SOFT SKIN LATEX: A Conversation With Gemma Pickerill
Soft Skin Latex is a progressive handmade latex brand based in the UK, that is pushing the traditional conception of what it means to create using latex. Infusing designs with elegance and a plethora of cultural reference points, Soft Skin Latex is showing us that latex is both exciting and constantly evolving from it traditional roots in fetish and sexual desire.
Although the garments will always maintain this sense of the erotic, new exciting elements and characteristics have come in to play, such as harnesses, ribbons and flowing skirts covered in cute pastel colours. This contradiction is something that the brand has playfully run with, turning it into something that is bold, fresh and unique.
In present times, when trends and communication are transmitted fast, this brand’s slower, dedicated pace may not be for everyone, but for Gemma, the head designer, the script has been flipped. Quality now has a different meaning, and every piece is given the time and attention that it deserves.
"I don't want to churn out new designs each season just for the sake of it, and at the moment, I'd rather focus on creating a high quality and ethical product that hopefully is worth waiting for."
Her influences come from a wide range of sources such as illustrators like Gene Bilbrew, Japanese artists like Namio Harukawa and the LGTB community to whom she is very inspired.
GATA had the pleasure to sit down and talk with Gemma Pickerill about the role her influences play on her designs and the recent mainstream trend of latex. Don’t miss the opportunity to discover more about this exciting brand, that will surely blossom over time.
1.Why did you choose to start a brand based on latex? Was it a way to make this material more accessible to all audiences?
GEMMA: In the beginning, I fell in love with the material itself, latex has a sculptural quality that is so satisfying and inspiring to work with. I was introduced to latex through a work placement whilst studying costume design so the way I approached it was through that perspective and not necessarily through the lens of fetish. At the same time, I was also exploring the queer art and fashion scene in London and was really interested in gender fluid and subversive fashion.
Latex is still a fairly niche and unexplored area of fashion and in some ways, not very diverse so I enjoy making things for an audience that had previously not been catered for.
2. What role does fetishism play in your life/inspiration? Did you choose latex for a personal reason, or was it a random selection?
GEMMA: My introduction into the fetish and BDSM scene was through my work but over time it has become a part of my personal life too. I think fetish culture is fascinating and important to understand if you’re involved in the industry. Fetishism is not just an aesthetic or fashion trend to me, it’s a subculture and a community and I always want to respect that.
3. Soft skin latex is a "Slow Fashion" brand; how does the speed of the digital world where everything goes so fast affect you and the brand? Do you feel any kind of pressure?
GEMMA: It’s weird how central Instagram is to build a brand now, it’s allowed me to reach people all over the world and so quickly but the immediacy it provides seems contradictory to slow fashion. At the moment Soft Skin is only me,
I make everything by hand and deal with customers directly so the pressure can easily become overwhelming when you’re receiving messages 24/7 through your phone and people expect immediate responses. I also feel pressure to make new work constantly but I know I’m working in a different way to bigger brands. I don’t want to churn out new designs each season just for the sake of it and at the moment I’d rather focus on creating high quality, and ethical product that hopefully is worth waiting for.
“Fetishism is not just an aesthetic or fashion trend to me, it’s a subculture and a community and I always want to respect that. ”
4. Latex is a material that is quickly related to fetish, sex and sensuality. Have you ever thought about creating a garment with latex that expresses the opposite?
GEMMA: I think it would be difficult to remove the sexual connotations from latex, and I wouldn’t want to! That’s what I love about it, no matter what it’s always kind of risqué even when you take it out of the context of fetish, the suggestion is still there.
5. Do you feel like latex has become more mainstream in recent times, if so, how do you feel about this?
GEMMA: Latex has definitely started to enter the mainstream, it’s good for designers that the demand is there but like all fashion trends I’m sure latex will dip out of fashion at some point. I try not to appeal to mainstream fashion and just do my own thing and hope that the fetishists and underground scene will always be around to support my work. I think it’s a good thing if it means that field is becoming more diverse and interesting but hope that doesn’t take away from the root and authenticity of fetish clothing. I’d hate to see latex clothing being mass-produced for huge companies.
