina Erotica
This
party was absolutely kick ass, where do I start??!! The venues it was held at
(Club Cinema & Coliseum) which was the perfect backdrop to a fetish party
full of creative, imaginative, fabulously fetish dressed, eclectic and socially
friendly people I have come across since I relocated here from NYC. All the
creative energy, time and effort Glenn & Donna put into creating this party
was WELL worth it and I must
This party was absolutely kick ass, where do I start??!! The venues it was held at (Club Cinema & Coliseum) which was the perfect backdrop to a fetish party full of creative, imaginative, fabulously fetish dressed, eclectic and socially friendly people I have come across since I relocated here from NYC. All the creative energy, time and effort Glenn & Donna put into creating this party was WELL worth it and I must commend them and say thank you for making this night a night to remember for Myself and many others. I saw people that I have not seen in a long time and met new and wonderful people that I connected with. People came out in such fierce outfits dressed to impress and to fulfill there own personal fetishes. I was only able to attend the VIP party, Beat & Greet and then the Saturday night party. I heard from people who attended the Sunday night party say that this night was the grande finale of parties. The performers, the people, the energy was intense and memorable. I had a great time and I totally look forward to attending many more FF parties as well as the nexy Anniversary Party.
Spanks & Kisses to Glenn & Donna....see you soon!
DOMINA EROTICA @ http://WWW.DOMINAEROTICA.COM
Fetish Factory's 12 year Anniversary: The Big Impact
Poison
First and Foremost I would love to say Thank you to Glenn and his staff for putting this AMAZING party together. It took a lot of hard work and effort, and it paid off extremely well in the end.
Now, I am a frequent shopper at Fetish Factory for the past 2 years and I have never attended to any of their parties. If I tried, something would come up, and I didn't like the thought of attending alone. But this year I got sick and tired of procrastin
First and Foremost I would love to say Thank you to Glenn and his staff for putting this AMAZING party together. It took a lot of hard work and effort, and it paid off extremely well in the end.
Now, I am a frequent shopper at Fetish Factory for the past 2 years and I have never attended to any of their parties. If I tried, something would come up, and I didn't like the thought of attending alone. But this year I got sick and tired of procrastinating, and decided to go. I am an African American and as majority of society would put it " I am not a normal black girl". Friends found it odd but still accepted it, in the end I attended to the 12 year Memorial Weekend. I DO NOT REGRET ANYTHING. IT WAS THE BEST.
The atmosphere of the club was the best I have ever experience. Everybody at the party was friendly, nice and easy to talk to. Although I played headstrong and attended the parties along, when I got there it did not matter. Thanks to Alter Ego and Myspace, new friends were made, and our first gathering was fun, so really and truly in the end I was not alone. At the parties you run into creative, and invigorating personalities.
The special performances that took place was also a plus, from fashion shows, to chain performances, there was something always happening everywhere. The photographers at the parties are also wonderful... as well known as they are, believe it or not they are very down to earth and sweet. Lets not only stop there, but also our Special guests/ Major fetish models, performers and etc are the same. Easy to approach, amazing personalities and FRIENDLY.
If it is one major party you want to, attend Fetish Factory's 3 night Anniversary parties! Everybody from everywhere is there, as big as it is, it will be forever remember as one of your greatest experience. With no pressure at all. Hope to see YOU at our parties!
-Shanna
Fetish Factory’s 11th makes for an unforgettable weekend
TheFetishistas
Fetish
Factory’s 11th makes for an unforgettable weekend...
Tony Mitchell gets a first taste of Florida’s full-on pervy partying style at
Fetish Factory’s May 2006 anniversary celebrations in Ft Lauderdale. But, he
admits, theirs wasn’t the only event that made this a Memorial Day Weekend he
won’t quickly forget
When my Virgin Atlantic flight landed in Miami a few days before Fetish Factory’s
11 Year Anniversar
Fetish
Factory’s 11th makes for an unforgettable weekend...
