interviewed - XBIZ Digital
Transcription
interviewed - XBIZ Digital
SENSUALS THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO INTIMACY PRODUCTS SUMMER 2013 | WWW.XBIZ.COM 2 XBIZ SENSUALS SUMMER 2013 SENSUALS THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO INTIMACY PRODUCTS SUMMER 2013 | WWW.XBIZ.COM Building Success Talking Triumph Intense Experience HONEY’S PLACE OWNER BONNIE FEINGOLD DISCUSSES BUILDTHESTORE.COM PAGE 36 STANDARD INNOVATION CEO DANNY OSADCA TALKS BRANDING, FUTURE PAGE 54 CLUB CALEXOTICS SEXPERT JAIYA REVIEWS INTENSITY BY JOPEN PAGE 60 XBIZ SENSUALS SPECIAL FOCUS B IRMINGHAM, U.K. — News broke last month that Sam Taylor-Johnson will direct the cinematic adaptation of E.L. James’ erotic novel “Fifty Shades of Grey,” projected to release in 2014; the hype continues to boost BDSM novelty sales by leaps and bounds. Taylor-Johnson was selected for the highly sought-after position despite having previously produced only one featurelength title “Nowhere Boy” about John Lennon’s youth. Lust for Literature Exclusive Q&A With Toronto-Based Indie Erotic Author Eden Baylee See Page 50 LELO Calls ITC Ruling a ‘Setback’ S AN JOSE, Calif. — LELO has responded to the ruling by the U.S. International Trade Commission, which bans the importation and sale of the LELO Tiani and Tiani 2 in U.S. territories. PLEASE SEE ‘LELO,’ PAGE 82 QUICK INDEX LETTER FROM THE EDITOR.......................... 6 CALENDAR ....................................................... 6 SPECIAL FOCUS STOCKING GUIDE......... 26 COLLECTION SPOTLIGHT ........................... 42 PLEASURE PRODUCT REVIEW ................. 46 ESSENTIAL NEWS........................................ 62 ESSENTIAL STOCKING GUIDE.................. 74 ESSENTIAL INDEX........................................ 88 ON THE SCENE .............................................. 90 ‘Fifty Shades’ Director Named, LoveHoney’s Official Products Thrive PLEASE SEE ‘JOHNSON,’ PAGE 80 Sexy Solstice S Good Vibrations Launches Rebranded Sexual Health Outreach Workshops Summer Sales Peak With Skin-Baring Lingerie, Club Wear Plus: Pleasure Product Debuts at ANME Page 8 AN FRANCISCO – Good Vibrations announced its rebranded outreach program, Good Vibrations Sexual Health Outreach Workshops (GVSHOW). The company said the Workshops provide answers to tough questions, present up-todate and accurate sex information, promote pleasure exploration, and build community dialogue on topics that are sometimes fraught PLEASE SEE ‘VIBRATIONS,’ PAGE 86 Re-Making Magic ... 30 Bedroom Eyes ... 62 Maia’s Move ... 62 VIBRATEX MODERNIZES ICONIC MAGIC WAND MASSAGER XGEN NOW DISTRIBUTING BACI FANTASY EYE MASKS HONEY’S PLACE PICKS UP MAIA TOYS FOR DISTRIBUTION 4 XBIZ SENSUALS SUMMER 2013 SUMMER 2013 XBIZ SENSUALS 5 Letter From the Editor Inside This Issue: SENSUALS THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO INTIMACY PRODUCTS PRESIDENT & PUBLISHER ALEC HELMY ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER SARA RAMIREZ EXECUTIVE EDITORIAL DIRECTOR DON PARRET S ummer is upon us and with the weather heating up, clothes are coming off. For the lingerie and apparel marketplace, this season brings new skin-baring designs for women as well as men. In this issue, XBIZ Sensuals surveyed a variety of manufacturers to expose this year’s hottest trends and found that while bright, lively colors are all the rage, black never goes out of style. Trendy fashion designs that include cut-outs and mesh are increasingly becoming more prominent in lingerie and clubwear styles. With bachelorette season currently in full force, bridal-inspired lingerie continues to be in demand. On the pleasure products front, the summer introduces a wealth of new products with the ANME Founders Show in Burbank, Calif., serving as the launch pad. This year’s summer edition is slated to deliver even more projected bestsellers with an expanded range of exhibitors. XBIZ Sensuals contributing writer Tod Hunter interviewed the Founders themselves for a look back at the now-biannual event’s humble beginnings. Additionally, a slew of ANME exhibitors offered a sneak peek at their upcoming releases in our special summer special focus, “Sexy’s Solstice.” Also within our special focus on summer trends, industry vet Kim Airs uncovers the secrets to overcoming a summer sales slump for adult retailers. Rounding out the summer issue of XBIZ Sensuals are profiles on Icon Brands and Vibratex, as well as spotlights on Pink Lipstick’s newest collection of loungewear and the Evil by RC collection of apparel. We also review some edgy products from Dr. Clockwork and JOPEN’s Intensity in this issue. Just prior to the publishing of this issue of XBIZ Sensuals, XBIZ announced the details surrounding the 2014 XBIZ 360 slate of events. In what will set a new standard for adult industry trade events, XBIZ announced plans for a complete takeover of the extraordinary W Hollywood Hotel — get excited! Ariana Rodriguez Editor 6 XBIZ SENSUALS EDITOR ARIANA RODRIGUEZ EXECUTIVE MANAGING EDITOR DAN MILLER CONTRIBUTING WRITERS KIM AIRS LYN BIMEY ALEX GLASS TOD HUNTER JAIYA 54 Lounging Sexy Pink Lipstick introduces new collection of satin and lace adorned loungewear for women “to look great doing nothing.” PAGE 32 38 ILS Recap OVO Thrives Spring’s showcase of top lingerie and pleasure product brands introduces new wave of innovative designs. PAGE 34 Building Success Explore the features and functions of BuildTheStore.com from Honey’s Place, the distributor’s innovative e-commerce platform solution. PAGE 36 CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER MIKE ABLE The multiple design award-winning line expands its reach into Canada, gains popularity among consumers, as well as industry personalities. PAGE 42 SENIOR ART DIRECTOR KEVIN SMITH 30 MEDIA PRODUCER KRIS BERTRAND EVENTS DIRECTOR MOE HELMY Asian Invasion PROOFREADER LYLA KATZ Asia Adult B2B Expo and Conference moves into new hall with expanded exhibitor space and announces slate of marketing seminars. PAGE 56 TECHNOLOGY ADMINISTRATOR DAVE SCHULTZ ADMINISTRATIVE COORDINATOR LADY BEVEL ESSENTIAL CALENDAR JULY 13-15 ANME SHOW Burbank, Calif. The ANME Founders Show will focus on creating an intimate event for buyers and manufacturers to meet and showcase the latest in adult toys and novelties. There will be more than 50 exhibitor booths for the perfect setting to conduct business or connect with clients. ANME.com AUG. 29-31 ASIA ADULT EXPO Macau, China Asia Adult Expo is recognized as the premier international adult expo and it has set an international standard for adult expo in Asia, attracting global participants and record attendance. It is an Asia showcase combining trade and entertainment oriented towards Greater China and Asia. AsiaAdultExpo.com SUMMER 2013 SEPT. 23-25 INTERNATIONAL LINGERIE SHOW Las Vegas Buyers come from all over the world to attend the fall edition of the International Lingerie Show. The tone of the show leans to the sexy and adult, although there are lines offering daywear, intimate apparel, normal sleepwear and loungewear. LVLingerieShow.com SEPT. 27-29 CATALYSTCON WEST Woodland Hills, Calif. CatalystCon is a conference created to inspire exceptional conversations about sexuality. It is about reaching out and stimulating those who attend to create those important conversations in their own communities, changing how we as a society think. CatalystCon.com SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER RICK BRENES OCT. 17-20 VENUS INTERNATIONAL FAIR Berlin, Germany Venus is an erotic trade fair with more than 400 exhibitors representing all facets of the adult industry from all over the globe and attendees from more than 60 countries. Venus-Berlin.com JAN. 22-25 XBIZ 360 Hollywood, Calif. XBIZ will take over the extraordinary W Hollywood Hotel for this unprecedented seven-event series that will be the most exclusive, all-encompassing experience ever presented. The industry trade conference of the year consists of separate events specifically tailored to explore the future of the Digital Media, Movies/ Content, Pleasure Products and Retail sectors of the adult industry. XBIZ360.com CONTROLLER KRISTINE MARIE XBIZ SENSUALS IS PUBLISHED BY ADNET MEDIA AT 5042 WILSHIRE BLVD., NO. 487 LOS ANGELES, CA 90036 TELEPHONE: 310.820.0228 FAX: 310.734.1577 NEWS TIPS, LETTERS: [email protected] ADVERTISING: [email protected] OR CALL (310) 820-0228, EXT. 706 CONNECT WITH XBIZ http://www.xbiz.net/editors https://www.facebook.com/xbiznews http://www.linkedin.com/companies/xbiz https://www.twitter.com/xbiz http://m.xbiz.com http://www.xbiz.com/rss SUMMER 2013 XBIZ SENSUALS 7 XBIZ SENSUALS SPECIAL FOCUS Sexy Solstice Summer Sales Peak With Skin-Baring Lingerie, Club Wear 8 XBIZ SENSUALS SUMMER 2013 Seductive Season Manufacturers, Distributors Discuss Hottest Summer Trends in Lingerie By Ariana Rodriguez S ummertime brings out the frisky side in everyone. Whether it’s finding the right gear for outdoor festivals, tropical vacations, a night on the town or honeymoon, lingerie and sexy outfits are all the rage for both women and men. SUMMER OF STYLE What exactly are women wearing in the summer? The industry’s leading manufacturers and distributors say styles range from club wear and revealing looks to more conservative, comfortable looks. “We find that ladies tend to wear less on top as the weather gets hotter,” Electric Lingerie President Elan Rofe said. “Over the years, we have seen many trends come and go. We like to say that ‘Sexy never goes out of style,’ so we try to focus on simple, classic styles that are perennial bestsellers.” Echoing Rofe’s theory that revealing styles are consistently top sellers in the lingerie category, Magic Silk’s Alyssa Paniccia notes which styles in particular are the hottest. “Our more revealing styles are popular year round; sexiness