But according to the Antoinette, the store’s manager, who can be found most days and evenings at the counter, Demask is experiencing the economic slump in its own peculiar way.
“We do sell little things—like toys, masks and small accessories—and we get a lot of foot traffic, but people just aren’t buying our primary wares: the clothing,” says Antoinette, who wishes to be known by her first name only. The store, long a mainstay in the fetish community, has experienced such a sales drop that, according to Antoinette, it’s not even breaking even.
Like all retail clothing, fetish wear ranges in price from reasonable to very expensive. In this tastefully coordinated boutique, where latex and leather displays titillate and intrigue passersby, only high-quality, longlasting items are sold. A pair of men’s leather shorts can retail for as much as $544. Purple latex hip huggers are tagged at $442, although it’s possible to find some for as low as $300. Part of the explanation for the price is that the outfits usually last for many years.
Aside from the upscale fetish community—composed of mostly hetero couples and women—fashion photographers and other aesthetically inclined people use Demask’s products. Antoinette showed me a glossy European fashion mag in which Demask latex leggings were featured, and in Rihanna´s “Umbrella” video, the chanteuse wore a “black latex, boned ballerina corset dress” from the store—which retails for $618.
After nine years in Chelsea, Demask relocated to the Lower East Side in 2006, when rents were still cheaper. It is currently in a seven-year lease, and the Amsterdambased owners don’t appear willing to renegotiate the lease at the current location. Sales also occur online, despite the need for tight fits and customized attention. It might be time to move to a more out-of-the-way spot—one could imagine Demask attracting an entirely new (and adventurous) clientele in the Flatiron area or even the far West Side—or it may disappear altogether.
Other fetish stores, however, such as Chelsea-based rubber specialist Nasty Pig, don’t appear to be suffering quite the same way as Demask. “[Last year] was recordbreaking!” says Nasty Pig co-owner David Lauderstein. “And this is the best December we’ve had in our history,” which extends back to 1995.
A combination of self-manufactured synthetic rubber used in the clothing line and the Pig’s diverse range of clothes— which include stylish one-of-a kind tank tops, baggy jeans, camouflage pants and even neckties—are what keep his store afloat, says Lauderstein. Rather than selling only fetish wear (although it certainly does, including chaps for $160 and $80 harnesses), Nasty Pig tries to sell a “rude boy” lifestyle that has even found a loyal (but small) following of straight men.
Lauderstein clearly loves his work; he stripped off his shirt in the middle of the store to model a new red sweatshirt from his fall line. He tries to push boundaries in the fetish and leather crowd by combining urban style with the traditional polished look, incorporating youth culture and style. The constant re-invention is the only way to stay viable and valid in his eyes.
“My customers are mostly gay men. They still buy their rubber harnesses and chaps—especially right around the Black Party,” he explains, referencing the annual Saint at Large bacchanal scheduled for Saturday, March 21 at Roseland. “A whole planet of circuit queens descends upon us in March every year.”
The Leather Man, a West Village staple since 1965, also gets lots of business around March, according to manager Max Gregory. Although he’s noticed a gradual drop in business with the sagging economy, it’s nothing as drastic as Demask’s crippling lack of sales.The Leather Man, which caters mostly to men, has the most extensive choice of clothing items and materials (including neoprene) available in the city, and items rarely cost more than $400, well below Demask’s prices.
“I guess it’s also tax season," says Antoinette, with a sigh. “And American customers often ask, ‘Why is your rubber so expensive?’ But our prices are comparable to well-known designers’ prices. To me, you end up wasting more money buying crappy materials than if you invested in a quality pair of pants. I’ve had the same $300 pants for over seven years and they’re in perfect shape."
