Fashion & Style
Northbound Leather Fetish Night Celebrates 20 Years
Northbound Leather, in addition to being a world-leading retailer of leather fetishwear and host to safe sexual play workshops, has also been hosting some pretty kinky club nights here in Toronto. Their monthly "fetish nights" have been going strong and growing for 20 years now.
To celebrate the milestone anniversary, Northbound Leather threw a heck of a party at Revival last night. Live self-bondage and whip demonstrations, a lively and diverse dance floor, and a public "play room" in the basement (where people could get their kinky play on), all made for an interesting night out for the relatively uninitiated (i.e. me and my girlfriend).
The corsets, catsuits, gas masks, assless chaps, harnesses, and chains and straps were out in full effect.
"Forbidden fruit is best," says the owner of Northbound Leather, George Giaouris (pictured on the right in the above photo). I chatted with him briefly about how things have changed over the years. "At our first fetish nights we had maybe 60 people come out, and tonight we've sold over 600 advance tickets," he explains.
The idea of throwing club nights started when several devout customers (who'd acquired thousands of dollars worth of leather fashions) expressed desire to share their looks - outside of the privacy of their boudoirs. The size of the crowds that show up to these monthly parties is testament to the fact that the niche fashion and fetish culture has made huge gains in achieving relatively broad acceptance.
Things kicked off on stage with a suspension self-bondage demonstration by expert Lotus Lily and a relatively gentle yet sensual whip demonstration by kinky community member Lady Viktoria.
Continuing with the entertainment, a very short but powerful performance by Baron Marcus of the Vampire Beach Babes was accompanied by a biohazard mask-sporting, sultry dance crew.
The crowd, which was clearly a wide cross-section of all ages and sexual orientations, were decked out leather and latex fetish fashion, including questionable uniforms and at times freaky face masks.
The atmosphere on the main floor was incredibly friendly, comfortable and -- aside from the occasional benevolent bare body part or freaky pair of eyes -- not much unlike any other club. On the other hand, the basement dungeon projected a far more wild and kinky vibe. I don't think I've seen a redder ass before. Rightly so, no genital exposure or photography was allowed, but timidness wasn't to be found either. Let's just leave it at that. You'll have to go to one of these parties to see it for yourself - if bondage and spanking and squeezing and hanging are your thing.
Great to see too, was that George's adult kids Johnny and Anastasia were working the door. Because nothing says supportive like a family team helping make a fetish night a success - for 20 years and counting.
Editor's note (February 24th): after a direct request of a person appearing in a photo in this post, one photo has been removed from this post.
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Then again, freaks like these get off on just about anything.
High-heeled boots and lingerie works just fine, thanks very much!
This is the kind of piece that raises BlogTO above the rest.
This photo is truly offensive, and anyone who fetishizes Nazi Germany and a race who tortured, starved, conducted freakish medical "experiments," raped, gassed, and abused MILLIONS of Jews, Ukrainians, Poles, Russians, Estonians, homosexuals, cripples, the elderly, and their own German people for his own sexual gratification needs the royal shit beaten out of him ASAP.
This photo should be removed from the website immediately.
Anyway, he probably wants to have the crap beat out of him - that's the idea ;)
I say power to him. Everyone has undergone racial genocide, why can't anyone let go of WWII already? Drop it.
Educate yourself.
http://www.buyselloldbooks.com/picture-heaven/image/73/Nazi-concentration-camp-(Buchenwald)
The jerkoff in the photo above is wearing a Nazi SS uniform, not a toga (Nero), or furs (Atilla the Hun). Your "examples" are therefore not relevant.
Drop out of school in Grane 9, did you?
You're a fucking tool. There's obviously no arguing with someone whose logic is full of holes.
You're obviously bias - but I know a lot of jews were at that party and, as JoeJoe said NO ONE TOOK ISSUE with that person's choice of (totally awesome) wardrobe. I had an excellent time!!
By chance, are you the fu@kwad in the photo?
The murders of millions is "forgotten"? Wow, your ignorance is astonishing... and sad.