is never out of season,” she said. “In fact, most of our top sellers are cupless, crotchless, or both. The more revealing the style, the more likely it is to fly off the shelf.” The heat of summer presents vast opportunities for putting one’s physique on display in public. “Our micro mini dresses are flying off the shelves, and Hustler Lingerie has recently introduced a bevy of new body stockings and hosiery styles,” Rofe said. “We have also expanded our hanging lingerie and packaged club wear selection in response to overwhelming requests from our loyal customers.” Magic Silk is gearing up to release collections that, based on current fashion trends, are slated to be hot sellers. “We are releasing some new collections this season that will definitely be hot sellers,” Paniccia said. “Our Club Seamless collection PLEASE SEE ‘SEASON,’ PAGE 12 SUMMER 2013 XBIZ SENSUALS 9 10 XBIZ SENSUALS SUMMER 2013 SUMMER 2013 XBIZ SENSUALS 11 XBIZ SENSUALS SPECIAL FOCUS Sexy Solstice WHAT MEN WANT SEASON CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9 features fun and convertible dresses. The Neon Lace collection will grab everyone’s attention with its bright colors and trendy fabric. The Spider Mesh collection is made with a funky mesh fabric that is both sexy and seductive. Our Bamboo Magic collection is designed for comfort and practicality with lightweight, breathable fabric that offers antibacterial, thermo control and moisture wicking properties.” When it comes to more intimate moments, a woman’s style preference ranges from hot and sexy to comfortable and covered up. “Women are always looking for every day basics that make them look and feel good, so we pride ourselves in always offering comfortable, affordable (and of course, sexy) bras and panties in a variety of styles and colors,” Rofe said. “On the other hand, they (and their partners) also want something a little more naughty that can add some spice to the bedroom, and we are more than happy to offer more risque options as well.” Staying cool is especially important during the summer season, thereby calling upon more breathable fabrics. “The more marked difference between seasons has to do with fabric weight, as one would expect,” said Alyssa Paniccia of Magic Silk. “Lightweight fabrics are decidedly more attractive for summer wear, when comfort and breathability are paramount.” Rene Rofe’s Wilson Kello says, “Skin is in. Year by year everything seems to be getting skimpier, and the summer months bring this tantalizing trend into sharp focus. We see girls rocking as little as the law allows, and that means slashed styles, cutouts, crazy bodycon, and of course, fishnet. Look out for nothing but pasties up top in the beach bars!” Among the fashion trends being incorporated into sexier styles is form-fitting, sometimes see-through looks. “There’s major crossover in terms of ultra-tight, form-fitting, asset-accentuating dresses and skirts, and mesh styles with minimal-coverage cutouts,” Kello said. “The other trend that applies here is the enormous popularity of mismatched prints. Now more than ever a girl can rock a neon body stocking under a mirrored skirt with her choice of top — sleeveless jean jacket, plaid crop-top, whatever. It seems the term ‘clash’ just isn’t relevant anymore. The clashier, the trashier, the better.” Exemplifying current fashion style, Kello notes stand-outs in the Rene Rofe and Pink Lipstick collections. “In our René Rofé Sexy collection, I personally love the Mod Goddess Garter Chemise and G-String Set,” Kello said. “The retro color-blocking contrasted with the lace cups — it’s just so sexy and fun. The standout piece from Pink Lipstick has to be the Daring Drape Dress and G-String set — an outrageously skimpy but full-coverage dress designed for those times when a night on the town turns into a morning in a stranger’s hotel room.” 12 XBIZ SENSUALS SUMMER 2013 “Men are primarily looking for comfort and support,” Rofe said. “They want to feel masculine and enhance their natural attributes while making sure everything stays in its right place. Our specially designed cut enhances size and appearance while also being durable and most of all, comfortable. Our price point also makes us very attractive in the marketplace. Customers who try our Blue Line planogram see the items check at retail every day and keep coming back for more.” When shopping for lingerie for their women, male shoppers are driven by visuals. “The No. 1 attractant for men to lingerie is visualizing their woman in that piece and the anticipation of her wearing it with the end result,” they said. “When a woman feels that the garment fits her well and is flattering to her figure, it changes her whole perspective on self-image. Fit, style, softness, quality and price are key to women when it comes to choosing lingerie. When she feels good, she radiates confidence and that is the sexiest thing of all.” According to Paniccia, the best way to capture male shoppers is through the imagery on the box. “When purchasing women’s lingerie, men are really looking to buy the fantasy portrayed on the box,” she said. “The packaging for lingerie is more personal and and image is different for each individual. are the most Many men and women really enimportant joy the tease factor of garments elements to that are very sexy, but not too the sale. The revealing. In contrast, other men preference and women prefer the pieces that of the design feature more risqué details, such as cupless or crotchless cutouts.” In the minds of result-oriented men, it’s all about easy access when it comes to lingerie. “Men typically aren’t a complicated species when it comes to lingerie appeal,” Dreamgirl International’s Lar Hovsepian said. “Most lacy, body-hugging, open crotch and easily removable items do well in the bedroom! Men are not particularly shopping by trend, but rather by what will make their imaginations run wild. Women are drawn to styles that accentuate their bodies nicely while still maintaining some level of comfort. Trend and pricing are also key factors, as always! Some of Dreamgirl’s hottest styles include strappy fabrications, elegant garter slips and hosiery garter dresses, which stretch nicely against a woman’s curves.” Nalpac’s Stacey Santelio agrees that when it comes to men’s preferences in lingerie, less is more. “It’s all about fantasy,” she said. “The less the better! The less material, the more men like it. Lace is very popular in the fashion world right now — we’re seeing more and more lace lingerie pieces coming out to reflect the trend. Pin-up girl styles and very feminine styles that accentuate women’s curves.” COLORS OF THE SEASON “Bright neons are huge right now,” Eldorado’s sales team says. “Also black is always in no matter what season, but neons are the trend this summer. Babydolls, mini dresses, and two-piece lingerie ensembles are popular during the summer.” Electric/ Hustler Lingerie President Elan Rofe agrees that black is a perennial bestseller. “No matter what the weather’s like outside, our bestselling color is always black, but we often add splashes of red, pink and a few other surprises to heat things up for summer,” Rofe said. Dreamgirl International carries lingerie styles available in colors across the full spectrum. “Dreamgirl’s Encore Collection offers an array of bold and bright colors for summer, including lime, turquoise, iris, hot pink, coral and signature black,” said Lar Hovsepian of Dreamgirl. “Some of our hottest color ways are hot pink and coral, though turquoise and lime are also fantastic sellers. The bright colors really work well to complement one’s complexion in addition to turning heads.” Among the trendy styles offered Dreamgirl are those that feed on pop culture. “Our designers have channeled fringe that has made its way on the runways and in movies (‘The Great Gatsby’) into some hot-selling lingerie styles,” Hovsepian said. “Style 8498 and 8603 are gorgeous fringe styles that feel delicate on the skin and look intricate on the body. Style 8603 is a stretch mesh with spandex and drapey fringe halter teddy with strappy back detail and snap crotch. Style 8498 is a playful halter fringe babydoll with bow detail and a matching open crotch bow g-string. Also on point with runway shows at Jean Paul Gaultier and Issa London, Dreamgirl has tapped into the kimono sleeve trend for Summer 2013 with Style 8740 in coral; this style is an airy and beautiful chiffon and stretch lace kimono with attached sash and matching stretch lace cheeky panty.” Alicia Sinclair, Baci Lingerie director of international sales and operations, says that styles and colors that evoke the season will be the most popular this summer. “Styles such as miniskirts, light weight babydolls and fishnet dresses,” she said. “Warm colors like reds, yellow, and pink — colors that embody summer —bright neons, soft faded beach tones, and gold are fashion trends we’ve seen in lingerie.” Additionally Sinclair says the wedding season also makes white and light blue popular tones. RETAIL-READY “During different seasons, these key factors are very important for merchandising,” she said. “Throughout the year, customers will buy colors and fabrics that correspond to the current season. Featuring styles that are holiday inspired is also important. Consumers are usually looking for something specific when they shop; by appealing to those genres you are subtly encouraging them to spend more in your store.” Rene Rofe’s Wilson Kello offers some words of advice to retailers. “I want to see retailers start getting more creative with their displays,” he said. “Let’s cross-promote brands that work well together — what about merchandising lubes, sex toys and sexy lingerie together, for instance, in a kind of lifestyle ‘pod’ that has the capability of expanding the lube customer’s purchase to