Tony Mitchell gets a first taste of Florida’s full-on pervy partying style at
Fetish Factory’s May 2006 anniversary celebrations in Ft Lauderdale. But, he
admits, theirs wasn’t the only event that made this a Memorial Day Weekend he
won’t quickly forget
When my Virgin Atlantic flight landed in Miami a few days before Fetish Factory’s
11 Year Anniversary weekend in Fort Lauderdale last May, I was really looking
forward to covering the event in my capacity as editor of Skin Two magazine.
By the time I left Florida eight days later, I was no longer working for Skin
Two. The owner’s decision to stage an editorial coup while I was out of the
country may not have been the best news either for me or for my Fetish Factory
hosts, but it came too late to stop me enjoying the parties and seeing for myself
why FF events are so highly regarded. Nine months down the line, far from not
wanting to return to the scene of the crime, I’m thinking how much I’d like
to go back this year and do more serious partying with Florida’s finest. That’s
the positive power of pervery for you, I guess!
It’s hard to imagine a climate less amenable to the pursuit of rubber-clad pervery
than Florida’s tropical heat and humidity, so it just goes to show how much
can be achieved when you have the dedication and enthusiasm of Fetish Factory
owners Glenn and Donna. Inspired originally by a trip to the Rubber Ball in
London some years ago, they vowed to bring European-style fetish partying to
their home city. The fact that their Alter Ego parties have been America’s biggest
regular monthly fetish events for some years now, and their Anniversary weekends
have become must-do dates on the international fetish calendar, is an indication
of just how successfully they’ve interpreted the European formula for US consumption.
The key to European partying style is, of course, the fetishism. Not the BDSM;
not the preponderance of ‘serious’ players; not the number of swingers having
furtive sex in dark corners. It’s the focus on dressing-up that makes Euro-style
perving what it is. Without commitment to a proper and fully enforced fetish
dresscode, you can’t do it. Without a critical mass of your audience embracing
the pleasures of clubbing in rubber, you can never hope to achieve that distinctly
European vibe. So of course, it helps that the Fetish Factory store not only
specializes in selling the very kind of latex fashions that are essential for
this kind of fetish partying, but also functions as a social hub and support
mechanism for the local fetish community in its entirety.
‘The combination of a Cuban heritage and a taste for latex produces some pretty
spectacular results — for which there is simply no equivalent in London or Berlin’
In my view, the other key factor that Glenn and Donna have on their side is
the enthusiasm of local kinksters for their particular partying style. The twin
influences of gay and Latino culture (remembering that Miami, Mecca for both,
is just to the South) have not only ensured that there is a young and kink-aware
crowd up for FF’s kind of action, but have also helped put a distinctive stamp
on the FF party experience. Crucial, I think, has been the energy that the area’s
Hispanic kink community has brought to the mix. All clichés aside, it has to
be said that the combination of a Cuban heritage and a taste for latex produces
some pretty spectacular results — for which there is simply no equivalent in
London or Berlin.
No one better represents this cultural crossover than Fort Lauderdale’s fabulous
RubberDoll, one of the weekend VIPs and a woman who has graduated in the last
couple of years from local kink queen to international fetish celebrity and
most frequently requested fetish friend on MySpace. But the Fetish Factory scene
has produced other world class performers too, of course — not least among them
RubberDoll’s oft-times partner in performance, Rebecca, a seasoned club dancer,
proper perv (check out her Rubber Room) and key figure in the production of
FF’s big annual events and Alter Ego parties. I was looking forward to meeting
them all on their home turf, and getting a first-hand taste of the fetish phenomenon
Glenn and Donna have worked so hard to create.
And I was not disappointed. The party program comprised three club events –
a Friday night Beat & Greet at Club Boca, Saturday’s main event, the Fetish
Ball at Club Cinema, and Sunday’s Extreme Players Party at Coliseum — plus its
now-traditional Pool Party. This latter had been arranged for Sunday afternoon
around the rooftop pool of the Marriott North Lauderdale, the event’s official
hotel, where FF had negotiated an impressive discount rate on 400 rooms for
the weekend’s many out-of-town and overseas guests and performers. The store
had also organized coaches from the hotel to each of the venues, which proved
both the funnest and cheapest way to get to and from the clubs. What could be
better than arriving in the company of 50 highly polished and party-primed perverts,
eh?