There were a lot of Jewish people at this party?! I seriously doubt that! I'm not Jewish, and I would have punched this goof in the face.
And Whoremoans (nice name, by the way, your mother must be very proud of you -- assuming you know who she is :), what does "fail" mean when someone has a typo?
Dumb, dumb comment.
The uniform is an accessory, that's all. It may be an offensive one but not an illegal one. People still wear Mao t-shirts and Chairman Mao had a murder rate that easily mirrors that of the Nazis. It's a slippery slope when someone's morality is offended by a non-illegal image.
Calling for the image to be banned from this site is much more offensive to me.
Firstly, thank you for being respectful of the event and being open minded to the kinky community who celebrate peoples differences. In addition, for being accommodating and understanding with the photo taking in the play space area.
Your blog post is a wonderful review of a great event! Along with being a feather in your cap for attending the 20th anniversary of Northbound Leather. Heartfelt, thank you.
I have one small request to ask of you...I would like to ask for a correction on my name in the above blog post, please.
Please correct it from "Domina Lady Victoria" to "Kinky community member Lady Viktoria". That would be greatly appreciated.
It was a pleasure meeting you.
Warm kinky regards,
Lady Viktoria, kinky community member
and Play Space area Supervisor of NBL event
a.k.a. Viktoria Kalenteris, Sex Educator
website: www.PlayfulLoving.com
I have absolutely nothing against the party itself and what is stands for. The discussion here is ONLY in reference to the man's choice of clothing - not the event. Its odd, that in the place that celebrates tolerance and acceptance, he selects a uniform that celebrates hate, racism and intolerance. Odd.
However, it's a discussion that not gong to end here. All I can suggest is that over time, I hope the man will come to realize that his choice of clothing is a lot more than just a rather juvenile attempt at shock.
And yes there are Jewish people at fetish parties as well as any range of ages, ethnicity, religions and creeds. The community is perhaps one of the most diverse and accepting of any community in the world.
But anyways it was a fantastic night. lotuslily was exquisite as always and the flogging demo by Lady Viktoria was amazing(BlogTo note the correction to her name). That was the first time I've seen Viktoria cut lose and really play and by the gods she blew my socks away. Unfortunately I missed the other shows due to commitments I had in the dungeon downstairs, but the energy of that night was at a fevered pitch throughout.
For those that question gas mask fetishist I'd urge you to sit down with one someday and talk to them about it. I'm not really one myself, but I would imagine like everything else you'll get a different answer depending on who you as. Some have told me they like the isolation and peace it brings them. The anonymity it brings them. The restriction of vision that brings a sense of helplessness. Well as you see many contradicting reasons.
Ah it's a good time to be alive and into the fetish community.
Please try to remember that everyone gets turned on by different things; just because they don't like YOUR things, doesn't mean they're freaks. Most of the folks I run with would find your high heel and lingerie fetish to be pretty freaky, indeed.
"It was a military style uniform, stop projecting your hate filled images on the guy."
Umm, no. There is no such thing as a "military-style" uniform. This is an SS uniform, complete with many of the ugly trappings of the Third Reich, including the German flying Eagle on Herr Hatemonger's hat, and the German Iron Cross (silver and black) at his neck. I'm surprised this goof didn't have a friggin' swastika as well!
Anyone who thinks wearing symbols of hate and death like these are irrelevant is a fool.
It doesn't matter if it was for sexual reasons, or whatever reason... Wearing something which basically honours Hitler and his crew of nazis is unacceptable...
He might as well have had a swastika tatooed on his foreheead.
People really need to stop making up excuses for racist hate. It's disgusting...
--jackandcokewithalime
I believe in freedom of expression, but at the same time I question the sanity of someone who shows up to an event that should be fun and kinky dressed in something so vile.
I see that it's possible for people to be theoretically offended by the uniform ('theoretically', because they almost certainly weren't personally victims of nazi crimes) but I would be surprised if the larger part of that offense isn't the product of fear of the unknown and ... I will say it ... sexual prudishness.