lingerie, the lingerie customer’s purchase to lube, etc.,. If I’m the customer, educate me. Teach me how I can maximize my enjoyment and my experience with the range of adult products you offer. Not to play favorites, but Peekay stores do an outstanding job at this.” “The very best retailers are acutely aware of how their customers shop and the smartest way to fine tune their displays for maximum effect,” Rofe said. “Trends and seasons continue to change, but the best brands and styles rise to the top.” According to Nalpac’s Stacey Santelio, Rofe is among those doing it right. “We’ve picked up Hustler Lingerie and it is selling quite well,” she said. “The new pieces from Rene Rofe will be big sellers as always.” A To capitalize on summer trends, Eldorado recommends showcasing them front and center in a retail environment. “Neon, neon and more neon for summer,” recommends the Eldorado sales team. “Reds, greens and royal colors are popular winter and fall lingerie colors. [Also effective is] making a section for pride items, showcasing transgender accessories in an open environment, and creating bright, well-stocked and colorful bachelorette walls. Merchandising similar products or plan-o-gram style is essential to drawing customers’ attention.” According to Paniccia, there are three different seasonal trends on which retailers can base their in-store displays: color, fabrication, and holiday. SUMMER 2013 XBIZ SENSUALS 13 XBIZ SENSUALS SPECIAL FOCUS Sexy Solstice Toys of Summer ANME Founders Show Rings in the Summer With Hot New Releases By Ariana Rodriguez F or the summer’s top new releases, intimacy products retailers need not look further than the ANME Founders Show taking place July 13-15, in Burbank, Calif. Among the show’s event founders is CalExotics, which recently began promoting a new slogan, “Something for Everyone.” “This show, which will showcase our new, super catalog, promises to spotlight the diversity on our product selection and our lifestyle brands,” CalExotics President and Founder Susan Colvin said. “For example, we’re giving those who like the thrill of light fetish play a brand new collection called Scandal. It consists of things that bind, taught and tease.” According to Colvin, CalExotics will also present new releases for couples, men and fans of the iconic Jack Rabbit vibe. CalExotics’ sister company JOPEN, is also broadening its scope of products with entries into new product categories. “There’s a new lube in town, and it’s called Essence, and it is only available from JOPEN,” JOPEN Brand Manager Robin Stewart said. “This line of personal care cosmetics includes enhancement crème, gels, lubricants and a toy 14 XBIZ SENSUALS SUMMER 2013 cleaner in stylish glass bottles reminiscent of French perfume. Body-safe, natural ingredients make this one to watch for at ANME. “JOPEN is also unveiling a new line of massagers at ANME. LUST by JOPEN is a colorful, fanciful creation that you have to see to believe,” she added. “JOPEN is also going to have its own special section at the show to highlight our growing selection of products. Please stop by and see what’s new in the world of luxury pleasure products!” Topco Sales, which also is among the ANME Founders, proclaims the latest edition of event as a comeback of sorts. “For Topco Sales, this year’s ANME is all about our return to prominence as one of the founding manufacturers in the adult toy industry,” Topco Sales Executive Lynda L. Mort said. “With an all-new team of creative and enthusiastic individuals on board, Topco Sales is making strides to improve overall and regain its position as the most successful adult toy manufacturers in the industry. “While customer satisfaction has always been an important factor in our business, we have adopted an unprecedented level of focus on the desires and needs of our customer base,” she continued. “If the past few years have taught us anything, it’s the need to focus on our strengths. And while those strengths certainly include our quality products, innovative designs and superior packaging, our main source of pride has always been our ability to meet and exceed customer demands.” Sensual cosmetics brand Classic Erotica will unleash extensions to its established lines for men and women. “Crazy Girl will be getting a spin-off range of products that promise to delve into the darker, edgier side of sexual play and enhancement,” said Cassandra Kirkley, Classic Erotica’s marketing coordinator. “Think chic packaging, sexy mysterious fragrances, and super charged enhancement products. Max 4 Men, the No. 1 growing men’s line for grooming and sexual enhancement in the industry will remain true to its mission and will broaden its range of exclusive men’s pheromone-charged products plus add some surprises into the mix. “The ever popular Body Boudoir will launch innovative sexy fragrances plus a contemporary chic new product brand — all we can say is prepare to lavish in the most sensuous body care you can imagine,” Kirkley added. “Anticipating the industry’s elation to all this excitement the company plans to premiere the fascinating array in a new catalog presentation. The menu will be packed with high-quality products, provocative branding and in-depth product features, all designed to provide powerful fuel to increase sales.” High-tech brand OhMiBod wouldn’t reveal too much information regarding its upcoming releases. “OhMiBod is excited to be announcing a whole new line of products,” OhMiBod founder Suki Dunham said. “We don’t want to spoil the surprise. Stop by our booth L8 and see what we have cooked up just in time for the holiday buying season.” Rocks-Off, a U.K.-based manufacturer of the “RO” line of bullet vibes, will release new additions to its collection of vibes for women, as well as prostate massagers for him. “Inspired by our fantastic success in the bullet market, with over 5 million sold worldwide to date, Rocks Off launched the new boutique sparkle bullets with the beautifully feminine Ro-Lux and Ro-Mona together with the limited edition range of fully charged, printed and color change seven speeds, which have actually proven to be our fastest selling RO bullet of all time,” said Leigh Dedhar, a sales executive for Rocks-Off. “In line with the roll out in May of 2013 we upgraded all of our product ranges to seven- and 10-speed options and there are five more exciting new additions to the Rocks Off stable with Butt Throb, Butt Quiver, Little Cocky, 8 Ball and the Rock Chick Mini all of which will be showcased at ANME in July.” In line with the current bachelorette season, Kheper Games is introducing new items for the bride-to-be and her spouse. “ANME show in July is probably the most important product release for us in the year,” said Dariusz Kaliszuk, vice president of international business and economic for Kheper Games. “We are looking forward to introducing a lot of new items across all our product lines — Romance, Party and Ladies Nigh/Bachelorette.” Retailers looking to introduce the latest releases from big brands Trojan, Durex and Astroglide, among others, can explore Paradise Marketing’s growing range. “Paradise Marketing will be featuring only new items and new packaging at the booth to showcase the latest and greatest from bigbrands including Trojan, Durex, Astroglide, Kimono and more,” Paradise Marketing CEO Dennis Paradise said. “Paradise will debut a brand new look for Kimono condoms as well as the unique brand’s new Blossom Organics line of personal lubricants and sensual products. “Also to be showcased is a new line of Astroglide lubricants, including Tantalize Massage Lotion featuring skin-softening silicone and sunflower oil infused with aphrodisiacs including horny goat weed, ginseng, sage, jasmine and more. It also features sensual pheromones including androstenone and estratetraenol.” A SUMMER 2013 XBIZ SENSUALS 15 16 XBIZ SENSUALS SUMMER 2013 SUMMER 2013 XBIZ SENSUALS 17 XBIZ SENSUALS SPECIAL FOCUS Sexy Solstice Retail Heats Up Humping Over the Summer Sales Slump E By Kim Airs veryone loves the summer – it’s time to get outside, enjoy barbeques, visit the oceans and the beaches, go on road trips, camping, flying to far-away destinations and basically be outside to enjoy the weather. Which means that customers probably won’t go to your store so what can you do to avoid the traditional summer sales slump? Oftentimes, the mere fact of where your store is located can impact your sales depending on if you rely on tourists or those plentiful college students. Or does it? Does advertising make a difference in the hotter months? Do you want your store to coast along on its post-Valentine’s and springtime sales? Or do you just assume that the summer will always be slow? Here are stores that have this figured out and are able to anticipate and prepare for the lack of customers walking through the door in the lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer. TOURISTS LIKE SPENDING MONEY If your store is located in a tourist destination, why not target those potential customers with advertising and specials? Sure, they might not become future in-store customers but after they visit, they may turn into your website’s newest consumers. In many tourist areas, brochure racks are prevalent in every hotel in town. These are often run by companies whose customers design their own brochures and the company then places the brochure in the display. With a tastefully and well-designed brochure that has a “first-time customer” coupon on it, out of town customers may make your store a destination stop where they’ll spend money like drunken sailors. Even if your store is not in a tourist location, why not have a special event for local hotel concierges? These important hospitality staffers are usually in charge of sending their guests to places off the beaten path to find a