This year’s Beat & Greet was preceded by a cocktail party for industry people
in one of Club Boca’s side rooms. “We were surprised by how many industry people
the previous year knew of each other but had never met,” Glenn explained, “so
we decided to do something about it.” It was a very successful idea which provided
not only industry networking opportunities but also some great photo opportunities
for those who, like me, were on camera duty. It’s not often that you’d get a
chance in the space of an hour or so to schmooze with such fetish royalty as
RubberDoll, Rebecca, Robert Fluty, Gerry Koehler, Angela Ryan, Paige Richards,
Aprella, Porcelain Twinz, RubberDoll, Athena Fatale, Allen Falkner, Perish,
Rubberella, Bianca Beauchamp and Martin Perreault, Audra, Darenzia and Nicholas,
Veronica, Kendra James and of course Glenn and Donna themselves.
Meanwhile in the main area of Club Boca the local fetish folk were working up
a sweat, dancing and watching performances by some of the people I’d met earlier
in the cocktail room. And as the evening wore on, the two groups mingled freely,
giving me the first chance to meet up-and-coming Florida talents such sexy dancer
Maria and Jolie Vaughn, who features in the launch edition of our StyleFile
section elsewhere on this site. ‘The first thing I remember about Saturday now
is getting on the coach and sitting behind a latex catsuit-clad blonde in a
gasmask with a long breathing tube attached’
I suppose Saturday daytime must have existed, but the first thing I remember
about Saturday now is getting on the coach with Robert Fluty outside the hotel
that night, and finding ourselves sitting behind a latex catsuit-clad blonde
in a gasmask with a long breathing tube attached. As a result of what happened
during the ride to the club, I can now offer fetishism a new term: fluting.
It means ‘flirting and cutting’— as in ‘flirting with a complete stranger in
a gasmask while cutting off her air supply’.
First thing that greeted us inside Club Cinema was the fabulous Black Rose motorcycle
created by Miami artist and bike-builder Carlos Orta, I set about photographing
it and within moments, it had gained itself a suitably-clad rider in the guise
of Zena, a none-too-shy dominatrix from LA. By the time I got into the auditorium,
the place was already really crowded and I thought it was going to be hard to
get close to the stage where the shows were soon to start. But I managed to
fight my way to the front just as the music started up for the Vex fashion show,
which featured a colourful troupe of local and visiting celebs walking Laura
Petrielli Pulice’s stylish latex creations.
Next up was a show by Porcelain Twinz which I’d enjoyed watching just the previous
month in Amsterdam. Porcelain shows can get quite naughty, given the right atmosphere
and enough co-operation from those audience members selected to submit to the
Twinz’ onstage torments. This one was no exception, with Jody from Atlanta among
those required to take his punishment like a man, and loving it.
Britain’s own Empress Stah was the night’s top overseas attraction, showcasing
her unique combination of circus performance and fetish melodrama to a curious
and enthusiastic audience. Several people commented to me afterwards that their
favorite part of her act was when she hung upside down naked from a rope and
produced a hidden string of pearls. Which just shows what a novelty nudity can
be in a full-on fetish environment!Not being much of a sun-seeker, I stayed
away from Sunday’s Pool Party until the sun was well past its high point. By
the time I arrived poolside, most of the fun was being had by a large German
Shepherd belonging to one of the kinky crowd. Although you would never have
guessed it from his playful behavior, he was apparently a security dog trained
to attack on command. Probably why he pretty much had the pool to himself.