Especially when you put it into context of something of a power struggle (ding! ding! ding!).
Before doing a story on how upstanding these frauds are you might want to research your topic a little more.
Read a book, educate yourself and visit the horrors of the death camps.
Speak to the survivors.
Listen to them.
Then, and only then, come back and talk to me about 'sexual prudishness'.
I remember the Prince Harry/Nazi uniform incident very well... he was nearly disqualified from training at military camp Sandhurst as a result of the SS gear. Some even went so far as to question if he should even be in line for the Throne of England.
Mind you, Prince Harry was young and stupid. "All he has to do all his life is not dress up as a Nazi. That is the only stipulation for the second son," said Sunday Times columnist A.A. Gill.
The joker in the photo above looks to be well into his forties (if not older), and really, truly, should know better.
I am extremely open-minded about fetish parties. Whips, chains, bondage, nipple clips... I frankly don't care (the gas masks are a new one, I must admit). But for a grown man to adopt the garb worn by some of history's greatest monsters and murderers... that is questionable. Perhaps he'd had better leave his SS outfit in the closet at home next time, and strap on a ball gag and open-assed chaps instead.
Honeychild you a really out trolling for trouble too. You should certainly watch what you say in a public forum especially if your not proud enough to put your name behind it.
All you people seem just too uptight to enjoy yourselves or express individual thought. No wonder we had censorship (something those dirty nazi's were famous for) right here in Ontario till the 90's. Very, very sad.
I am glad i was at that party and plan on attending many more, because i know people like you won't be there to take away our rights and freedoms.
Since you are obviously retarded, you cannot appreciate the difference between someone dressing up as a FICTIONAL CREATION FROM A HORROR MOVIE, and a real-life monster who killed almost seven million people. There is no point explaining this further, except to say when the next genocide comes, you'll be first in line.
Your the moron here. "when the next genocide comes"? Duh, there has been many genocides since WWII. Yugoslavia and Rwanda to name two. How about the torture that is currently happening in Guantanamo Bay, that your Canadian goverment supports by sending innocent people there? Have you protested any of them? But you somehow find the time to complain how people dress at a fetish party. Sorry, but you are the retarded one here, pathetic even. No kidding movies aren't real but the comparison is the same because a costume is a costume and does not reflect the person in it. Doesn't bother me that my gay friends like to dress up in nazi uniforms it a reclamation for all the homosexuals that were killed by the nazis. You cannot understand this so you condemn it and wanna censor it just like the nazis did.
Maybe you should be a little more open minded or speak out when some one is actually doing something wrong instead of being upset at people having fun.
The point is we live in a free society, and the moment someone says 'you can't wear that' regardless of context, is the moment we lose the ability to UNDERSTAND why - it's just 'bad' and should be censored. Goebbels would be proud.
I imagine that I am older than you (in my late 40's) and I grew up in Europe - my perception is therefore going to be different. My parents and relatives fought in the war. I lost relatives in the war. No matter how many times I'm told "don't worry, it's a just party - it's fun - don't take it out context", is simply something I do not find remotely tasteful.
And of course agree on the racial mimicry... though (to stress my point) I'd have a harder time agreeing if the person donned the black face paint because they thought it looked sexy. Mens rea, puptent.
There are laws in Germany against the "paraphernalia" of Nationalist Socialist Party symbols, depictions, etc...
But this is Canada and not Germany.
Randy... perhaps you should take your soapbox, and head to the Fatherland.
You're obviously an over sensitive imbecile who has nothing better to do that type BS and rhetoric.
Personally I would never wear an SS uniform or condone anything to do with the Nazi's because they were a brutal, heartless regime. My dad's cousin was executed by the Nazi's as a 21 year old Freedom fighter in occupied Europe.
At worst... the guy in the uniform at the party could be accused of poor taste in a costume.
It's not illegal in Canada to wear an SS uniform, it is however illegal to incite hate... which I doubt is what he was doing.