particular item, find a nice place to shop or enjoy a nice meal. Having an in-store event for local concierges (complete with a few giveaways) will allow the concierge to experience your store first-hand and recommend your business to spice up that vacation getaway or all-important honeymoon. David Goldman, president of Skitzo Kitty Lingerie Ltd., in Palm Desert, Calif. (in the Palm Springs area) keeps customers coming back to his 1,300-square-foot store by continuously promoting the store throughout the summer. One would think the desert would be the last place that would draw tourists in the summer but Goldman insists otherwise. “We used to have peaks and valleys, now the valleys are a lot shallower and there’s a reason for that,” Goldman said. “Stores go through a summer slump because they don’t expect it and they do nothing about it. We built our store on promotion and we continue to promote in the summer.” Portland, Maine-based Nomia Sexuality Boutique places its store information on free tourist maps, which draw strolling customers through their doors. Gina, Nomia’s founder and owner, shares a free resource for PLEASE SEE ‘RETAIL,’ PAGE 20 18 XBIZ SENSUALS SUMMER 2013 SUMMER 2013 XBIZ SENSUALS 19 XBIZ SENSUALS SPECIAL FOCUS Sexy Solstice RETAIL CONTINUED FROM PAGE 18 drawing in customers in the summer as well as year round. In a word: Yelp. “When we ask visitors from out of town how they found out about us, they always say ‘Yelp,’” Gina said. “Between our positive reviews on Yelp and the tourist map, we don’t feel any summer sales slump at all even though Nomia is up on a second floor. Paying attention to customer service and your Yelp page is extremely important no matter what time of year it is.” SPONSOR EVENTS IN THE SUMMER MONTHS Susan Craton, cofounder of Georgia’s Sexy Suz in Athens and the Entice store in Rome, found that holding Ladies Nights in each of its stores during the muggy months of July and August prove to drive sales throughout the summer and beyond. Susan shared, “We invite women who have never been in the store or that always have been too embarrassed to shop by themselves to come to Ladies Night with a group of friends. When they find out how pretty the store is and how knowledgeable the staff is, they always come back. We give them goodie bags, have door prizes, have refreshments and offer them a great time. It’s always a fun night whenever we hold Ladies Nights and in the summer, it really adds to the bottom line.” Since Skitzo Kitty is located in the arid desert of the Palm Springs area, what better event is there to sponsor than a pool party? David Goldman says, “We sponsor a pool party at a major hotel and extend the Skito Kitty brand all over the place. Valerie Gordon, Skitzo Kitty’s manager, organizes bikini-clad women wearing bathing suits and lingerie from the store. We give away lots of prizes and have a great time in the summer sun! It’s a win/win all the way around.” David makes it a point to sponsor an event every other month, yet another reason why his store barely feels a summer slump. “Events and branding are a yearround thing for us. We continue to grow no matter what time of year it is.” CHANGE YOUR DISPLAYS Susan Craton from Sexy Suze and Entice, says she loves changing things up in her stores. “I never, ever like to keep the stores stagnant,” she said. “I’m always moving stuff around and the summer is when I do the major moving around. Frequent customers come in and realize their favorite products are somewhere else. And guess what? By moving things around, they find things they have never seen before and we make yet another sale from something they probably would have otherwise missed.” Jennifer Downey, of the eight-store chain Ambiance, located in Ohio, has even trademarked the term “Playcation” for those who like to stay at home and enhance their relationships. Ambiance’s Playcation theme is played up in their in-store displays, which show the latest products that can be shared during the summer “we time.” Ambiance also makes it a point to change their displays during bachelorette season, which takes place mostly during the spring and fall. Crystal Lee, of Long Beach, Calif.’s Phat Toys store, also changes her displays for the warmer summer months. “Most of our store is lingerie so in the summer, I tend to display thinner, more see-through lingerie, cute chiffon pieces, and basically put less on the mannequins. People like to see that we also offer bathing suits so those definitely go into the windows, too.” Nomia’s Gina, in Portland, Maine, takes it a step further. “We do displays featuring temperature play since it’s gonna get hot! We feature soy candles, our glass and steel toys, and we have fun with customer input and suggestions and tips, too.” LAUNCH CUSTOMER-DRIVEN CONTESTS Summer is a great time to launch store-related contests to drive foot traffic into your store. Sexy Suze PLEASE SEE ‘SUMMER,’ PAGE 82 20 XBIZ SENSUALS SUMMER 2013 SUMMER 2013 XBIZ SENSUALS 21 22 XBIZ SENSUALS SUMMER 2013 SUMMER 2013 XBIZ SENSUALS 23 24 XBIZ SENSUALS SUMMER 2013 SUMMER 2013 XBIZ SENSUALS 25 Sexy Straps Garter Dress Set This sexy black straps garter dress features a seethrough black mesh, six horizontal straps, two vertical front and back straps, choker top and gartered bottom. For more information, visit ReneRofe.com. XBIZ SENSUALS SPECIAL FOCUS Lace and microfiber bustier with push-up molded underwire cups and gathered center front panel. Features ruffled microfiber hem, center front bow, adjustable straps, boning and center back hook and eye closure. Includes matching mesh G-string. For more information, visit Coquette.com. Sexy Solstice Daring Drape Dress and G-String Set Plunge deep in this revealing drape-front floor length dress. Set includes matching G-string. For more information, visit PinkLipstick.com. 26 Bustier and G-String XBIZ SENSUALS Fringe Halter Teddy Stretch mesh with spandex and draping fringe halter teddy with strappy back detail, snap crotch and back neck tie closure. For more information, visit DreamgirlDirect.com. Sequin Tube Dress Form-fitting sequin dress sparkles on the dance floor all night long. The tube design accentuates many shapes. For more information, visit HustlerLingerie.com. Lace Halter and Garter Skirt This two-piece set includes matching lace top and garter skirt. For more information, visit MagicSilk.com. Stocking Guide Garter Dress With Attached Stockings This erotic mini-dress features opaque front with open fence net back and bottom, attached garters and thigh high stockings. For more information, visit DreamgirlDirect.com. SUMMER 2013 Lace Bodystocking With Front Bow Classic sexy meets cute with this full-body lace bodystocking featuring a deep plunging neckline adorned by a feminine pink bow. For more information, visit HustlerLingerie.com. Bustier Microfiber over lycra pushup molded underwire cup bustier with floral print stretch lace over lycra centerfront panel and scalloped stretch lace detailing on cups and back. Features halter tie straps, ribbon through lace trim, 3 satin bows, attached garters, elasticized waist, boning, and center back hook & eye closure. For more information, visit Coquette.com. Mesh and Metallic Mini Dress Shiny metallic dress from Pink Lipstick Lingerie features trendy zig zag mesh cutouts. For more information, visit PinkLipstickLingerie.com. SUMMER 2013 XBIZ SENSUALS 27 28 XBIZ SENSUALS SUMMER 2013 SUMMER 2013 XBIZ SENSUALS 29 Vibratex Refines Magic Wand for Today’s Consumers By Kim Airs A h yes, the incredible Magic Wand. The one vibrator that has successfully crossed over from the world of originating as a sore shoulder muscle massager to one of the most reliable and unbeatable sexual enhancement vibrators the world has ever known. In 1974, upon the release of her groundbreaking book, “Liberating Masturbation,” sexual pleasure pioneer Betty Dodson co-opted the Wand and singlehandedly (so to speak) turned it into the orgasmproducing vibration sensation as it is still known as today. Dodson discovered that by using the Hitachi Magic Wand on her clitoris, a woman can create a strong climax, if not several right in a row. Countless women have since charged into stores upon learning about a simple-to-use vibrator disguised as a muscle massager that can send them into orgasmic orbit. When the long-established Japanese company Hitachi rolled out the Magic Wand in the early 1970s, it began simply as a two-speed, heavy-duty, pluggedin muscle massager boxed in a horizontal package portraying a leotard-clad woman using the gizmo on her shoulders, back and thighs. The Hitachi Magic Wand stayed in that easily recognizable package for many decades — until now. Recently, Hitachi had become increasingly uncomfortable with their association with female sexual pleasure and last year had planned to discontinue the manufacturing of the Wand. Enter Vibratex, the Napa, Calif.