A fetish model is a

model A model is an informative representation of an object, person or system. The term originally denoted the plans of a building in late 16th-century English, and derived via French and Italian ultimately from Latin ''modulus'', a measure. Models c ...

who models fetish clothing or accessories that augment their body in a fetish-like manner or in fetishistic situations. Fetish models do not necessarily work exclusively in that form of modeling. Fetish models often wear

fetish fashion Fetish fashion is any style or appearance in the form of a type of clothing or accessory, created to be extreme or provocative in a fetishistic manner. These styles are by definition not worn by the majority of people; if everyone wears an it ...

, an extreme and provocative style of clothing designed to elicit a strong emotional reaction or sexual desire on the part of the observer. Such clothing ranges from exotic stylized bathing suits to

body armor Body armor, also known as body armour, personal armor or armour, or a suit or coat of armor, is protective clothing designed to absorb or deflect physical attacks. Historically used to protect military personnel, today it is also used by variou ...

and

sci-fi Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel universe ...

fantasy suits. Bondage models appear in various forms of

bondage Bondage may refer to: Restraints *Physical restraints **Bondage (BDSM) Bondage in the BDSM subculture, is the practice of consensually tying, binding, or restraining a partner for erotic, aesthetic, or somatosensory stimulation. A partn ...

. Other fetish modeling may involve

body modification Body modification (or body alteration) is the deliberate altering of the human anatomy or human physical appearance. In its broadest definition it includes skin tattooing, socially acceptable decoration (''e.g.'', common ear piercing in many so ...

, appearing in

fetish photography Fetish art is art that depicts people in fetishistic situations such as S&M, domination/submission, bondage, transvestism and the like, sometimes in combination. It may simply depict a person dressed in fetish clothing, which could include und ...

or exotic

glamour photography Glamour photography is a genre of photography in which the subjects are portrayed in erotic poses ranging from fully clothed to nude. The term may be a euphemism for erotic photography. For glamour models, body shape and size are directly relat ...

, or wearing

sexual fantasy A sexual fantasy or erotic fantasy is a mental image or pattern of thought that stirs a person's sexuality and can create or enhance sexual arousal. A sexual fantasy can be created by the person's imagination or memory, and may be triggered auto ...

costumes that fulfil a

uniform fetish Uniform fetishism is a particular type of clothing fetishism in which an individual is sexually aroused by uniforms. It is a form of sexual fetishism. Uniform fetishism has been associated with a variety of different uniforms, including schoolgirl ...

(e.g.

French maid ''French maid'' was a term applied in the Victorian and early 20th century periods to a lady's maid of French nationality. A lady's maid was a senior servant who reported directly to the lady of the house, and accompanied her mistress on ...

, nurse, etc.). As well as modelling for photography, fetish models also make public appearances at events such as

BDSM BDSM is a variety of often erotic practices or roleplaying involving bondage, discipline, dominance and submission, sadomasochism, and other related interpersonal dynamics. Given the wide range of practices, some of which may be engaged ...

fairs and parties. Some

pornographic actor A pornographic film actor or actress, pornographic performer, adult entertainer, or porn star is a person who performs sex acts in video that is usually characterized as a pornographic movie. Such videos tend to be made in a number of dis ...

s and

glamour model A model is a person with a role either to promote, display or advertise commercial products (notably fashion clothing in fashion shows) or to serve as a visual aid for people who are creating works of art or to pose for photography. Though ...

s also work as fetish models.

Types of fetish models

Fetish modelling covers a wide range of fetishes, including those involving

and ', latex and PVC,

corset A corset is a support garment commonly worn to hold and train the torso into a desired shape, traditionally a smaller waist or larger bottom, for aesthetic or medical purposes (either for the duration of wearing it or with a more lasting eff ...

tattoo A tattoo is a form of body modification made by inserting tattoo ink, dyes, and/or pigments, either indelible or temporary, into the dermis layer of the skin to form a design. Tattoo artists create these designs using several tattooing ...

body piercing Body piercing, which is a form of body modification, is the practice of puncturing or cutting a part of the human body, creating an opening in which jewelry may be worn, or where an implant could be inserted. The word ''piercing'' can refer to ...

shoe fetishism Shoe fetishism is the attribution of attractive sexual qualities to shoes or other footwear as a matter of sexual preference, or an alternative or complement to a relationship with a partner. It has also been known as retifism, after the French no ...