WWII is a racially sensitive topic, I understand this. But seriously, should we burn down Turkish restaurants for the 1.5 million Armenian Catholics they killed?
How about online rants about people who wear t-shirts with Stalin on them? (His Forced Famine killed 7 million people)
I can list several similar examples. But all I'm trying to say is that, yes, his choice was unfortunate. But Context is important.
And as far as I can tell, he was not inciting hate.
But many people on this forum ARE.
I guess if someone showed up to the party wearing a KKK hat and robe, you all would have ripped your clothes off and threw yourselves at him, eh?
You should all be ashamed of yourselves... And that ignoramus who wore that uniform, I hope the people at his workplace saw that. Lets see if his superiors are as ignorant as you.
In some countries where people wear mostly what the people in the West would call robes, how do you think they feel about army fatigues and military uniforms.
Many many people have lost innocent family members in Iraq and Afghanistan at the hands of people in combat fatigues baring insignias with corporal, captain, etc... on them.
Would you feel the same way by someone wearing combat fatigues or displaying military rank as you would by someone in an SS uniform ?
If not, why not ?
I am a uniform collector and a military historian. I have in excess of 80 uniforms representing Marshals, Generals and Admirals from many countries including Soviet Russia, Russia, Ukraine, East Germany, USA, United Kingdon, Belgium, South Africa, Poland etc. The uniforms cover all periods from Pre WWI to current.
For me, the 'fetish' is to painstakingly research a uniform (either a specific type, country, period or personality) and then replicate that uniform, either through original pieces or from many freely available (and legal) sources. At times it may take me years to pull together just one uniform.
Of the 80+ uniforms I have, 3 are German WW2 uniforms, one army Field Marshals Uniform and 2 Algemeine SS uniforms. The Army uniform is modeled after Erwin Rommel and the 2 SS ones after Sepp Dietrich (not Himmler as is incorrectly stated above).
Once a uniform is completed, there are very few events at which I can show off my latest creation. I respect the fact that some of my uniforms may be offensive to some people and therefore will only ever wear them in an environment where I am surrounded by people that "get" it, one of them being the Fetish Party. This is an event that all of the negative commenters here clearly don't understand and thankfully don't attend.
I am not a Nazi, as every person that spoke to me that night can attest to. It would be akin to calling me a communist when I wear a Soviet or East German uniform, a racist when I wear a South African uniform or a supporter of the killing of South African women and children in the worlds first concentration camps (invented by the british during the 2nd Boer war) when I wear a British or Canadian Redcoat.
This was a closed event for the fetish community and the blogger did not have my permission to post my picture in a public forum. I asked him to remove it.
Fetish parties are about the up-sered and Bizarre. So CONTEXT is everything. These school-yard arguments about why doesn't he wear a KKK uniform, is just plain ignorant. Show up in a KKK uniform and they will let you in. I just don't think anyone will find you sexually appealing. No need for history lessons either. Clearly your just missing the point.
Some people were Police uniform
Some were Military uniforms
Some people dress like Priests
Some people dress like Nuns
I've seen a Pope before
Others wear gas-masks.... you name it.. THERE IS NO RULES.
Its all about sexual fantasy and the obscene and clearly its not for mass consumption. BlogTO shouldn't have posted the pic because most that find that offensive will also find a chick walking around with a 10inch strap-on across an open dance floor with her breasts hanging out offensive too. Most would have a heart attack if they attended.
The real troubling thing is how quickly people pass judgement and want to ensue violence!
I suggest you go experience a party like this once in your life. Then draw conclusions. Maybe then we can stop being so narrow-minded.
Maybe you haven't experienced racism in your life, and that's great for you. But many people have, and glorifying such a thing, even if it's supposedly not meant to be taken that way (yeah, we've all heard that a million times before) is still offensive.
And I truly don't care about a girl with a strap-on and yada yada. I care about a guy justifying Hitler's racist agenda via the number one form of flattery, imitation. And all that crap about him being a collector... Its exactly that, Crap. Ok, I've heard all kinds of BS reasoning to try and justify someone's racism.. He's only saying this now because he knows he's been exposed in Toronto as a racist, and now he's on damage control.