‘The floor of the venue was dotted with dungeon furniture for the use of exhibitionist
individuals and groups making their own entertainment. Which they did, most
enthusiastically’
Sunday night’s finale event, the Extreme Players Party, was styled in the manner
of Fetish Factory’s regular XFP parties where, to quote the publicity blurb,
‘anything goes’. The floorspace of the Coliseum venue was dotted with pieces
of dungeon furniture, cages and assorted podia for the use of exhibitionist
individuals and groups making their own entertainment. Which they did, most
enthusiastically. This was definitely one of those events where the audience
was the show, with bondage, discipline and rudery of all kinds wherever you
looked. However, there were also a couple of memorable scheduled performances
— Allen Falkner doing a classic skyhook suspension to the sombre accompaniment
of Johnny Cash’s vocals, and RubberDoll and Rebecca getting down ’n’ dirty with
a Vac-bed and other pervy apparatus.
By the time most of us got back to the hotel on Monday morning, it hardly seemed
worth going to sleep, and the attractions of the poolside hot tub beckoned.
After that, the only sensible thing was to hit the local diner for breakfast,
and only then to consider bed. Fetish Factory’s 12 Year Anniversary celebrations
this year again take place in Fort Lauderdale over Memorial Day weekend, May
25-27. Full details from the website — see link on left. If you have any thoughts
of going, then go. You’ll have a brilliant time.
Please visit www.thefashionistas.com website and view the article on Ton't site
to see the lost pics of the 11 year party which were never published in Skin
Two or the Alter Ego site. http://www.thefetishistas.com/index.php?menu=3&sub=32&display=27
If you have not been to AE... Live Vicariously through me!
candyxcoffin@yahoo.com
If
you didn’t derive pleasure from being in the presence of this alter-ego, either
you weren’t there or were rendered unconscious the instant you walked into the
club. And I didn’t see anyone unconscious. I was in various rooms, one with
a cage, there were two others one upstairs and one downstairs that had two stations
each, upstairs stage and other cool little spots to dance and watch the scene
unfold. One of my favorit
If you didn’t derive pleasure from being in the presence of this alter-ego, either you weren’t there or were rendered unconscious the instant you walked into the club. And I didn’t see anyone unconscious. I was in various rooms, one with a cage, there were two others one upstairs and one downstairs that had two stations each, upstairs stage and other cool little spots to dance and watch the scene unfold. One of my favorite things about club xit is the amount of seating and the way it is set up.
Every place I posted myself gave me a sense that everyone was connected. The party and love vibe of the entire scene was overwhelming, in the hot dark way only a fetish party can provide. Once I tapped into it I couldn’t hold still for very long. Everyone around me seemed to reinforce my feelings. That kicks ass! Another reason I love alter-ego so much.
There is something about the parties at club xit that seem magical. I loved watching the pro doms work their art on the various body parts of the willing. They were amazing. If you didn’t see someone transgender at this party you had blinders, goggles or a gas mask on. Tgirls were everywhere! Its really great to see so many of us at a party. Thanks for the eye candy girls, I love to see everyone of you there. Couples were having a great time as well. They’re such big flirts. I might have to start pinching butts.
DJ’s Danny Bled and Godfather played kick ass sets that wouldn’t let you take a break. Every time I took a break another good song started. Did they bring their entire music collection? Each time I changed dance floors they were packed. And I finally realized they didn’t design makeup for these conditions. Wish I could write something about the outside. I never made it that far.
Once again another kick ass party. Party doesn’t really describe the modern ritual created each time we all converge and share this experience together. If you come expecting to find fun, someone or something you’re into, all you have to do is make the effort to connect. This is just my version filtered through my experience there; I hope you had as much fun as I did.
Channeling love to you, Candy Coffin
Alter Ego @ The Castle, Tampa FL Aug 20th
Lochai
The
premiere fetish party of South Florida makes a road trip once a year to Tampa
to host a special FetishCon extravaganza that is not to be missed. Don’t
get me wrong, FetishCon ( http://fetishcon.com ) is a first class conference
that brings the most beautiful models & talented fetish photographers in
the world together in one place but I know for a fact that many people who attended
this years party traveled
The premiere fetish party of South Florida makes a road trip once a year to Tampa to host a special FetishCon extravaganza that is not to be missed. Don’t get me wrong, FetishCon ( http://fetishcon.com ) is a first class conference that brings the most beautiful models & talented fetish photographers in the world together in one place but I know for a fact that many people who attended this years party traveled across the state as well as the country for the hot gyrating bodies that can only be found in the Alter Ego genre of parties. Glenn & Donna of The Fetish Factory (http://fetishfactory.com/) really know how to throw a party.
