Behind the Scenes: Ken Marcus

Ready for one last interview? It's sad, we know! But all good things must come to end. But not quite yet! Today we are taking a step behind the camera and putting the spotlight on Ken Marcus!

We were more than thrilled to work with Ken again this year. We had a blast the year before and loved his work. And he's just great to work with. We love his approach and attitude. We just get each other!

Ken kick started his career at the early age of 12. He studied and worked under Ansel Adams. His worked with Penthouse Magazine and Playboy Magazine. And his Nudes in Nature series is permanently displayed at Yosemite National Magazine. Luckily, we were able to chat a little with him.

Ivey: Hey Ken! Thanks for having us back again. We're really excited to be here! 

Ken:  We're glad to have you here. We had a great shoot last year.

Ivey: It was! Those pictures were amazing! 

Ken:  Well, thank you. It's really a group effort. Most of the work is done before and after I even pick up a camera. 

Ivey: That's very true. So tell us about working with Ansel Adams. How did come about?

Ken: I had a love for photography from the start. I actually attended one of his workshops initially. i was hooked and attended as many as I could. 

Ivey: Would you say he made a huge impact on your career?

Ken:  Absolutely. He wasn't yet a household name when I first started studying with him. I had no idea how big he would become. I learned about self promotion and business. That led to my own success. 

Ivey: That's incredible. When did you really get started with your career?

Ken: I obtained my business license at 17. Yes, it was quite a young age. And by 18, I found the studio we're standing in now! 

Ivey: Really?! That's so neat. This place has history for you then. 

Ken:  It certainly does! 

Ivey: We have made ourselves quite at home! We hope you'll have us back next year! 

Ken: Absolutely! 

Lights, Cameras and Shiner!

Our trip out to LA was full of firsts for this blogger. I had my first In and Out burger, my first peek at the Pacific ocean and my first photo shoot! What a jam-packed weekend! I'm back and ready to take you all behind the scenes once again. Let's go!

Ken's studio is very interesting. It's an open space with almost everything you would need for an all day photo shoot. There are backdrops, props, cameras and lights.... I could go on and on. Ken was telling us it took them the entire day before the shoot to set and position all their equipment. And there was still more adjustments to be made before we could get started. I guess I didn't realized just how involved the whole process is!

I also quickly learned how tricky it is to put on latex. As most of you know, it's sort of like putting your clothes on when your skin is still wet. I couldn't imagine doing it on your own! Kimberly and I made quite the team. And by the end of the day, we had it down to a science. And both of our ladies were extremely tolerant of all the pulling, tugging and snapping. And the gobs and gobs of shiner. It comes with the territory!

Now, the Tara dress was a bit tricky to get on! Well, the real pesky bit of business is positioning it correctly. It's important to make sure that lines of the dress are even and symmetrical. With a bit of coaxing, this dress looks amazing on. We love how this dress plays with the curves on the body. Oh and that zipper in the back? It's a lifesaver!

Lucky for you, the Maria dress has a back zip too! At the shoot, we we're discussing how this dress is great for those ladies out there who don't want a teeny tiny dress. It's the perfect cocktail dress. You all asked for a dress like this and we delivered! And it has 8 panels! You know what that means! It's perfect for twirling! Oh and it gives you an amazing fit too.

That's all for this post! Be sure to stay tuned to the blog as we continue to roll out the Blue Skye Collection Part Deux!

Behind the scenes: Sophie Nova

We're back again! Now as most of you know, we had not one, but two lovely ladies model our collection this year.! Last week, we shared Emily's interview. And this week, we're spotlighting Sophie Nova!

This was our first year shooting with Sophie. Ah, but don’t be fooled! She’s no novice! Sophie has four years of experience as a full-time model. Her wonderful list of credits goes on and on. She had modeled with Jesse Leon and Lucky13, just to name a few. She has appeared in both Dark Beauty and Belle Morte Magazine. And she has worked with dozens of amazing photographers.

