London based latex brand Libidex are well known as being one of the pioneers of rubber clothing and we recently spoke to managing director Simon Rose about background in fashion, the brands inspiration for continually creating new designs and which celebrity he’d most like to see in latex.
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Q: Your journey into the world of latex fashion began back in 1989. Can you tell us a little about what this time was like? Is fashion something which you have always had an interest in?
A: I was fresh out of university having a wild time in London, clubbing, going to festivals, art galleries, museums, life was great. I was even protesting in the mini riot at the Westminster Parliament Gay age of consent vote in 1994. And fashion was the focus point of my life at that time. I had a burning ambition to be a designer of sorts and had dabbled in furniture design and prop making, so latex clothing design was a natural and seamless (pun intended) transition.
Q: Where and when did you first discover, or experience, latex clothing? What was it that drew you toward latex vs other materials? Was it a personal interest or intrigue?
A: It was in London, I knew about Atomage, and the Mackintosh Society founded in 1920 which was Britain’s first modern fetish organisation, so I was aware of the fetish world from an early age. I come from a military family, and rubber masks, the fetishism of military costumes was always around me. Helen Saffery the founder of Libidex was looking for help to grow the business in the early 90s and that is when I first joined Libidex and realised I was drawn to latex. It felt so natural and inviting. I soon started collaborating with Helen and my passion for rubber began.
Q: At the end of the 90’s, Nigel Walker and yourself bought the company from then owner Helen Saffery. How has Libidex evolved and changed since then?
A: Helen is a fantastic costume designer, a true pioneer and original. She laid the foundations of the company, but Libidex was a one woman show, selling her designs through phone/mail orders and a classified ad in the back of Skin Two magazine. When Nigel and I took over, we worked very hard to expand the business, turning it into the powerhouse that it is today. We kept true to the company ethos of making exceedingly well tailored garments but brought it to a global audience through the launch of libidex.com website.
Q: What do you enjoy most about working with latex? What are the biggest challenges when working with the material? What has been your greatest learning experience?
A: I love the unpredictability of working with rubber, you never quite know what direction a design will take until is ready. It is not the easiest of materials to work with, it requires skill and patience to get it right. My greatest learning experience is that practice makes perfect and there are no rules, the sky is your limit.
Q: Your design studio and offices are based in Islington, London. How large is the team currently, and how do ideas and concepts come to fruition? Is it a collaborative effort? What goes into a typical garment design? Where do you draw inspiration from?
A: We have a great team of designers in London, and I am the head designer. We are not a fashion house, so we are not incumbered by the pressure to deliver four collections a year. But we aim to bring new collections as often as we can. We also take note of what our customers want and will often launch new designs that are in popular demand.
Q: As well as Libidex, the group also own Radical Rubber, one of the most popular latex sheeting manufacturers, and Liberation, a London based in-person emporium. How did these ventures begin?
A: We created Radical Rubber out of sheer necessity so we could exercise a bigger control over our latex stock and not only rely on a single manufacturer. It was great fun to bring exciting new colours to the market and change the monopoly of the latex market on the world stage. Our Liberation store was a natural progression and came even before Radical Rubber. Our customers wanted the Libidex experience in real time and not to just shop online. And there is nothing quite like stepping into our Convent Garden shop, it is a real emporium of all things fetish, and I believe the only latex shop in the prestigious London West end.
Q: Moving on to the customers who get to wear your awesome designs; how important is the reaction of your clients when they get to experience and try on their garment for the first time? What reactions have you seen, and how do those not used to latex fashion, tend to react to the use of the material and seeing it for the first time? What is the best reaction you have ever received from a customer?
A: It is always very important to us how our customers get on with our gear, we always listen to their feedback. We feel privileged that they trust us to dress them up. We regularly get emails praising our craftsmanship, customer service and fast production. Some of them are ecstatic in an almost rapturous, semi religious way when they try latex for the first time. I think our big seal of approval is the many weddings we made the clothes for. If you love something hard enough to wear on your big day, it is very reassuring to us.
Q: Latex clothing means different things to different people, ranging from the empowering to the outlandish. What does latex fashion mean to you?
A: It means freedom of expression, I love wearing latex in an almost rebellious fashion.
The more outlandish the costume the more exciting it is to flaunt it. Life can be so strict sometimes, going wild on a packed dance floor wearing a fabulous new creation is truly a moment to cherish and behold.
Q: During the brands lifetime, celebs including Emma Bunton, Caprice, Lady Gaga and Julian Clary, actress Rachel Weisz and models Paula Hamilton and Vanessa Upton have been seen in your clothing. You’ve even dressed Opera at La Scala Milan, and a production of Monteverdi’s Coronation of Poppaea at English National Opera. What has been your proudest moment during this time, and why?