The night kick off for me at the host hotel, As my subs & I were waiting for the shuttle bus Kumi Monster (http://kumimonster.com )ran up to me & asked if I was driving to the Castle. Well how could I pass up driving the beautiful, talented Kumi to party where she & Lew Rubins ( http://boundndetermined.com ) were to kick off the party with a rope suspension? Well as we arrived the party seemed to have started outside as people waited down the block to get in. Once inside the driving music really got my blood pumping & I didn’t know where to turn first. It was really wonderful seeing the “everyday” people I have been hanging with at FetishCon dressed to kill in their leather & latex.
As Kumi was getting herself ready for her show I sought out Lew Rubins to see if he was ready, well he was…. As the two ascended the stage all eyes went up to the Triskel ring hanging from the rafters. As the display progresses & Kumi went up in Lew’s ropes, the mouths of the crowd dropped. Kumi was a sight to see in her one of a kind display….
Everywhere I turned was beautiful, painted bodies dancing & getting off from one another’s sexual energies. As the night progressed the partygoers were putting on shows for one another that rivaled the stage shows of many “normal” fetish parties. The only thing that outshone the attendees was when Masuimi Max ( http://iamtrouble.com ) took the stage for her never to be outdone striptease & fire eating display. This is one fucking sexy woman who knows how to turn on a crowd. Well it worked! She got the crowd all riled up & hot as she displayed her talents & taught us a thing about fire eating.
Now as the night was getting on you might think that things would calm down. Shit no! if you are at an Alter Ego party. The lights on the stage dimmed & out came Rubberdoll (http://www.rubber-doll.com ) & Rebecca (http://rebeccasrubberroom.com/ ) with their little hot “Hospital” show. Well let’s just say that anyone who got even a small glimpse of these two were looking for an excuse to visit the emergency room in the hope that their nurses would be half as sexy as these two vixens.
Well the night needed to end here for me. I had been shooting all day, partying all night & had an early photo shoot planned in the morning (stupid me) & needed to get the sexy images out of my head if I had any chance of sleeping. Let’s just say I didn’t sleep much…
Lochai
Fine art fetish photographer & rope artist.
http://kirinawa.com
http://group.secretmag.com
Alter ego 10 Year Anniversary fetish weekend!
Bianca
Wow... what an
event!
3 parties 3 days 3 times the kink. Definitely a weekend to remember. We have
been to many 3 day parties and we can't remember one being nearly as exciting
or as kinked. Everything went flawlessly. Each party was distinct and twisted.
Friday’s venue with the indoor and outdoors areas was the perfect setting
for the “meet and beat,” and the fabulous performances wer
Wow... what an event!
3 parties 3 days 3 times the kink. Definitely a weekend to remember. We have
been to many 3 day parties and we can't remember one being nearly as exciting
or as kinked. Everything went flawlessly. Each party was distinct and twisted.
Friday’s venue with the indoor and outdoors areas was the perfect setting
for the “meet and beat,” and the fabulous performances were only
topped by the creativity of the patrons as the night progressed! Saturday
night’s XFP was a great time with a great open-minded and playful feel.
Sunday? Well, what can we say? We were absolutely blown away by the scale
and quality of the party Glenn and Donna had worked so hard to put together.
The performances were unmatched, the outfits were tastefully delicious and
the people wearing them were even more delicious. We are patiently awaiting
the next big event from Alter Ego. Until then we will get our fill of the
regular monthly Alter Ego parties that we can fly down to from our place in
Boston.
Thanks for a truly memorable weekend,
Michael & Bianca
Variant
Images Fetish Party, Boston, MA
Proud Sponsor!
