Using superior materials and exceptional binding techniques, we’re redefining the standards in handmade latex fashion. Our love of sub-cultures in fashion and music drives us to create original, handmade apparel.
Filth Latex are a clothing brand for the fashionably liberated. Hand crafted in the Netherlands and available for shipping worldwide, Filth aims to make quality latex wear less of an exclusivity and available to all. Sensuali sat down with founder, Stuart, to understand more about his journey.
Could you introduce yourself and what you do?
My name is Stuart, I am the founder, owner, designer and manufacturer of Filth (Latex Clothing). I originally come from Dundee, Scotland and I live in Amsterdam.
What was your journey into this world?
My journey began in the early 1990’s before I moved to Amsterdam and I saw a program on Channel 4 that had a brief clip about Demask in Amsterdam. My now sister-in-law comes from Derby and she knew the owner of Demask, Steve English who was best friends with her best friend’s boyfriend at the time!
When I moved to Amsterdam I was a hotel runner, persuading backpackers to come stay at the hostel I was working for. That was a challenge because my Dundee accent at that time was pretty strong! Anyway one of my fellow runners I befriended, Tony, used to go to a BDSM bar called G-Force which sadly closed and he also shared a flat with two Scottish girls who worked for Demask.
So I went to their workshop in Amsterdam North, spoke to Steve English and that was it. Demask at the time was the world’s largest latex and leather company, probably along with Skin 2. I started off making lingerie, then clothes and I became head of lingerie and then head of the clothes departments and I taught all the newcomers.
At that time Demask was also the best quality around and there were lots of talented people working there so we were taught to a very high standard which is the same standard I try to emulate today. Demask is still like family to me.
What is your mission?
Quality latex for the masses! I want to make the best quality latex clothes you can buy, with designs that are unlike all the other latex manufacturers.
My clothes lean more towards fashion than fetish but they are inextricably linked. Lots of stuff out there now is just a poorly made regurgitation of the same design styles, apart from one or two companies.
Why do you like latex?
I like latex because I am really really good with it! I love how it looks an anyone and it is really flattering for all body types.
How would you describe your approach to what you do in a nutshell?
Quality is first and foremost, which means attention to detail. I really do make everything with love and care.
If someone is choosing to spend their money on one of my garments, I make sure it will be the best looking, strongest and cleanest latex garment they have in their collection. I also make sure my designs are unlike any other latex designer, I see no point in doing the same old that’s already out there.
Can you present one of your latex pieces?
This is the Bromley dress. It has its origins in 70’s punk and is named after a group of early Sex Pistol fans who followed the band including Siouxsie Sioux. The dress with the sleeves, there is a sleeveless version, contains 11 zippers which were especially made for the dress.
The zippers on the front are all designed when open, they do not reveal everything, only sections of the breast or body. It’s a great example of the of the Exhibitionist/ Voyeur dynamic. The dress is designed to tease. The dress is also a challenge to make, its not simple, but well well worth it when you see it on someone.
Are your designs informed by your own kinks?
Yes, absolutely.
I love exploring the relationship between the Exhibitionist and the Voyeur, that aspect of teasing and building up tension.
It’s why I use a lot of standard coloured latex with semi-transparent. I also want to empower the wearing to feel the best and sexiest they can in one of my garments whatever their own personal kinks are.
What should more people know making latex?
Anyone can make latex- there are books on how to do it and you can see the amount of new latex manufactures there are on Instagram and Etsy. Making it well, however, with smooth seams and toughness requires time and patience. I have repaired a lot of other companies’ clothes and I am shocked by what quality is out there. Just badly made, no attention to detail, lots of glue residue left over. I care about quality, not profit.
How has your relationship with what you do evolved over time?
The biggest thing was discovering I had designs in me and that I wasn’t just good at the practical side of making latex clothes. I am always trying to improve my techniques as I am seriously working towards being known for the best quality garments on the market.
How do you feel about latex in fashion and culture today?
Fashion and music have always flirted with latex. When I was at Demask we made clothes for Iggy Pop, Nine Inch Nails and Eva Hertzigova to wear at Cannes. Saint Laurent, Vivienne Westwood and Marc Jacobs have all included latex at one time or another. The famous brands now are Atsuko Kudo and now Avellano has brought it to the Paris catwalk. I think it can only be a good thing to bring awareness that latex can be clothing that can be worn outside of the fetish party.
What are your hopes for the future?
My hopes are simple, to continue this as a business to develop all the designs I have sitting in the wings, and again to be known for being the best made latex manufacturer on the market. I have some new catsuits, bodies and chokers on the way, I’m always trying to develop new ideas.
Shop now at Filth Latex.
Discover all BDSM experiences on Sensuali.
Read: 12 times latex had a cultural moment.
Iso
Iso is a writer and filmmaker based in East London. She is passionate about all things erotic and leads a sexy, shame-free life in hope that she can inspire others to do the same. Originally from a Northern seaside town, she is naturally drawn to the best things in life: candyfloss, trashy karaoke bars and heart-shaped sunglasses.
Filth Latex
Filth are a latex clothing brand in the Netherlands. They create their own designs and produce each garment by hand to ensure the perfect fit from size zero to plus sizes.