, food fetishism and '. Fetishes may also involve body parts, such as

breast fetishism As a paraphilia, breast fetishism (also known as mastofact, breast partialism, or mazophilia) is a highly atypical sexual interest consisting of an exclusive focus on female breasts, which is a type of partialism. The term ''breast fetishism'' ...

navel fetishism Navel fetishism, belly button fetishism, or alvinophilia is a partialism in which an individual is attracted to the human navel. In 2012, it was the second most popular fetish search on Google as per their global monthly averages. Stimuli A ...

and

foot fetishism Foot fetishism, also known as foot partialism or podophilia, is a pronounced sexual interest in feet. It is the most common form of sexual fetishism for otherwise non-sexual objects or body parts. Characteristics and related fetishes Foot f ...

. Fetish models are usually considered to be in a different category to

gothic Gothic or Gothics may refer to: People and languages *Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes **Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths **Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...

or alternative models, who are usually far more niche specific. Fetish models may only involve themselves in the overall

aesthetic Aesthetics, or esthetics, is a branch of philosophy that deals with the nature of beauty and taste, as well as the philosophy of art (its own area of philosophy that comes out of aesthetics). It examines aesthetic values, often expressed t ...

aspects rather than work directly with sex and sexuality. Fetish modelling is usually considered to be a part of the

adult industry The sex industry (also called the sex trade) consists of businesses that either directly or indirectly provide sex-related products and services or adult entertainment. The industry includes activities involving direct provision of sex-related ...

due to its popular perception as an "adult only" appreciation. However, in recent times, many aspects of the fetish fashion market have been incorporated and accepted into mainstream fashion whereby fashion creators will directly use exotic materials such as latex or

sheer fabric Sheer fabric is fabric which is made using thin thread or low density of knit. This results in a semi- transparent and flimsy cloth. Some fabrics become transparent when wet. Overview The sheerness of a fabric is expressed as a numerical den ...

instead of cotton or wool for their creations.

Popular culture

There have been several notable performers and producers of both the bondage and fetish area who have attained mainstream notability. The most recognized is the 1950s bondage model and

pin-up girl A pin-up model (known as a pin-up girl for a female and less commonly male pin-up for a male) is a model whose mass-produced pictures see widespread appeal as part of popular culture. Pin-up models were variously glamour models, fashion models ...

Bettie Page Bettie Mae Page (April 22, 1923 – December 11, 2008) was an American model who gained notoriety in the 1950s for her pin-up photos.

, who posed for photographer

Irving Klaw Irving Klaw (November 9, 1910 – September 3, 1966), self-named the "Pin-up King",Pérez Seves, ''Eric Stanton & the History of the Bizarre Underground'', p. 28. was an influential Jewish-American merchant of sexploitation, fetish, and Hollywoo ...

for mail-order photographs and was subsequently featured in ''

Playboy ''Playboy'' is an American men's Lifestyle magazine, lifestyle and entertainment magazine, formerly in print and currently online. It was founded in Chicago in 1953, by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from H ...

''. Essex, Karen, and James L. Swanson, ''Bettie Page: The Life of a Pin-Up Legend.'' Los Angeles: General Publishing Group, 1996. Foster, Richard, ''The Real Bettie Page: The Truth About the Queen of the Pinups.'' Secaucus, N.J.: Carol Publishing Group/Birch Lane Press, 1997. She was the first famous bondage model. In the 1960s, the popular

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

TV program '' The Avengers'' included several fetish costume elements worn by its female lead performers. This began with

Honor Blackman Honor Blackman (22 August 1925 – 5 April 2020) was an English actress, known for the roles of Cathy Gale in '' The Avengers''Aaker, Everett (2006). ''Encyclopedia of Early Television Crime Fighters''. McFarland & Company, Inc. . P. 58. (1962 ...

and included

Diana Rigg Dame Enid Diana Elizabeth Rigg (20 July 193810 September 2020) was an English actress of stage and screen. Her roles include Emma Peel in the TV series '' The Avengers'' (1965–1968); Countess Teresa di Vicenzo, wife of James Bond, in ''On H ...