-based company who has been importing the Hitachi Magic Wand exclusively to the U.S. market since 2000. Vibratex knows the adult products market and demand for the unique massager and decided they would not let the Wand simply fade away. Shay Martin, vice president of Vibratex, stated that Vibratex gained Hitachi’s trust when they were able to capture the exclusive U.S. distribution of the Magic Wand after Hitachi’s non-adult products distributor hadn’t paid its bills for its inventory of Wands. For several months in the mid-‘90s, there were no Magic Wands to be had in the U.S. because Hitachi refused to ship them to that company, creating a frenzy of frustrated, frisky females unable to climax because their paws weren’t wrapped around a new Wand. Vibratex then favorably presented themselves as the family-owned company to the business-suited Japanese executives from Hitachi (as Vibratex continues to be). The fact that Vibratex’s owner, Suzie, is a Japanese woman (who also happens to be Shay’s mom) didn’t hurt Vibratex’s chances for becoming the sole U.S. distributor, either. Suzie immediately won the hearts of the Hitachi executives and Vibratex became the exclusive U.S. distributor of the Magic Wand. During the decade-plus relationship with Hitachi, Vibratex’s husband-and-wife team of Dan and Shay Martin, as well as Suzie, have visited the Hitachi headquarters innumerable times. Each visit continued to cement their relationship by respecting the Japanese culture which is extremely important, even 30 XBIZ SENSUALS SUMMER 2013 within a huge company such as Hitachi, and by sharing many plates of sushi and cups of sake. Despite the continuing sales of the Magic Wand, the higher ups within Hitachi became more and more agitated that the company was associated with anything having to do with sex. Hitachi has always been known for its construction equipment, satellites, railroad systems, and thousands of other products yet this single pleasure product was creating waves of discomfort. The upper echelon of executives at Hitachi decided that they could simply make the Magic Wand go away. They had notified Vibratex via an email that they felt the association with sex harmed the brand and they were going to discontinue manufacturing the Wand. That’s when Vibratex’s relationship with Hitachi was drawn upon and Dan and Shay suggested the simple idea of taking the Hitachi name off of the product. The executives did an about face and enthusiastically started the process of recreating the Magic Wand. It became a new, exciting project for the Hitachi team who immediately took it upon themselves to update the internal mechanisms of the Wand, repackage it, and even allowed Vibratex to contribute as much input for improvements as possible. The internal mechanisms include a new, internal circuit board instead of old-style resistors and other new, modern components. The bearings inside the motor are sealed which eliminates friction in the motor. The interior of the head is a hard resin instead of die cast metal which cuts down on friction — which in turn cuts down on wear over the years. It’s kind of like a pleasure GPS compared to a map — they’ll both get you to nirvana but the GPS gets you there so much more easily. Dan, Shay and Suzie took several trips to Japan during the development of the improved Magic Wand. The most impressive visit included time spent in what Shay calls the “Magic Wand torture chamber.” “They did everything to the Magic Wand to make it fail,” Shay said. “They had machines swinging around the Wands by the power cord, they had them smashing the heads against hard surfaces — they were doing everything! We were feeling bad for all the Magic Wands they were sacrificing in the name of research.” All of these tests reduced the already minimal failure rate of the Magic Wand, bringing it less than .04 percent of all Wands manufactured, a number which is unmatched by any product in the adult products industry. Vibratex has even launched its own consumeroriented website specifically for the rebranded Magic Wand. Anyone can visit MagicWandOriginal.com that offers plenty of information about the Magic Wand and unveils its beautiful, clean colors and packaging. Since Vibratex took over distributorship in 2000, they’ve consistently sold more than 100,000 units of the Magic Wand. That’s over 1 million happy customers translating to billions of happy orgasms. Here’s to millions more with the wonderful Magic Wand! A SUMMER 2013 XBIZ SENSUALS 31 P ink Lipstick Lingerie unveiled its new range of loungewear at last month’s International Lingerie Show in Las Vegas. Pink Lipstick Loungewear is a range of sexy hoodies, boyshorts, and lounge pants, combining sequins, satin and lace. According to the company, the line has already been selling at select retailers and received a positive response. “Loungewear is a new category for us, so we entered somewhat conservatively with only eight styles, all in black,” Pink Lipstick Lingerie Creative Director Wilson Kello told XBIZ. “We knew we were on to something hot, and we took great care to make sure the line meets our internal requirements regarding quality, value and price. What we didn’t know is that our customers would preorder literally everything before it even hit our warehouse. It’s encouraging when demand outweighs supply, and we’re rapidly developing new additions to the line for fall.” Currently Pink Lipstick Loungewear offers two fabrications: cotton-spandex with satin and sequins, and stretch lace with satin. Kello said the collection’s focus is on comfort and style, something that can be worn while lounging around the house, as a sexy beach cover-up, or over skimpy lingerie in a strip club. “We were surprised to learn that customers are asking for the more revealing all-lace styles more than the full-coverage styles,” Kello said. “This range is part of an around-the-clock Pink Lipstick lifestyle. Pink Lipstick Loungewear is what you wear around your house as you get your day going, changing into a sequin mini-dress as day turns into night, and rocking a naughty body stocking in the wee hours of the morning.” Pink Lipstick Loungewear can be sold packaged or hanging. It ships packaged like a costume in a large transparent plastic pouch with a printed paper insert. Each item is also ticketed with a color hangtag depicting the style, and a six-inch Pink Lipstick decal that can be displayed to maintain brand identity. “So far we’ve had reports of the goods selling very well both ways,” Kello says. Pink Lipstick Lingerie is continually developing new products to meet growing demand, the company said. The brand initially debuted in 2011 as a collection of sexy lingerie, party wear, risqué exotic wear and club wear designed for “the girl who lives for the night, every night” with styles that are bold, sexy, tight and daring. A Lusty Lounging 32 XBIZ SENSUALS SUMMER 2013 Pink Lipstick Debuts Loungewear Collection By Ariana Rodriguez SUMMER 2013 XBIZ SENSUALS 33 Spring Sensations Innovation, Fashion Steal the Show at ILS S in City’s gloomy weather in April did not discourage the hordes of buyers and vendors that make the spring edition of the International Lingerie Show an annual mustattend event. Sportsheets kicked off the event with a showcase honoring its 20th anniversary. Sportsheets invited industry supporters to the Sportsheets Showcase: 20 Years of Being Ahead of the Curve event where team members were equipped with the manufacturer’s best-selling floggers, restraints and strap-on harnesses. Attendees’ curiosity quickly turned to excitement as company CEO and founder Tom Stewart, President Julie Stewart and customer product specialist Emily Silva hosted product demonstration stations while free gifts and gourmet cupcakes kept the energy buzzing all night. “It was amazing seeing more than 75 excited people lined up waiting for us to open the doors to the event at 4 p.m.,” Tom Stewart said. “Even more reaffirming was having 350 industry veterans, colleagues and peers visit our ‘House of Sportsheets’ throughout the evening.” “It was such a pleasure to celebrate our 20th anniversary with our customers, friends and colleagues and see how excited everyone was to get strapped into our interactive product demos,” Sportsheets President Julie Stewart said. “Our company history timeline was a huge hit and the best part was seeing everyone’s eyes go wide when they realized where the Sportsheets brand name came from – the Sportsheet Bondage Bed Sheet!” On the show floor product specialists handled a steady flow of foot traffic and wrote record orders for its award-winning Sex & Mischief and Sportsheets Premium collections. The manufacturer recently set a new gold standard for product packaging innovation and highlighted the new look with three dynamic booths, eye-catching displays and a brand new catalog available to all attendees. “We’d like to personally thank all of our friends and supporters who’ve helped us reach this 20-year milestone,” Tom Stewart said. “We had a wonderful turnout and look forward to continuing the celebration all year long with product specials, debuts and the best customer service!” With sexy fashion in the limelight, complementary intimacy products got their fair share of attention. Along with long-established brands, several new manufacturers exhibited their wares. “It’s our third time at the show and each year seems to get better and better for us,” Crave founder Ti Chang said. “It’s great to see new and familiar faces, and continue to build relationships.” Linda Cox of Revel Body presented a prototype of its sonic vibrator featuring TrueSonic resonating motors. “I wrote my first order within 15 minutes of the show starting,” Cox said. “Almost universally, the first word out of people’s mouth is ‘wow.’ Women with all levels of experience with vibrators have the same response. It’s confirmed that we’re on to something.” Industry vet Mike Savage attended ILS as a 34 XBIZ SENSUALS SUMMER 2013 By Ariana Rodriguez See more photos from ILS on page 90. newly added sales exec to the Komar Company team. He told XBIZ that in his new role, he is responsible for fine-tuning the distributor’s sales team and is concentrating on implementing new software that will improve inventory tracking. “I’ve known [Komar President] Mort Hyatt for a long time and met [his daughter] Adrienne and Mark a couple years ago,” Savage said. “I’m happy to attend ILS as my first show with Komar.” Jopen Brand Manager Robin Stewart manned the company’s booth while other members of the team circulated through distributor booths and business meetings. “I’m excited to return to ILS,” Stewart said, “the first time we unveiled the KEY range and now we’re back with our full product line and some newly added products such as our Stella Balls, which are all silicone and retail between $29-39.” Among ILS’ longstanding exhibitors, Sinclair Institute showcased its range of health-focused, information-based videos and pleasure products. “We’ve been coming to ILS for 15 years,” said Rebecca Cook, Sinclair Institute director of marketing and wholesale. “We were among the first non-lingerie exhibitors and it allowed us the opportunity to open up communication. All of these products complement each other and our brand serves to transition to adult with doctor-endorsed products and packaging that’s both cosmetic and informative.” As the International Lingerie Show drew to a close, attendees walked away with purchases of trend-setting lingerie styles and pleasure products, as well as eye-opening knowledge of the market and its offerings. Distributor booths made the most of the show’s reach to host product demos and present their latest marketing tools for retailers. Honey’s Place used ILS to showcase the latest innovations implemented to its e-commerce platform solution, BuildTheStore.com. “ “We changed the look and feel, and designed it to be even more user-friendly,” Honey’s Place Owner/ CEO Bonnie Feingold said. “We’ve added more templates that promote customization of images and product descriptions. Honey’s Place handles all of the backend, from fraud prevention and tax information to shipping – our aim is to allow the user to spend their time marketing.” According to Feingold, all of the functions that were initially introduced when Build The Store debuted in September have been streamlined and the feedback has been “amazing.” Honey’s Place team opened an entire new department to offer support for Build The Store users. Brimming with reps from its many vendors, the Eldorado booth hosted a packed schedule of product demos each day of the show. Among the show’s most talked about debuts was Eldorado’s introduction of the self-lubricating Cascade vibe. “The inspiration behind Cascade came from shavers that feature moisturizer dispensers,” said Sam Watts, Cascade’s representative. “This is our first trade show showcasing the Cascade with product available for ordering.” The lube that the Cascade dispenses comes from water-based, FDA-approved lube cartridges that are specially designed for the massager. “We chose Eldorado as our exclusive U.S. distributor because of their constant engagement with customers,” Watts said. “Every time we introduce a new shape or product development we know that we can count on Eldorado to give the product life.” The ILS mobile app was also updated with new functions, including a built in QR code scanner and the ability for exhibitors to showcase product through high-res images. “It’s evolving from show to show,” said Chad Timney, the app’s creator. “We receive feedback from exhibitors and apply that feedback to make changes.” Vibratex, which first introduced the Hitachi Magic Wand to the adult industry more than 10 years ago, used the show to announce a rebrand of PLEASE SEE ‘ILS,’ PAGE 84 SUMMER 2013 XBIZ SENSUALS 35 Honey’s Place Helps E-tailers ‘Build The Store’ By Tod Hunter L improvements,” Honey’s Place owner Bonnie Feinaunched in September 2012, gold told XBIZ. “We’re always looking at what our BuildTheStore.com is a white label ecommerce platform from customers are requesting, and when we built ‘Build The Store’ we had the concept that technology is longtime distributor Honey’s ever changing, and if we’re going to stay relevant Place that enables e-tailers to we have to be ever changing build their as well.” own online Build The Store offers presence, clients three different levels using allof service. All three offer the in-one shopping cart software e-tailer the ability to select that can be customized to fit a page template for their the personality of the retail outlet and the shopping needs own online store. “It’s very quick and easy to get set up,” of the e-tailer’s clientele. EFeingold said. “It’s availtailers may select items to sell in their store from the 15,000able to everybody. They can plus items offered by Honey’s change the colors and add in Place. their own logo. At the highBuild The Store manages est level, they can make their all product inventory, payment own pages with HTML. You processing, shipping, and cusdon’t want a site that looks like everybody else’s.” tomer service, and clients have Another way e-tailers can control over all aspects of their differentiate their pages from sites. Clients can get started the rest of the Internet is without having a business to edit and write their own license or reseller certificate, product descriptions. This because Build The Store enables the e-tailer to add handles credit card processing personal touches to each and shipping, and the monthly Honey’s Place owner Bonnie Feingold product, reflecting their own fee covers the hosting of the personal outlook and transclient’s site on the Build The Store secure server. mitting their own personalSince the initial launch, Build The Store has ity. “Search engines see the same copy as the same added new page layout templates, a more intuitive page, so this is a way to make your page stand out,” search engine, and new shipping options. Feingold said. “We’re always making changes and A new feature in Build The Store lets e-tailers 36 XBIZ SENSUALS SUMMER 2013 offer merchandise from other sellers besides Honey’s Place. “There are a few items Honey’s Place doesn’t carry,” Feingold said. “Maybe you have purses, or you have shoes or some specialty items and you really want them on your site. You know you can ship them from your store or you can have a vendor that you work with ship them for you. You can add those items onto our platform. They’ll show up on the site just like anything else would show up. It allows you to have that uniqueness for your website. You don’t want to only have in stock what I carry. The world is much larger than that. “We all make money, and it’s beneficial to all.” Build The Store is also equipped to deal with the wide variety of tax laws across the U.S. “If you live in Texas, you’re considered to have nexus in that state, and because you have nexus in that state you are required to collect sales taxes,” Feingold said. “If you have five stores in five states, you are considered to have nexus in those states, and you are required to collect for that state. We are tax ready, and you can list all the states where you have nexus and we collect all those taxes for you on your behalf, then relinquish them to you so you can make sure you are in compliance with the rules of your state. We have everything ready for that. “We did a considerable amount of research and programming to make sure that the white label platform has all of that for you.” New clients are signing on to the platform every week, and sales are increasing twofold every month, Feingold told XBIZ. For more information, visit BuildTheStore.com.A SUMMER 2013 XBIZ SENSUALS 37 E vil Angel was the talk of April’s International Lingerie Show, where the production company and its iconic founder John Stagliano unveiled a new fashion and lifestyle brand, EVIL by Ricky Carralero. EVIL by Ricky Carralero includes T-shirts for men and women, as well edgier fetish-inspired lingerie, clubwear dresses, leggings and swimwear. Featuring the work of renowned erotic artist Ricky Carralero, the styles embrace the vision of Stagliano with designs created by Laura Rivera. Justin Rich, Evil Angel’s sales manager of two years, now also handles the marketing and branding of EVIL by Ricky Carralero, and manned the brand’s booth during ILS. “ILS was our unofficial launch of the line and we got such a great response that we’re planning to fast-forward production,” Rich told XBIZ. “We meant to use ILS to feel out the response to the collection and we got the response that we were looking for. People said it was the most unique product at the show. We got orders and are now looking at shipping by the end of the month.” Carralero, whose work has appeared in Buttman Magazine over the last 18 years, and Stagliano, influential inventor of gonzo-style porn and the auteur behind the classic film “Fashionistas,” worked closely on the styles with Laura Rivera, who supervises production and design. According to Rich, “Fashionistas” has served as an inspiration for the new line, with upcoming styles based on the sexy outfits featured in the film. Future designs will fit into the “Chameleons” category such as a woman’s business suit that transforms into a kinkier look. Another example of the brand’s unique fetishwear is what Rich describes as “Wedgiewear” – a style exemplified by the collection’s “Camel Toe” panties, which caused a stir at ILS. “We wanted to accentuate the camel toe for the woman that wants to turn her guy on,” Rich said. “The design features a seam in the front that makes it tighter, while still easy to wear. Our model had them on at the show and she said it was comfortable.” With EVIL by Ricky Carralero’s core styles still being hammered out, Rich said future designs will also include men’s fashion, with limited edition T-shirt styles and logo branded styles. Items will be in the high-end range and will retail between $60- $130, the higher price for the limited edition pieces. Carralero’s art will be sublimated onto spandex and polyester blends in vibrant colors that won’t bleed or fade. Also in the works are more launch parties, including one in Florida, as well as exhibiting at the major apparel tradeshow, Magic. For more information, visit EVILByRC.com. A 38 XBIZ SENSUALS SUMMER 2013 SUMMER 2013 XBIZ SENSUALS 39 A NME, the Adult Novelty Trade Manufacturers trade show, was started in 1996 by five leading adult novelty manufacturers: California Exotic Novelties, Doc Johnson, Nasstoys, Pipedream Products, and Topco Sales. However, the genesis for the show was a 1995 confederation between CalExotics and Topco, according to Topco Sales CEO Scott Tucker: “In 1995. California Exotics and Topco Sales were looking for ways to attract distributors and buyers to their California-based facilities for what we termed a ‘parking lot close-out sale,’ and together Topco Sales and California Exotics shared a pair of large vans which we shuttled back and forth to each other’s businesses; California Exotics being located in Chino, Calif., approximately an hour away from Topco Sales who was at the time located in San Fernando, Calif. “The following year it was decided by the five largest U.S. adult companies to create a U.S.