If you’re interested in discovering your kinky side, you’re going to need some stuff. Clothes, toys…all of these are available in Bogotá’s veritable plethora of sex shops. These are seemingly ubiquitous small places selling fairly standard sex toys and the like. We took a look at two of Bogotá’s more individual offerings:
Pelonia Store
Some of Bogotá’s sexiest clothes are handmade by Pelonia Store, an online shop specialising in classy underwear and toys. Fouder Clara Giraldes explains: “We wanted different products. There are many sex shops in Bogotá, but all of them have the same products. The only difference is price – cheaper in Galerias than the Zona Rosa. So we decided to make our own things. Mainly underwear, but also corsets, masks and so on. Additionally, we make toys: floggers, switches, canes and equipment, for example spreader bars and blindfolds. What makes our products different? Well, the quality, not only the material but also the production. Because everything is handmade, we have perfect control of the process. This means our products won’t break when you use them – remember that for tough love, you need tough toys!”.
The clothes certainly look elegant yet sexy, a riot of frills and lace, and it’s easy to see why they’re popular. “Our most popular clothes are the Volcan la Cocuy, a kind of brassiere without cups..in terms of toys, the blindfolds and leather paddles such as Avalancha are the most popular”. This intrigues me. What’s the difference between handcuffs and leather restraints? “Well, handcuffs can mark the skin, which is a problem for after play, and also they aren’t comfortable”. Isn’t that the point? “Well, for example, you might like pain” she says with a wicked grin while I blush, “but not everyone does. For many people, especially those who are new, it’s the feeling of restraint, of restriction that is more important. Not all play is pain, some people prefer sensual submission”.
All the products are Colombian made: “we use material from the centre, and all the leather is Colombian, too”. Now Samanta, the ‘executioner’ butts in “Also, although we have a catalogue, we also make one off designs on request. Some of these are very interesting; for example, I made a Jesús tunic for a guy last year, really fun”. Clara continues “and of course, these personalised projects allow you to be more creative. Normally everything can be in red and black, black, black. 50 shades of black, you could say! But with these personal clothes, you can have them in yellow or green for example.”
What about the name, Pelonia? Clara explained “The idea came from my role in games, like a princess. Also, this apartment is like a castle, with a balcony. So…a princess in a castle, it’s perfect. But of course a princess in her castle needs a retinue. So we have a group of people with roles to play, like The Ogre, The Witch and so on. My fellow designers in the store are the Executioner and the Cat. We have afternoons where we play using these roles”…”but strictly invitation-only”, she cautions with a wink. At this point, I decide it’s best to make my excuses and leave the beautiful yet dangerous Reino Pelonico…
317 294 5522
SexLeather
Down on the Septima, not far from that bastion of clean-living the Teatro (Jorge Elicier) Gaitan, lurks a den of kinksters. A seemingly inocuous mall, sprinkled with rock shops and peluquerias…and at the back is Bogotá’s only genuine fetish shop, with a year’s experience under their belts. It’s not big, but the walls are literally lined with PVC. We popped in to take a look.
Owner Alain Castellanos showed us around: “There are basically two parts to the shop, here we have regular toys, like dildos, and here we have our fetish toys and clothes. These [the dildos] are our bread and butter, but the fetish products are our passion. Some people only want basic tangas, others are into full straitjackets. We serve everyone.”
The dildos range from the most popular Japanese-style love eggs, curiously elegant and minimalist in appearance to frankly monstrous looking buttplugs that bring a new menaing to ‘love will tear us apart’.
The store’s signature is leather, co-owner Nando being a leatherworker of some renown, but they also have many clothes in PVC. Prices range generally between $75,000COP and $150,000COP, depending on quality, size and complication, athough products using the best leather can cost as much as $500,000COP. “We make a whole range of things, from corsets – very popular – to our osados – bondage bears – to fancy dress. My favourites are the police outfits.”.
“We can take measurements here, of course, and produce pretty much whatever your heart desires. After 15 years of designing and producing clothes not just for sale but also for modelling, well, we know all about quality”.
All of the leather is Colombian, although the PVC is sourced from Chile, as Alain feels Colombian PVC is not high enough quality to be used in his products. “With our products, they are built to last, to endure. Also, for fetishistas, the quality is very important. Not many people have a fetish for badly made synthetic leather”, he points out. “With our personal service, and in Nando’s leather workshop, you can be sure that you’re getting the highest quality. After all, we too play and we wouldn’t sell things we wouldn’t use”.
Cra Septima #22-31 Local 112 CC (MultiSeptima)
310 486 7963
By Fred Ellis