Steelwerks
To
say the least We had an AWESOME time!!!!!!! for sure the best fetish party I
have ever been to, from Montreal to Florida I give you a very large pat on the
back for showing all of us at Steelwerksextreme and the rest of the community
a great time. All the effort that you and your staff put into that party was
without a doubt very noticeable and much appreciated. The shows were fantastic
and the venue was fabulous!
To say the least We had an AWESOME time!!!!!!! for sure the best fetish party I have ever been to, from Montreal to Florida I give you a very large pat on the back for showing all of us at Steelwerksextreme and the rest of the community a great time. All the effort that you and your staff put into that party was without a doubt very noticeable and much appreciated. The shows were fantastic and the venue was fabulous!
yours truly from the staff at steelwerksextreme.com
Special Fetish Party in Downtown Tampa @ Club XIT
Timb
With all of my plans falling through and people cancelling on me, I finally decided to get brave and go it alone. What I didn't know was that I was about to have one of the best times of my life.
I took the day off from the Factory, rented a car from my friend's place, and headed up towards Lakeland. Without knowing exactly where I was going, and in the wake of a million people evacuating the east coast because of Hurricane Jeanne, I rolled into a half-dozen closed gas stations along the desolate redneck road through the center of Florida. Finally finding a tiny bit of gas, I braved a long line of cars at the pump and finished my journey to Lakeland where I met up with an old friend.
Checked into a hotel downtown and got into my latex. Thankfully, I remembered to go out for gas before getting into my gettup this time! Spent the madatory hour or so getting everything ready and trying to look perfect for the party. Headed out to Tampa (it was actually less than 30 min) and walked into the coolest Fetish Party that I think I've ever attended (and I am no newbie).
Glenn happened to be up at the door and he showed me around this massive and beautifully decorated venue. The place had three warehouse-sized rooms and seemed to just go on forever. Later, I discovered a back-bar and a whole outdoor porch. I had no idea. The venue was massive and already starting to get crowded with beautiful people. Everywhere you went, people were setting up elaborate S&M and bondage scenes. The energy was in the air. By midnight, the place was packed, but because of its immense size, it was still comfortable.
The music was energizing and the lighting was elaborate. People couldn't seem to agree on a cetral dancefloor, so everyone just sort of flocked out to the middle of the club and started shaking it down. Plus the people there were so pretty. Well, not all of them, but enough of them to keep me distracted and running around everywhere all night long. I was drooling most of the time. You get used to seeing the same people again and again at fetish parties but Tampa was a whole new scene. Fresh faces make for an exciting night!
There was so much going on, it was almost impossible to see every show and meet every sexy person. The performers were incredible, especially Julie Simone and her bondage performance. Rubberella looked incredible. The performers came right out into the crowd and mingled after their shows. It was great to be face to face with Emily Marilyn and Rubberella. Everyone was really friendly and the party had a fantastic vibe to it.
I wished the party could have gone on all night but it was only open til 3. I was just getting started by the time they ushered everyone out to the streets. For weeks after, I found myself bragging about how much fun I had to all the people back home who didn't go, and also found myself secretly wishing that the party had never ended.
I met my friends outside the venue to head back to my hotel in Lakeland for deep relaxation and cold beer.
The next day I hooked up a killer Waffle House meal and then made the insane blitz drive right down the east coast and into the oncoming storm. I decided to take it head-on so that I wouldn't get stuck. Loaded up on red bull and filled the tank to the brim. 100 mph down the free Turnpike, fearless into the oncoming face of death! Not a moment to waste.
It was an incredible experience. Zero visibility and not a cop in sight. Everyone was heading away and it seemed I was the only maniac heading straight into it. There was no turning back and no slowing down because the weather was only going to get worse. I landed back in Ft. Lauderdale with an empty gas tank in about three hours and buckled down for the storm.
It was an amazing party and an exciting roadtrip vacation. It was so much fun and just what I needed. I really hope that Alter Ego goes on the road again because Tampa was fantastic! I can't wait to get on the road again for another great Tampa party.