-based distribution exhibition. And hence, ANME was born. The ANME founders decided they would have a bigger draw, and would entice more clients, customers, retailers, mail order businesses, home party companies, etc. by allowing more exhibitors to be part of the event. Having started out in ’96 with just five exhibitors, now in their 17th year, the number of ANME exhibitors numbers nearly 90!” The first ANME show was produced by Kammo Prductions and took place in 1996 at the Universal Sheraton in Universal City, Calif., adjacent to the Universal Studios production facility and theme park. “It made sense to join forces since we all worked with the same distributors,” California Exotic Novelties Director of Public Relations Desiree Duffie told XBIZ. “The show grew quickly in size and popularity. To help manage it, the Founders worked with AVN magazine, who started managing the show in 2006. The magnitude of the show exceeded a lot of people’s expectations and transformed into something beyond the original concept.” After several years of presenting ANME as an adjunct to the annual Adult Entertainment Expo in January in Las Vegas, the original ANME Founders took back control of the show and moved it to the L.A. area in January 2010, renaming it the ANME Founders Show, although it is still called “ANME” by most participants. “The Founders work together equally to organize the show,” Duffie said. “California Exotic Novelties, Doc Johnson, Nasswalk, Pipedream Products, and Topco Sales — the industry’s top manufacturers — joined forces for the benefit of the industry to collectively manage ANME as an independent corporation and make the business of pleasure successful for everyone. “It was so successful that the founders quickly added the July show as well,” Duffie said. “The goal of ANME is to create an environment that’s conducive to doing B2B sales and marketing. There are no fans, no frills and no diversions. This is by design.” Although the trimmed-down ANME is to the trade only and is removed from the outside distractions of Las Vegas, expansion within the ranks of manufacturers and the increasing number of retail and their ideas. It’s nice to sit down and have that kind of banter with them. “Now you don’t get a chance to do that. You bang ‘em out. Make an appointment, show them the new stuff, you move it along, your next appointment’s there. I feel like a rubber pussy on an assembly line in China. You go by and a lady puts an INSPECTED BY NUMBER 69 sticker on its ass and it’s put in the box. ‘Next!’ But we can’t cut other people out and there are new companies all the time.” Hartman admitted the expansion of ANME can be advantageous for manufacturers and retailers. “Our customers, in order for their businesses to thrive, survive, and compete on the Internet and in brickand-mortar, need to have huge variety of product,” she said. “This show provides them with the opportunity to have variety. They do need to see a variety of product and it’s a great way to showcase our newest merchandise, to put it in their face if only for a minute. The addition of 63 new booths, we’ve made the third day of the show — which used to be a half-day — a full day. Buyers are going to need it. I’m already booked for Saturday and Sunday.” Manufacturers told XBIZ that they are looking forward to this July’s show. “We simply cannot express how excited we are to see our new customers, and to show you our latest and greatest items at this year’s ANME,” Tucker told XBIZ. “We have some truly incredible, all-new items on deck for you which we know you, and your customers, are going to love! If you thought you had seen everything our CyberSkin material was capable of, you truly haven’t seen anything yet! Our new life-sized, three dimensional Penthouse CyberSkin Reality Girls are by far the most realistic and awe-inspiring replicas we’ve ever created. This year, the future of adult entertainment is on display at ANME — and the future’s never been more stimulating. “See you at the show!” “This year’s ANME Show is especially exciting since we are releasing our Super Catalog,” Susan Colvin, President and CEO of California Exotic Novelties, told XBIZ. “We do this every two years. All our products can be found in one volume that is easy to use, attractive and designed with our customers’ needs in mind. The selection of toys we’re releasing with our Summer 2013 Super Catalog is going to blow people away. Being true to our motto of having ‘Something for everyone,’ we’ve once again raised the bar as we offer an incredible array of products and brands for the many diverse novelty demographics.” The July ANME show will take place July 13-15 at the Los Angeles Marriott Burbank Airport hotel in Burbank, Calif., adjacent to Bob Hope Airport. Admittance is restricted to qualified industry professionals only. A Making History ANME — A Tradition Since 1996 — Peaks With Expanded July Show 40 XBIZ SENSUALS By Tod Hunter sellers means the show itself is a bigger commitment for all participants. “We opened up the show to more and more people, got a bigger venue,” Kathryn Hartman, sales and marketing director of Nasstoys, told XBIZ. “I personally liked the ability to have more intimacy and relationship building. Maintaining relationships is very important to us. Spend some quality time with our customers, talk about our products, their goals, what their needs from us are SUMMER 2013 SUMMER 2013 XBIZ SENSUALS 41 S time and emptying their displays.” ince picking up exclusive distribuOVO has acquired a stack of international tion in North America by East Coast design awards in its effort to prove that it is setting News, the German-designed OVO “the new standard.” collection of pleasure products has Making history, every item in the collection has received an outpour of attention by been honored with the prestigious red dot design retailers, media and consumers, award — the only company to receive the recogalike. “I was so impressed by OVO’s nition on 36 occasions. Previous winners of this sleek design, attention to detail, and award include vacuums from Dyson and vehicles don’t get me started on from Mercedes Benz. A the variety of rings,” said monumental achievesexpert Emily Morse, ment for any manufachost of SexWithEmily. turer, the fact that it was com. “Who knew you done by a pleasure prodcould design a ring so uct manufacturer sexy and in so many is something that unique manifestations?” everyone in the The initial OVO adult industry release consists of 36 can be excited pieces, each in a range about. of colors. The lineup OVO’s includes pleasure rings, point-of-purvibrators, love balls, chase displays mini-vibes, lay-ons, bulalso have been honored with lets and rabbits. All the international products were conceived, design awards. designed and engineered The pleasure ring in Germany with attencounter display retion to detail, design and ceived the VISCOM quality. Every item is Bronze Medal in the also backed by OVO’s international exhibi15-year warranty, and tion — high quality is boxed in clean, white category. The fivepackaging that features a full-color photo of the included item. OVO has recently seen a surge of consumer demand in Canada. “We set up the display — without the testers — and sold five pieces in tier modular wall display OVO’s wall display holds 100-plus items. one day,” said Melissa showcases more than of Boutique Érotique 100 items and 24 fullyin Quebec. “People are liking OVO here. I will be functional tester units — all of which are included restocking next week.” with the display. It includes a built-in, 14” HD ECN account representative Pat Fischetti, who monitor to play the accompanying product videos. serves the distributor’s Canadian retailers, also Nineteen items from the OVO portfolio of pleawas impressed by the attention OVO is receiving. sure products recently made it to the finals of the “I’m amazed by the consumer response to OVO,” U.S. International Design Excellence Award, where Fischetti said. “Every day, retailers are telling me a 22-member panel of experts selected 19 finalists how their customers are buying more than one at a from the category “Toys & Games.” 