And though he may be completely dillusional in thinking that he's not harming anyone, and trying to justify it using some other horrible things that happened in the world, I'm not going to be fooled by that crap.
If he truly felt the way he says he does, then he should be going around everywhere all the time wearing that uniform. Even wearing it to work. He's not doing anything wrong, right? He's a collector! It's just us that don't understand his love of collecting, right... So what does he have to hide? What's the problem? Oh, people will be offended, you say??? Really, but there's nothing wrong with it...
There's a name people give to places where people wearing Nazi uniforms would be accepted, and they're called KKK Rallies. Maybe he should move down south to Alabama. I'm sure that would be heaven for him, and he can wear is Nazi outfits all the time...
You and him both need to take some serious courses in anti-racism.
You know what, until the day that you've felt racism yourself, don't pretend to understand it. And don't try to justify to me why I shouldn't be offended by it.
blogTO, it's not right that you posted that picture, and that you essentially promoted that behaviour (whether directly, or indirectly). I am upset that you did. I take it as a personal shot at anyone who is not the "ideal" Hitler-esk human being.
I am an advocate of free speech, and against censorship, but the photo of the SS wearing ghoul was in terribly poor taste, and I'd like to thank you from removing it from your site.
"Randy... perhaps you should take your soapbox, and head to the Fatherland.You're obviously an over sensitive imbecile who has nothing better to do that type BS and rhetoric. Personally I would never wear an SS uniform or condone anything to do with the Nazi's because they were a brutal, heartless regime. My dad's cousin was executed by the Nazi's as a 21 year old Freedom fighter in occupied Europe."
Go talk to you father's cousin about the articities committed by the Nazis...
Oh, that's right, you can't:
they murdered him.
"Bubbles, Your the moron here."
Umm, it's "you're," not "your."
Moron. Case in point.
I'm talking about knowledge, intellect and civility. You're talking about typos. Get a fucking life or better yet, keep your mouth shut until you have something smart to say.
"Go talk to you father's cousin about the articities committed by the Nazis...
Oh, that's right, you can't:
they murdered him."
You're a f@cking BASTARD !
Making a joke out of the execution of what would have been my relative.
You're a low life piece of scum SHIT !
To think that you were "offended" by the SS uniform... Pfffft all you're doing is an ideal less imbecile stirring the pot.
I abstain from violence but I would welcome a match with you in me sensei's dojo.
"Making a joke out of the execution of what would have been my relative. You're a low life piece of scum SHIT !"
No joke here, goofball -- you stated a fact, I stated a rebuttal. Besides, you brought up your love of Nazi Germany. Too bad, so sad.
"I abstain from violence but I would welcome a match with you in me sensei's dojo."
First, asshole, it's "my," not "me." Second, do you even know what a dojo is?
You're so stupid you probably think "dojo" is a specied of extinct bird.
Based on your spelling and sentence structure, I am surprised you are able to navigate you ass out of bed in the morning!
"It seems some of the people talking here can't tell the difference between a nazi and someone in a costume. I don't think any of this dialog is gonna change that. So be it."
First, cap on "Nazi" (not lower case)
Second, "dialogue," not "dialog," as you typed.
Third, "gonna"? Uhh, DUHHHHHHH!
Learn some history, and take a basic ESL course, shit-tard!
Do you say, "in me sensei's dojo, or call yourself "a senseless homo?
Probably the latter.
As for the making a joke out of "the execution of what would have been my relative," I've got news for you: he is STILL your relative, deceased.
@It's 2010,
Do you say, "in me sensei's dojo, or call yourself "a senseless homo?
Probably the latter. It is "my," by the way, not "me."
As for the making a joke out of "the execution of what would have been my relative," I've got news for you: he is STILL your relative.
Except he is dead.
Killed by the Nazis.
As for "dojo," do you even know what that is, you pathetic twentynothing? Based on your lack of intelligence, you probably think a "dojo" is some species of extinct bird!