Fetish Daddy: Inside the luxury fetish house’s new London shop – after it designed this latex apron for Jake Shears in Pillion
"We’ve been going since 2019 – I started in my living room making harnesses for my dogs!" laughs designer Ollie Spragley, as he invites Attitude to the new store near Spitalfields
Pillion fever is in full swing, it seems: just as the Alexander Skarsgård and Harry Melling-starring ‘dom com’ electrifies the queer community (and inspires a new era of Attitude via the digital-first little brother title Attitude Uncut) Fetish Daddy, the luxury leather and rubber house, has opened its first physical store in London and unveiled a leather ready-to-wear collection. We caught up with designer and maker Ollie Spragley at the store launch to find out more about the evolution of the brand – and how his handiwork made it into the aforementioned film via Scissor Sisters star Jake Shears’ character! (Warning – NSFW photos herein!)
Tell us what’s happening here today at Fetish Daddy…
We are launching our first-ever shop. We’ve been going since 2019. I started in my living room making leather harnesses for my dogs! People in the park wanted to buy them, so, I ended up doing a few of those. Then, pet shops wanted to stock us. Very quickly, gay boys were like, ‘if you can make one for a dog, you can make one for me!’ And here we are.
I’m really thrilled that we are launching this shop. It means big things for us. It’s a massive milestone, to become more of a destination that people can come to. To start with, everything was made-to-measure, whether it was harnesses or tailoring. Part of the reason I started this is because I could never find anything that fit me. I didn’t have a body type that was particularly off-the-rack.
Attitude – the world’s biggest LGBTQ+ media brand and Europe’s best-selling magazine for gay men – is launching Attitude Uncut, an all-new digital magazine that will be published six times a year (between Attitude print issues) and available exclusively on Apple News+ and via the Attitude app. Featuring long-read journalism inspired by themes resonating within the LGBTQ+ community, each issue will provide a deep dive into topics as varied as sexuality, identity, health, relationships and beyond. The first issue – themed ‘Kink’ – is inspired by hit film Pillion, in cinemas from 28 November. Set in the world of fetish, it stars Alexander Skarsgård and former Harry Potter star Harry Melling who, after a chance meeting in a pub, begin a love affair that takes them both on an unexpected journey of self-discovery.
We’ve now come up with a range that we’ve put a lot of design time into that means we have something that, in theory, should fit everyone. Now, I’m comfortable having this ready-to-wear range, which means people can come in and they haven’t got to wait eight to 10 weeks for something to be made.
How many staff do you have? What are your opening hours?
There’s 10 of us that work here. We’re all queer. We’re going to be open Monday to Friday, 10am-7pm. At the weekends, we’ll be open similar hours. We’re still refining that. Similar to Fetish Freak down in Oval, you ring the doorbell to come in, so it’s a little bit more private. But once you come in, you can try things on, talk about custom designs; there’s a whole range of different things we can do, from leather to latex.
Why do you think it’s important for the scene to have a bricks-and-mortar site?
I think it’s important for people to try things on. I used to try on pairs of leather trousers in Soho and couldn’t get them past my thighs. My ex-husband couldn’t get them past his calves! For us, it’s also about being a bit of a community hub. Having a place people can come and be themselves and feel safe to explore their kinks – we have some customers who have come in and this is their first time trying anything on. I always make a point of making sure that person feels comfortable and relaxed and able to see themselves in a different light. The best part of my job is when we do something for someone and I see that little glint in their eye when they look in the mirror, and they’re like: ‘Oh my god, I’ve never seen myself like this.’ It’s about working out what your desires are. And then it’s about owning that and feeling empowered.
We’ve done things with the Cock Destroyers [Rebecca Moore and the late Sophie Anderson] in the past, who you may be aware of. I remember when we made a French maid’s outfit out of latex for Rebecca. We’d just done hair and make-up, and she was in the outfit, she took that first look in the mirror and we had to stop her from crying. She said: ‘I’ve never felt like this.’ It was such a moment. This is a woman who is one of the most incredible porn stars out there, who’s constantly having incredible photos taken.
The film Pillion is out – it feels like kink is having a moment.
It is. We actually made a latex apron for Jake Shears. I actually made it! I had a few fittings with him. It was really, really good fun. It’s great to see that out and being talked about. So many people are passionate about going to see it. I’m going to a kink-friendly viewing of it, which a whole group of people have bought tickets to. We’re all going to go in our leather or latex gear and sit and watch it! Probably quite stiffly! Let’s face it, most of this stuff is more for standing than it is sitting!
For more information about Fetish Daddy, visit the official website or visit the store at 25 Spelman Street, London, E1 5LQ.
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