And we just love her beautiful red hair and style (ok, let us confess right her: we are suckers for red-heads!) ! She really brought her A-game to the shoot. She had so many ideas on how to style her hair and what makeup to use. Her creativity really inspired us all.In between all the dress, hair, and make-up changes, we managed to squeeze in a little chat.

Ivey: Hi Sophie! We're so excited to have you here with us today!

Sophie:  And I'm excited to be here!  

Ivey: So, how did you get started in the crazy world of modeling?

Sophie:  Oh, wow. That was a long time ago! I was asked to model for a hair competition. They needed someone with virgin hair and that happened to be me! They dyed my hair all sorts of colors.

Ivey: Ah, very cool! That's a lovely accent you have. What part of England are you from?

Sophie: I'm from Southampton. It's right by the sea.

Ivey: Wow, you're a long way from home. What brought you here?

Sophie:  Well, my husband Matthew I suppose!. We met online and just clicked! He's here with me today, actually. He's a photographer and wants to see Ken at work.

Ivey: We did get a chance to say hello before we got started. We're happy to have him here.

Sophie: He actually helped me get involved in fetish modeling. Since he was already involved in the business, he had some great connections that got me off on the right foot here.

Ivey: That's great! You both are quite the team. Do you live here in Los Angeles?

Sophie:  Actually, we live in Long Beach. We had a bit of drive to get here today.

Ivey: Thanks for making the trip!

Sophie: Absolutely! I'm ecstatic to be playing dress up all day.

Ivey: Great! Maybe you'll be up for round two next December?

Sophie: If you'll have me back, I would love to!

Coffee, buttons and bows!

This blogger got a real up close look at our photo shoot this year.  Yes, I was in the middle of it all. It was an amazing experience! From the view of the beautiful city of Los Angeles from Griffith Observatory to the inside of Ken Marcus's studio. Let me take you behind the scenes with me on our trip and of course, the photo shoot!

We had a early start on photo shoot day. We had to make sure there was enough time to grab coffee before heading to Ken's. Coffee is essential. As soon as we reached the studio, we had a bit of time to say hellos before it was time to get going. There was a clothing rack to set up, dresses to hang up and a whole dressing room to organize for an all-day shoot.

The Rachel really stood out on the rack. The style was something really different. Maybe it was the translucent latex? It was a crowd favorite! And it was one of the easier dresses to get on. Just remember to unfasten that button tab in the back. And the zipper down the back? It makes all the difference, I promise you.

Want to know a trick I picked up from our dresser Kimberly while helping dress Emily and Sophie? The more dressing aid you apply to translucent latex, the more see-through it will appear! So lay it on thick! Also, be mindful of those fingernails. Use soft fingertips and be really careful! A hole in a latex garment would be a disaster!

Creativity was the key this time around. We wanted to switch up hairdos every couple dresses. And we needed to keep the hair up to keep it out of the dressing aid. You may have guessed that it's not a good hair styling product. We all put our heads together and tried lots of different styles. Some flops and some not. Thank goodness we remember to pack those little latex flower hair accessories!

Here's one now in Sophie's hair! We got lucky that it matched up perfectly with the dress. This is the Charlotte! I call it a girly version of the mohawk. All business in the front and a party in the back! That cute bow in the back does need to be adjusted once you slip this dress on. Make sure the middle part is centered so the bow effect comes across.

This little dress looks basic but it's much more! The bow in the back and the low cut neckline give this dress so much more. It's a tight squeeze going on but once it's on? It fits and hugs every one of your beautiful curves. It was exciting to see this one in person!

I have more to share! Come back next week for more behind the scenes. Until then, have a great weekend! And if you are on the east coast, stay safe as winter storm Pax passes through. Remember, warm weather is just around the corner!

The Suzanne!

It's here. It's finally here!! Our new, beautiful 2014 Blue Skye collection is here! No more waiting, wanting and imagining. It's all there, up on our site. And today, we're going to kick it off with a brand new outfit of the week!! Can you contain your excitement? Yeah, we didn't think so!