Fetish Factory AlterEgo party @ Club XIT in Ft Lauderdale, FL on July 10th 2004
RonaldH
!*NEW*! Ronald from the Netherlands was our guest photographer at the July 10th AlterEgo party
I recently was invited back to sunny Fort Lauderdale Florida to visit my old friends Glenn & Donna of Fetish Factory. I have enjoyed visiting with them for many years now and have been responsible for the creative direction of their site since the early days. My trip was arranged primarily as a business trip with a mission to recreate an all new Fetish Factory website as well as create a well over due website for the Alter Ego party. I realized that this trip would be quite demanding but was happy to learn that there would be an Alter Ego fetish party scheduled for the first weekend of my arrival.
I packed my bags, laptop, and my Canon D60 camera along with some lenses and departed from Amsterdam first thing in the morning. I made my connection in London but was unfortunately not able to take in the city. I arrived in Fort Lauderdale where I was greeted by Glenn and we were off to Fetish Factory! The new store is tremendous and stocked with latex fashions from all the top designers around the world. They have a monster fetish store by European standards and a comprehensive fetish inventory. They also recently opened a new cutting edge shoe store called Strut where they have the hottest shoes and boots that I have seen under one roof!
The following day I was woken up to find out that I was elected to assist in the set up of the club. This is not the first time for me and I enjoyed being asked to participate. The Fetish Factory has a special trailer they use to haul all of the custom made steel bondage equipment. We rendezvous’d with a group of people at their new venue Club X-IT. The venue is a historic building built in the 1920’s and has been restored to its original grandeur. When we arrived it was 97 degrees in the shade and I though I would melt! We dragged all of the heavy equipment into the club and the crew, with Glenn in command, worked feverishly to convert this nightclub into an all out fetish club. I took a bunch of photos documenting the transformation of the club but unfortunately they were lost when the CFdisk got misplaced and lost! We finished the task and then were off to a ride along beautiful Fort Lauderdale Beach on our way home to get ready for the event.
The party began at 10pm and the lines were already forming. We slipped into the club and the staff was making final arrangements to open. The music began to pound and the lights dimmed as the door opened and the wonderfully dressed fetishists poured into the club. The club was packed by midnight and as I understand they had over 800 attendees which is typical for this monthly event. The crowd was alive and the outfits were great.
The crowd is particularly playful and seems to take full advantage of all of the bondage equipment scattered throughout the club. The entertainment is headed by Rebecca who has been entertaining the Alter Ego crowd since the beginning. She and her fellow performers certainly grabbed my attention and the pics will show for it. It was great making so many new friends and I was happy to take in the night with others I have met at Alter Ego in past years. I took a lot of pictures that night and really had a blast. I hope the pics can be used in a future issue of Skin Two or any other publication you guys are putting out!
Ronald Helmstrijd
Contact me if you like!
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Points of Interest
Editorial
- 14-Year Anniversary - A Gonzo Retrospective
- Old and Jaded to Young and Invigorated!
- thank you
- FF Halloween Fetish Ball 2008 by Timb
- Fetish Factory - Keep Cumming back...
- Fetish Factory's Halloween Fetish Ball - by Timb
- Long Live The FF
- 12th Anniversary Party as a photographer
- Twelve years, that tells you right there.
- Keep out doing Yourself ! ! A yearly staple for the World ! !
- Saturday & Sunday night, during the 12 year Anni party
- Fetish Weekend X- periance
- Domina Erotica's 12 Year Anniversary Party Comment!!
- Fetish Factory's 12 year Anniversary: The Big Impact
- Fetish Factory’s 11th makes for an unforgettable weekend
- If you have not been to AE... Live Vicariously through me!
- Alter Ego @ The Castle, Tampa FL Aug 20th
- Alter ego 10 Year Anniversary fetish weekend!
- Proud Sponsor!
- Special Fetish Party in Downtown Tampa @ Club XIT
- Fetish Factory AlterEgo party @ Club XIT in Ft Lauderdale, FL on July 10th 2004