Page 66 - AVN May 2015

FEATURE
FEATURE | By Sherri L. Shaulis and Sharan Street
Lingerie manufacturers seemed to be returning to
the basics, metaphorically and literally. Foundation
and shapewear pieces abounded, but with some
flair, including lace panels, appliques and geometric
shapes.
Vintage was also a theme for many manufacturers,
with corsets, hooded robes, skirts and layers of
lace featured prominently. Rago featured its retro
shapewear, including some styles seen at the fashion
show. At the Burleska booth, creams and blacks
were sometimes accented with lush velvets or
touches of faux fur. Shiny brocade fabrics are used
to catch attention not only of buyers, but customers
as well.
Hoss International also showcased corsets in
myriad styles. The venerable Los Angeles-based
brand, which was recently featured on a local news
program, offers a full custom design service and is
always adding new styles and fabrics.
Another contender in the corset category made
its U.S. debut at this show. Vintage Goth, based in
London, highlighted its new spring line of velvet
corsets in floral patterns. “Velvet is working very,
very strong,” said a company rep. “That’s why we
did prints.”
Vintage Goth was not alone in making a foray into
the U.S. market. Several Italian brands brought high
style to intimate apparel. Outx, from Italy, offered
neoprene gear for men and women. Also featuring
the wet look was Eros Veneziani. A new company
based out of Milan, Eros Veneziani offers “more
sexy, original” styles for men and women, said its
rep.
Despite its name, Cotton Club also features
Italian-made apparel. Imported by a Florida-based
distributor, the brand offers elegant shapewear and
other apparel at a higher price point. Standouts of
its upcoming collection include laser-cut panties,
black pencil skirts with sheer triangular insets, a lace
shirt in dove (a brownish gray shade), and a bra and
panty set in wintergreen (a deep green).
More contemporary styles also could be found
on the show floor. J. Valentine gave bling a new
meaning with sheer robes accented by strands of
tiny LED lights. Some pieces also were adorned with
glitter stars that caught the lights and added to the
shimmer. Other J. Valentine pieces were made from
faux fur in vibrant colors, and the strands of LED
lights made them stand out even more.
And in the Melrose Room was a fresh new
brand: High Jinx, a line of casual wear prominently
featuring cannabis leaves and other visual elements
suitable for what the company rep called a “420
lifestyle brand.” But what makes High Jinx stand
out, she said, is that it is a line for women designed
by women. “Most other gear are just men’s
T-shirts,” she pointed out, noting that High Jinx
fills “a missing hole in the market.” Owned by DG
Brands (aka Dreamgirl), the line was envisioned by
Dreamgirl designers Julie Hunot and Lisa Dixon.
Inside the far more intimate confines of the Sexy
Studio, distributors and a small assortment of
manufacturers shows their wares to the buyers at
Altitude Intimates.
Sportsheets founder Tom Stewart, a trade-show
veteran, expressed optimism. “This is a good
effort,” Stewart said. “You know how when you play
poker and you have to put in your ante to see if it’s
worthwhile? We put in the ante and are happy so far.
This is a show that looks like it is directed toward
everyone in the industry, and that’s a good thing.”
66 | AVN.com | 5.17
FLOOR SHOW Clockwise from top left, the Williams Trading booth in the Sexy Studio; the Coquette International exhibit in the main hall; a display of the brand-new
Frederick’s of Hollywood toy line at the Xgen Products booth; collections from Sportsheets. Photos by Hew Burney.
In the Sportsheets booth, Stewart and his crew showcased the new packaging for the Edge collection of BDSM
items. The brown-and-black color scheme plays into the masculine appeal of the collection.
Stewart also talked of his recent participation in New York at a conference for physicians, occupational
therapists and more who work with spinal cord injuries.
“There were six men on one of the panels, and all of them were in wheelchairs,” Stewart said. “I brought a few
items with me, including strap-ons and thigh strap-ons, and they all were amazed that such products existed and
they wanted them all.
“It was so rewarding and such an honor to be a part of that conference,” he added.
Stewart’s participation in the conference is the latest outreach work he has done. He has often worked with
veterans and military groups to use Sportsheets products to maintain and improve their sex lives.
The Sportsheets booth was near the entrance to the pleasure products room, right across from Eldorado
Trading Co. The distributor’s booth was focused on the services it offers to its clientele, including its
StorExtender e-commerce platform and its Elevate U educational program. On hand in the Eldorado booth was
Kira Manser, clinical director at the Center for Sexual Pleasure and Health, who is one of the presenters in the
Elevate U program. Manser also gave a presentation at one of the industry seminars, held during the second day
of the show.
In the Shibari Wands booth, the new line of Hello, Sexy! items were on display. In addition to a curved wand
massager, the collection includes the Shimoji Wireless 9x Massager, which boasts six pulsation patterns, three
speeds and an ergonomic design for G-spot stimulation. The waterproof dual massager is USB rechargeable and
comes in black, pink and purple.
The staff in the Williams Trading Co. booth welcomed visitors with bags of freshly popped popcorn, and were
ready to talk about the company’s new Quick Ship program. Quick Ship guarantees orders placed by 11 a.m. EST
on a preferred shipping day, will be shipped that same day.
In the Holiday Products booth, visitors were able to meet and chat with reps from some of the leading brands in
the industry, including the Womanizer. At the Nalpac booth, new owners Steve and Andy Craig met with buyers,
schmoozing side by side with Nasstoys owner Eliot Schwartz and sales rep Kathryn Hartman.
Some manufacturers, including Impulse Novelties and Synergy Erotic, had their own booths at the show. Both
of these companies showcased new, more compact packaging. Synergy Erotic displayed a prototype for a new
rabbit-style vibrator. And Impulse’s Gabor Szabo pointed out items in the new Amie line—small vibrators with
big features. Made of silicone, they offer seven speeds and come in bright colors and creative shapes.
We-Vibe reps were at the show to debut new pleasure rings, the Pivot and the Verge. “The rings will be
available on April 24, and they are app-enabled so the We Connect app will update at that time too,” said
company rep Jennifer Brice.
The rings mark the first products We-Vibe has developed specifically for the penis. The Pivot, available in navy
blue, is a stretchier ring; while the Verge is more rigid and comes in slate gray. Both rings vibrate and can be
positioned during sex to stimulate the wearer’s perineum or a partner’s clitoris.
Also on display from We-Vibe was the Wish palm bullet.
“It has two of the Tango’s motors in it, which people just love,” Brice said. The turquoise pebble-shaped
vibrator has a squishy silicone covering and is palm-sized to stimulate the labia all at once. A softly rounded tip