's leather

catsuit A catsuit is a one-piece form-fitting garment that covers the torso and the legs, and frequently the arms. They are usually made from stretchable material, such as lycra, chiffon, spandex (after 1959), latex, or velour, but may use less elasti ...

s and

leotard A leotard () is a unisex skin-tight one-piece garment that covers the torso from the crotch to the shoulder. The garment was made famous by the French acrobatic performer Jules Léotard (1838–1870). There are sleeveless, short-sleeved, an ...

s, as well as Tara King's use of

thigh-length boots Thigh-high boots, known also as thigh-length boots or simply thigh boots, are boots that extend above the knees to at least mid-thigh. Other terms for this footwear include ''over-the-knee boots'' (abbreviated OTK boots; the full term is also us ...

and leather evening gloves. The neo-burlesque performer

Dita Von Teese Heather Renée Sweet (born September 28, 1972), known professionally as Dita Von Teese, is an American vedette, burlesque dancer, model, and businesswoman. She is credited with re-popularizing burlesque performance, earning the moniker "Que ...

started her career as a fetish model and

stripper A stripper or exotic dancer is a person whose occupation involves performing striptease in a public adult entertainment venue such as a strip club. At times, a stripper may be hired to perform at a bachelor party or other private event. ...

. Other notable fetish models include the Russian-American performer

Mosh Moshing (also known as slam dancing or simply slamming) is an extreme style of dance, dancing in which participants push or slam into each other, typically performed to "aggressive" live music such as heavy metal music, heavy metal and punk rock ...

and the Canadian photographic model

Bianca Beauchamp Bianca Stéphanie Beauchamp (, born October 14, 1977) is a Canadian fetish model best known for her glamour, erotic and latex fetish modeling. Early life and education Beauchamp was born in Montreal, Quebec to a French Canadian father and ...

Markets

There are specialized publications that feature and promote fetish models, including ''

Skin Two ''Skin Two'' is a fetish magazine covering aspects of the worldwide fetish subculture. The name is a reference to fetish clothing as a "second skin". History and profile ''Skin Two'' was founded in 1983 by the publisher Tim Woodward and the ph ...

'', ''Secret'', Italian ''A Magazine'' (not to be confused with the now defunct ''A(sian) Magazine''), and ''

Marquis A marquess (; french: marquis ), es, marqués, pt, marquês. is a nobleman of high hereditary rank in various European peerages and in those of some of their former colonies. The German language equivalent is Markgraf (margrave). A woman ...

''. Fetish models may run personal adult pay websites and are featured on fetish adult pay sites. There are also fetish

fashion designer Fashion is a form of self-expression and autonomy at a particular period and place and in a specific context, of clothing, footwear, lifestyle, accessories, makeup, hairstyle, and body posture. The term implies a look defined by the fashio ...

s. Most of these designers employ fetish models for their clothing line. Fetish fashion shows are hosted several times a year, including Vex, The Baroness, Skintwo, and House of Harlot.

Awards

The SIGNY awards were awarded each year between 2000 and 2005 (except 2002) to the bondage models voted as the best of that year. The SIGNY award winners have been: * 2000: Eve Ellis, runners-up Ashley Renee, Andrea Neal * 2001: Ashley Renee, runners-up Andrea Neal, Eve Ellis * 2003: Jasmine Sinclair, runners-up Amber Michaels, Ashley Renee. * 2004: Jenni Lee, runners-up Jewell Marceau, Emily Marilyn (Molly Matthews) * 2005: Jewell Marceau, runners-up Ashley Renee, Christina Carter

References

{{Sex fetish, state=collapsed BDSM terminology

Model A model is an informative representation of an object, person or system. The term originally denoted the plans of a building in late 16th-century English, and derived via French and Italian ultimately from Latin ''modulus'', a measure. Models c ...

Modeling (profession)

Types of fetish models

Popular culture

Markets

Awards

See also

References