TheFetishistas ‘ Fashion at The Barbican’ Shows

The Fetishistas will be producing four spectacular fashion shows for us at The Xpo, two on Friday 3rd and two on Saturday 4th October.  Fashion at The Barbican will take place on the gallery level in the afternoon and evening and will be free to Xpo visitors.

These fashion extravaganzas will include some of the very best of the world’s alternative designers, all of whom are taking part in The Xpo, so no other event will be able to bring you such a diverse selection of fetish and alternative fashion. But it’s not just about clothes, each show will include a fabulous array of clothes, shoes, boots, accessories and maybe even some equipment!

And as everyone involved in Fashion at The Barbican has a stand at The Xpo this year - when you see it on the catwalk, you can then buy it or order it later from the designer!

CHARLES GATEWOOD

Charles Gatewood is a renowned fetish photographer based in San Francisco. Since the 1970s he has pursued his excitement and curiosity for all things kinky, resulting in images that are striking, beautiful, iconic and sexy. Blood play, tattoos and piercings, suspensions, SM parties – Gatewood was there ahead of the crowd. Dubbed “the anthropologist of the forbidden”, his work defined fetish photography years before it gained mainstream attention.

This is Gatewood’s first visit to London since 1973. He will appear at the Xpo as a special guest, sharing his adventures and telling some of the stories behind these classic kinky images. His talk will be accompanied by a slide presentation of a few of his iconic works.

Gatewood’s appearance at Xpo is part of Pictures That Kill, an exhibition and events series around his work. The exhibition is produced by Å Rebours in partnership with performance company Switch. The talk at Xpo is presented in association with The Fetishistas.

www.ÅRebours.co.uk

THE IRREPRESSIBLE MR FLAY

Marvel in sore amazement! As the Irrepressible Mr Flay performs another nerve-wracking escape before your very eyes! In keeping with the rather specialist nature of the event, Mr Flay will demonstrate how to escape from a securely-affixed black leather fetish bag - a skill that some attendees will doubtless find invaluable should circumstances require! However, to add a frisson of danger and a sense of the absurd, he shall escape from this bag while wearing five different pairs of handcuffs and secured to an A-frame stepladder with 30ft of steel chain!

CHRYS COLUMBINE AND LYDIA DARLING PRESENT – THE ART OF BURLESQUE!

Ever wondered what goes into the preparation for a burlesque show? Chrys and Lydia take you behind the scenes, talking about their props and costumes, so you can see what makes their shows so very special. A top stylist will let you in on some trade secrets, and photographer Gothic Image tells you exactly what it takes to capture the moment!

Don’t miss this special demonstration from two of burlesque’s most celebrated artists.

CHRYS COLUMBINE - BURLESQUE PRINCESS, BABYDOLL PIN-UP AND PIANIST EXTRAORDINAIRE

Chrys is a UK burlesque starlet, pin-up model, and a trained concert pianist from London. She has made a number of appearances in shows, publications, celebrity functions, T.V./Commercial and film. With the angelic countenance of a fairytale princess, the enticing mystery of a femme fatale, and the coquettish charm that would make most of you blush, she is a charismatic performer through and through.  Hailed as the “one-and-only, piano-tinkling burlesque starlet” her work is original and innovative, her acclaimed signature piece being “The Birth of Venus” based on Botticelli’s famous painting. 

LYDIA DARLING

Sometimes sultry, sometimes cheeky, always smoking hot - Miss Darling continues to delight audiences with custom-made costumes, inventive routines, and sly humour expertly blended into every act.
Whether dazzling as a jewel-encrusted human peacock, raising temperatures as a gun-toting femme fatale, or making jaws drop with her aerial antics on the static trapeze, this blonde bombshell is one act you can't afford to miss.

ESINEM

Esinem, one of Europe's top bondage artists, will be demonstrating kinbaku (Japanese rope bondage) during the exhibition with his model, Anna. Esinem is a regular perfomer at fetish/SM events and has also appeared on TV and numerous videos.  He is just back from a month in Japan, where he studied with Arisue Go, a ropemaster of some 35 years experience.
 
Esinem is also promoting his rope bondage courses and rope and accessories. 

See www.esinem.com for more info.

TANTRIC LOVE LOUNGE

Tantra embraces life in all ways.  We are all climbing the same mountain, just approaching it from different sides.  We run ‘Tantra meets BDSM’ and other workshops throughout the year,  culminating with Europe’s largest  gathering of tantra folk at the Dartmouth Festival of Tantra and Healing Arts, the first weekend in December.

Join us in the Tantric Love Lounge for your slice of chill out.

STRAPONJANE

"I am known as Straponjane through my website www.straponjane.com, I am well known for using my strapon on my website and in proffessional porn films, I have gained a reputation and a certain degree of infamy in both Europe and in the US. "

"I will be attending Xpo and would gladly be interviewed and photographed by the press and I'll be talking to the public and also introducing myself to some pretty ladies who may well need to be kissed and carressed!!"

WARREN SPEED

Warren Speed is without doubt the UK's most prolific, most experienced and most original male burlesque and fetish performer.  He has performed at the majority of the country's regular burlesque and fetish shows, as well as to large theatre, university and corporate audiences.  He also performs at shows around Europe and has recently been seen by audiences in Amsterdam, Rome and Oslo.

Warren was featured on BBC1's "Inside Out" documentary programme, and was one of the main performers at the 2007 XPO (where he also held workshops on "Burlesque from a male performers point of view").

Warren has been featured in Bizarre magazine a number of times, and is also the director of Growling Clown Entertainment who amongst many other bizarre things, produce the "House of the Golden Lotus" freakshow clubnight and the modern vaudeville theatre show "Cabaret Excentrique".

At the 2008 XPO he will be parading about on stilts dressed as a gimp !!

More info at www.growlingclown.com / www.myspace.com/growlingclown