A: It is very hard to pinpoint our proudest moment, there has been so many. Dressing celebrities is just one side of what we do. Our first collaboration with Alexader McQueen 2009 Fall ready to wear collection was a high point and real proud moment. We’ve made the prototype big red lips full face hood look for the makeup that the models wore on the fashion show. We were also one of the first UK latex labels to be featured in a London Fetish week at the Manish Aurora Fall Winter 2007 which was all over the news and fashion magazines at the time. There were the movies we were featured in. From Thunderpants to The Machine, as well as the more recent Sex Pistols tv series directed by Danny Boyle as well as various other tv shows. There are also our many collaborations with photographer Tim Walker including our favourite for Mexican Vogue as well as with Nick Knight. We’ve made clothes for Beyonce and Eminem tours too and catsuits to Mel B and Girls Aloud immortalised on their videos and live performances, but the highlight for us really is to still be the label of choice in London’s fetish clubbing scene. We can never get over the thrill of seeing people larging it, head to toes in Libidex on a Torture Garden dance floor.
Q: Libidex has always had a history of innovation. For example, you were one of the first latex clothing brands to launch an online website. How important do you feel innovation is within the latex fashion industry? What do you feel separates your designs from other latex designers?
A: You need to keep it fresh to keep enticing. And we are not one to rest on our laurels.
It is paramount for us to continue bringing out exciting new designs as well as more basic daily rubber essentials as we like to call them. Fashion is fast paced, and latex fashion is no different. We’ve just shot a brand-new lingerie collection with innovative laser cut designs which we hope will make our customers happy and up to date.
Q: Each year we see the large fashion houses, at events such as Paris and New York Fashion Weeks, showcasing upcoming seasonal trends. Do you feel that latex designers and brands are influenced by these predictions?
A: They might, but at the end of the day, it is a very different preposition. Fashion houses make very expensive clothes for the rich. Libidex makes affordable clothes for the masses. We keep an eye on the collections and sometimes a tendency might cross over to our designs, but mostly our creations are borne out of our creative process and the need of what our customers are asking us for.
Q: With Liberation, how important do you feel having a physical store, so that customers can physically see garments, try them on and speak to the helpful staff? Would you encourage anyone who is thinking about heading down there?
A: It is very important, and Liberation is Libidex’ calling card, a safe place to familiarise yourself with latex, get help, information and be able to try the product, feel it, smell it. There is nothing quite like your first rubber encounter and we are privileged to be able to offer our customers such a great place for them to shop. Don’t be shy, our staff are very well trained and super friendly, everyone is welcome at Liberation, where you can leave your inhibitions at the door and we will guide you through an exciting new world.
Q: What do you feel are the biggest barriers for people who haven’t worn latex fashion before? What stops them from taking the plunge and wearing it? What would you say to anyone interested in wearing the material? What would be your best piece of advice for anyone who is thinking of trying to wear latex but hasn’t done so yet?
A: The stigma from older generations that associates latex with something sordid, shocking, forbidden even, these views are so last century. It is time to open your mind and free yourself of other people’s ideas and conceptions. Take the plunge, to thine own self be true.
Q: What tips do you have for anyone who would like to include latex fashion into their “everyday” outfits? Is it possible to combine with other materials?
A: Yes, it is, and more people are doing this. Start with some introductory pieces like a top under a jacket or fabric skirt over latex leggings, a jacket is always a good one too and less of an all-day commitment. Accessories are a great starring point as well.
Q: How have you seen the world of latex fashion change over the past 5-10 years and how do you see this continuing over the next 5-10 years?
A: The new generation is really taking to it, not so much from a sex point of view but more for pure fashion value. The Kardashians, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Amanda Holden, Carol Vorderman and all the influencers of this world have done more for latex acceptability than Alexander Fleming for medicine. It is a real game changer.
We can only see this getting bigger, more widely embraced and celebrated for years and years to come. The future is shiny!
Q: If you could create a latex outfit for anyone in the world, who would this be for and why? Can you give a description of the outfit you would design for them?
A: I would have to say the Queen of pop Madonna. Her madgesty would be the holy grail for us and we would certainly make something truly special and worthy of her ranking. M is such a trailblazer pop deity who deserves nothing but the very best a true master of latex can offer, but we would not like to spoil the surprise now, would we? But of course, there is someone else dear to my heart and much closer to home who I would love to give the Libidex treatment and that is none other than our own queen of British pop Boy George, maybe they could even duet fully enclosed in Libidex, now that would be quite something!
Q: Are there any upcoming projects which you will be involved in or new collections, which you could give us a sneak peek of?
A: Yes, the previously mentioned new lingerie collection is simply to live for, and we are delighted to finally update our range of bras, knickers, bustiers and everything that makes the heart go boom boom! We also have a new male collection coming soon and a few surprises for 2025, so watch this space and if you got this far, thank you for reading!!!
A huge thank you to Simon, and the team at Libidex for speaking to us. To discover more about the wide range of latex fashion available from Libidex be sure to check out their website.
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