Here we go! It's the Suzanne dress. Wow! So sexy, don't you think? It really captures what our new collection is all about. We're trying new things and bringing even more style to latex clothing!

What to talk about first? We''l how about up top! The Suzanne has these great, wide straps that are both functional and fashionable. We love the bold flash of color against the skin of the shoulders. And just take a look at that neckline. A plunging, sweetheart neckline looks great with a small or large chest size. This is a dress for all kinds of women!

The solid color extends from the straps, down the body. This style really hugs to your every curve. The va-va-voom look of the Suzanne is only amplified by the stripes in the middle portion. They follow that signature hourglass shape. We are huge fans of the stripes! They give the Suzanne it's own unique style.

You can completely customize this dress. Choose your size and your colors. Color combination can change the dress from sweet to naughty to sexy to... anything you want! The choice is yours. It almost looks like Sophie and Emily are wearing different dresses! Choose wisely because the Suzanne is all about the color!!

What do you think? We're so excited to share all of our new dresses with you. Stay tuned to this blog for interviews, pictures and a many brand new outfits of the week! You wont want to miss out!

Easing back in

Can you think of a single word to describe how we are all feeling right now? Hmmmm. Oh, we think we got it! Ugh. The holidays are over and the new year is here. It's time to take down the decorations, make your resolutions and most importantly, return to reality! Well, after the weekend is over. Let's ease back into it, shall we? How do we propose this you ask?

Beanies. Slouchy knitted hats that provide warmth, a laid back look and the perfect solution to a bad hair day. They may be the perfect thing for these next few days of "I don't wanna!" Plus, they are going to aid all winter long as we battle the cold and snow. Trust us! 

Beanies are great. What makes the even better? A giant pom pom! It's so cute and kind of reminds us of something we would wear as a kid. Check out this mustard yellow hat for Zara. It's on our wish list for sure! We think it would look great paired with a grey or army green colored coat. Add some tight pants and heeled booties... now that's a good look. So casual yet extremely cute!

If you have a more urban style, the next hat is perfect for you. We are really digging the beanies with text on them. You have seen them all over the place! They are really popular right now. If we we're going to buy one,  it would have to be this one from Topshop. Mix it into an outfit with a leather moto jacket and a chunky gold chain necklace. What an awesome, hip hop style outfit. Is that a look you may go for in 2014?

And nothing is wrong with a basic beanie. It goes with nearly everything and will surely serve it's purpose... keeping your head warm! The go with any jacket, coat or sweater. And they capture that classic winter look. We would pick this hat from Madewell. It looks super cozy and we love the burgundy color. You can't go wrong with this hat.

It's not all bad! We have a whole new year in front of us. We're excited to take it all on. We can't wait to travel, meet more of you and debut our latest latex line. Of course, there are sure to be a few surprises along the way. We hope you'll come along with us. Happy New Year from the Latex Store to you!  

What a success!

After such a fantastic weekend and photo shoot, we couldn't help but feel a bit nostalgic! This week, we're bring you one of our favorite designs from last year's collection.

It's the Jezebel dress. How much fun is this flirty dress?! We totally dig this halter style dress! It looks good on a variety of shapes and sizes.

The piping adds some great flair! And of course, you get to pick the color. This dress can really be your own creation.

The plunge neckline is super sexy too. And we love the bow detail! And that ruffle along the bottom? Too cute! This dress is all about those small details. And remember that you can have this dress made to measure!

Well, our photo shoot this weekend was in fact a huge success! Everyone had such a great time and the photos are fantastic! Beautiful designs and beautiful girls! For now, you are going to have to take our word for it!

If you haven't had a chance to sneak a peek at our twitter, go now! We have lots of teaser shots. We were posting all day long on Saturday.

Stay tuned to this space for updates and fun tidbits on both the shoot and the 2014 line. Don't miss out on all of the fun!