BY Mylo Whalen
As fashion and fetish-wear continue to become increasingly intertwined, designers are striving to incorporate the latter’s seedy aesthetic into their collections. The latest to combine ready-to-wear design sensibilities with kink-wear is Addicted, the Barcelona-based menswear designer.
This Valentine’s Day, they are unveiling AD Fetish, their new steamy line of designer harnesses, singlets, jocks and boxers.
The collection draws inspiration from the gay bathhouse scene, yet everything is finely and meticulously crafted by Addicted’s superior artisan team. “When you go into a sex store, and you see fetish clothes, the first thing you notice is they’re not very wearable,” says Addicted founder Eduardo Suner. “I wanted to blend fetish and fashion together, to make accessories and clothing that looked fetish-y but were more wearable and stylized.”
Designer Carmen Monforte says her team has had fun redefining the Addicted collection for the after-hours set. “The AD Fetish collection allows us to go beyond the cotton, lycra and mesh in our sports collections. We’re able to incorporate exciting new materials like rubber, leather and transparencies into our creations.”
She says the collection’s purpose goes beyond sex and seduction: It’s about embracing the male body in a way that complements every body size. “Similar to Addicted, AD Fetish garments are sewn and tailored to fit perfectly on all body shapes.”
Nir Zilberman, the U.S. sales representative for the brand, adds, “The collection breaks the barrier that is there when guys buy clothes. The one that says, ‘My stomach’s too big to wear this,’ or ‘My legs are too skinny to wear that.’ We’re giving guys a new confidence, inspiring them to be secure in who they are, their bodies, and to not let anyone interfere with that.”
On the retail end, Zilberman says the response has been enthusiastic, with initial pieces selling out, and guys all around the globe Instagramming themselves in their favorite looks. The harnesses, in particular, have been fan favorites.
Suner is encouraged by the initial success and says he plans to use it as a springboard to take the line even further. “I want to take the collection beyond the niche. I want to reach guys who wouldn’t normally wear fetish gear. I want them to see kink wear as empowering.”
With demand for fetish-inspired looks at an all-time high, Addicted stands to tap into a huge market with AD Fetish – one where collars, body chains and, of course, those sexy leather harnesses all become must-have accessories in the closets of every man, beginning this Valentine’s Day and beyond. Says Suner, “I see the AD Fetish guy as someone who will walk out the door and boldly proclaim, ‘Hey, this is me, and I don’t give a f*ck what anyone else thinks.’”
Visit ADFetish.com