6. What has inspired you during your career? Any magazine/film or person that has influenced Soft Skin Latex?
GEMMA: The film ‘Pink Narcissus’ by James Bidgood influenced the initial aesthetic for soft skin a lot. It’s a pinky dreamy homoerotic movie made in the 70s exploring the fantasies of a male escort. I also look to old fetish mags for inspiration, I have a book set of all the Exotique magazines which are illustrated by Gene Bilbrew who’s work is incredible, it’s really bizarre and stylised which is great to look at for styling and shoot ideas.
7. If you had to pursue a different creative field in the future, what area would you be attracted to?
GEMMA: I love using my hands and learning practical skills so something like ceramics, I’d definitely take this up if I had the time!
8. If you could make the costumes for any movie, no matter where or when what would it be?
GEMMA: The first film that comes to mind is Blade Runner. I feel that latex, leather and plastic is a consistent theme in modern sci-fi dystopian future ESC films. Latex in these films often transforms into a futuristic functional piece of clothing which I think is a really interesting idea. It would be fun to make costumes for this kind of movies because you’d have more free reign to be experimental and creative with the design. This genre has always been a favourite of mine and I hope to one day work on a project like this.
9. What is your favourite latex garment and why?
GEMMA: Probably the latex screen printed T-Shirts I recently did in collaboration with Happy House. It was refreshing to make something that was so different from my previous work, the project has been really inspiring and opened me up to loads of new ideas for screen printed latex garments!
“I think it would be difficult to remove the sexual connotations from latex, and I wouldn’t want to! That’s what I love about it, no matter what it’s always kind of risqué even when you take it out of the context of fetish, the suggestion is still there”
10. If you could have anyone, past or present, wear one of your designs, who would you pick?
GEMMA: From the present day, I would have to say Violet Chachki, the references to fetish in their drag are spot on and every one of their looks is so perfect and put together – I’d love to make an outfit for them one day!
FKA Twigs is another person, I’ve loved her music for ages and think she’s a beautiful performer. She’s created a whole world with music, style and aesthetics which is uniquely hers which really stands out in modern music and culture to me – it would be cool to be a part of that in some way.
From the past, I think Leigh Bowery would be an amazing person to meet and shoot; his looks were so creative and dramatic. I have a book of photographs by Derek Ridgers of club kids from the late 70s through to the 80s which inspired me a lot when I was starting out, this is where I first saw pictures of Leigh Bowery and was completely fascinated by him, he had wax dripping down his head in the image and I couldn’t believe that people went out dressed like that. This was when I’d just left college and before I moved to London so at the time, Leigh Bowery seemed to be from another planet.
Santiago Joaquin by Ollie Dove
11. Are there any books that have inspired your way of thinking in the past?
Gemma by Jack Hope
GEMMA: Primarily I look at historical clothing and pattern books for my initial research, I find it’s best to use this as a starting point then take the structure or elements of these garments and apply them to latex. This can include anything from the 16th century to the early 20th century. For example, the most recent piece I made is based on a 1930’s fan lacing girdle. I also collect books in the gay and fetish genre such as Tom of Finland, Robert Mappelthorpe, Pierre Et Gilles and any random vintage fetish magazines that catch my eye.
12. Has Japanese culture or Japanese attitudes to sex and sexuality ever influenced your work?
GEMMA: Yes! I’ve looked at work by Japanese fetish artists Sorayama, Toshio Saeki and Namio Harukawa for inspiration. A couple of my favourite latex designers, Kurage Latex Art and Saeborg Latex are both Japanese. What I like about their work is how surreal and creative it is and not just typically “sexy”, they both really push latex material to another level with meticulous attention to detail and avant-garde design.