42 XBIZ SENSUALS SUMMER 2013 Approximately 2,400 applications were listed for the award, which is sponsored by Business Week and judged on factors that include user friendliness, aesthetics, social responsibility in the production process, and innovation of design. As finalists, OVO wears the “IDEA Award” logo on its packaging, flyers, catalogues, as well as POS material and the brand’s website. Winners will be announced in July and the award ceremony will be held at the International Conference of the IDSA in August. “Everything about this brand has been very well thought out,” East Coast News Sales Manager Alan Mandell said. “The products are outstanding, the packaging is beautiful, and the merchandising options will be something our customers will go crazy for. It’s very exciting to be introducing the OVO brand to the market.” As the nation’s largest adult distributor, East Coast News is equipped to back up the anticipated demand for the OVO line. “We are stocking OVO displays and products at each of our three nationwide warehouses,” Mandell continued. “Representatives from OVO have met with and trained our entire sales team. ECN is 100 percent ready for this launch.” OVO made its U.S. public debut at the Las Vegas International Lingerie Show in April, where it was featured in its own dedicated booth. The entire collection of pleasure products were displayed alongside available display units. The complete OVO lineup is available now from East Coast News. A SUMMER 2013 XBIZ SENSUALS 43 Building an con In 3 Years, Icon Brands Has Established Itself as an Industry Mainstay L By Tod Hunter aunched in July 2011 as a boutique label focusing on a small number of branded lines focused on specific merchandising categories, Icon Brands starts its third year at the Summer 2013 ANME Show. The Icon Brands inventory currently offers six lines, half of which are inspired by successful production companies: Evil Angel — extreme and fetish items; Falcon and Raging Stallion — men’s products; plus Eat Play Love — romantic edibles; Icon Brands Signature — soft novelties; and V Lubricants — premium, paraben-free lubricants. Founded by Evil Angel owner John Stagliano and Urban Graphics owner Jeff L, the company’s personnel includes Joanie Lee, vice president of sales; Rebecca Weinberg, director of product development; and Jenny Tse, sales and merchandising. Lee started in the adult industry in 1999 and was previously VP of Sales at Video Team. Weinberg was an e-commerce buyer from 2002 and product developer at several adult-novelty companies, and Tse was an account executive at Doc Johnson for more than 15 years before moving to Icon. “The three of us have strong opinions, but we also have a lot of respect for one another,” Lee told XBIZ. “I think our passion for what we do and our common goal to grow Icon Brands to its full potential makes us an even stronger team.” The company offers some 200 items, each with its own distinctive tie-in to the company’s standing brands: “We aren’t just creating new and innovative items. We are growing existing and successful brands,” Lee said. “All of our almost 200 items fall under only six brands and that allows for easy merchandising and quicker sales through brand recognition. A fan of Buttman can go to an Evil Angel section of a store and find a Buttman Viewable Butt Plug. He’s going to recognize the brand he loves, identify with it and feel confident buying it. A Falcon fan will follow a star on DVD, and then find his dong on a wall. Name recognition is everything, and with our iconic brands it’s built-in.” “Every item indeed has a backstory and a reason why it was added to our line,” Weinberg said. “As the market has shown, making a cut-out paddle that can leave a cool shape mark on the receiver has been all the rage over the past few years — everything from a cute little heart to a full tire tread. With thoughts of the big burly men of Falcon, one 44 XBIZ SENSUALS partner with.” The company’s gay lines are tied in with leading gay studios Falcon and Raging Stallion. “Falcon Studios has been at the forefront of the gay adult production business for over 30 years,” Lee said. “The first molds we released have been around for quite some time and have always been super-popular, due of our very to their quality and size. When we took over the reserved own- license, these legacy dongs were not being actively ers yelled out ‘How distributed. We repackaged them, and added a whole range of new Falcon and Raging Stallion about a boot paddle?’ products to revitalize the line. We believed in the My thoughts were ‘what a great idea’… it has to exist Falcon name and it paid off. Today Falcon and Raging Stallion are a huge success — the leading novalready. But lo and behold we elty lines in gay. And when it comes to new molds, were the first. And so we say at Icon, ‘Nothing says love like a kick in we consult with the experts at Falcon to guide us in choosing the right performers for their brand, like the ass.’” Jesse Santana and D.O. who were the most recent “A big reason why our video branded Raging Stallion molds.” toys have done so well is because we Falcon products include signature cocks from create items specifically targeted to the Falcon Exclusive performers as well as plugs, prosconsumer of that brand category,” Lee told XBIZ. “You wouldn’t blink to see our tate massagers and strokers. The rougher-trade Raging Stallion Helmet Head Plugs or Raging Stallion lines include giant butt plugs, big Jackboot Paddle on the set of a Ragtoys, and the previously mentioned boot paddles, in keeping with the harder Raging Stallion appeal. ing Stallion movie. That means a fan The Fashionistas-branded toys. tied in with of Raging Stallion movies or the John Stagliano’s award-winning DVD series and consumer they target will likely long-running Las Vegas show, have been a big hit appreciate that item. We don’t for Icon. blindly throw products into “The Fashionistas line certainly has been one a line to see what sticks. of our major homeruns. The concept for this From product line is unique to Icon Brands,” Lee told XBIZ. “The element of printed glass was never incorporated into the BDSM genre. Each item is beautifully printed with elegant designs. The glass handles provide not only perfect balance, but truly feels like a piece of art in your hands. From the to packNipple Suckers to the Piggy age design Tail Plug to the Whip and to marketing, Riding Crop, Fashionistas has we remain focused on certainly raised the bar in highwho is buying the item and how end BDSM gear.” they are using it. “ The company’s roots One of the tie-ins at in graphic design are Icon Brands’ launch was evident in Icon Brands Evil Angel toys. packaging, which “Evil Angel toys was highlights the prodan obvious venture, uct and synchronizes being that John Stawith other products in gliano is a partner in Icon Brands,” Lee told XBIZ. “Luckily, Evil Angel Video the same line, and won the company a 2011 XBIZ Award for Excellence in Packaging. “Icon’s upper is also one of the most well-known adult production companies in the world. Several key personnel management comes from the world of design, so our products and packaging will always have a at Icon Brands have career backgrounds in video production and sales, including myself. Awareness strong graphic orientation,” Weinberg said. “We’re of the numerous video companies and their impact frequently told we have a ‘fresh, new look,’ and on the adult market helps when choosing brands to PLEASE SEE ‘ICON,’ PAGE 84 SUMMER 2013 SUMMER 2013 XBIZ SENSUALS 45 A fter four years writing about the pleasure products industry, you start to become more open to experiencing the wealth of sensations promised by the growing variety of gadgets out there — even those that you find slightly intimidating. Case in point was my warm-yet-nervous welcome to Dr. Clockwork’s Violet Wand. With an old-timey aesthetic to its packaging, this travel-friendly kit does its best to put you at ease with affable, witty copy and a list of warnings to avoid safety risks. The kit includes: a solid state violet wand, a carrying case, and three electrodes — a medium mushroom, a curved ball point probe, and a spoon. I was lucky enough to also receive a “Body Contact” cord — that turns the user into an electrode, and is sold as a separate accessory — to complete my review. For a total newbie such as myself, I know I have a lot to learn about the true potential of Dr. Clockwork’s Violet Wand, but I still really, really enjoyed this product. I’ve used the wand to tickle and tease my partner, myself — and anyone else who’s willing. The electrodes that I can easily slide into the wand glow purple (it’s also available in orange) and 46 XBIZ SENSUALS the spark that it produces is controlled by a knob. The feeling that the wand delivers is warm and tingly, although its potential can go well beyond that to deliver more painful electro-shocks. The shapes of the electrodes are also key to their sensations: an electrode with a wider, flatter surface — like that of the Medium Mushroom — distributes the electricity across a wider surface and hurts less … Actually, it feels great. For a more pinpointed, direct shock, the user may opt for the Curved Ball Point Probe. The best piece in this set is not part of the set — the Body Contact cord. By attaching it to the violet wand, the user becomes the electrode. I gripped the brass rod and though I didn’t feel a thing, when I touched my partner I could feel the sparks between us. Exploring each other’s bodies with electricity running through us was beyond anything any other “couples-friendly” product could ever offer — it was cosmic! What’s more thrilling is that the experience could be shared by more than a couple. Contact: (973) 400-9263 [email protected] MSRP: $199; Body Contact accessory $50 SUMMER 2013 Dr. Clockwork Solid State Violet Wand Travel Kit SUMMER 2013 XBIZ SENSUALS 47 48 XBIZ SENSUALS SUMMER 2013 SUMMER 2013 XBIZ SENSUALS 49 Sensual Season ‘Spring into Summer’ Goes Beyond the Typical Fling By Ariana Rodriguez S pring into Summer is a collection of emotionally-charged erotic novellas each featuring women exploring their sexual limits while putting their hearts on the line. Each story provides moving portrayals of love and passion, and the personal discoveries that they spawn. The book starts with “A Season for Everything,” a beautifully tragic love story set in London, followed by “Unlocking the Mystery” which takes readers to Ireland in search of a timeless, long-dis- tance romance. As spring gives way to summer, the second half of the book featuring the short stories, “Summer Solstice” and “The Lottery,” offer readers even hotter depictions of romantic liaisons. While some erotic novels are primarily focused on sexual acts, Spring into Summer author Eden Baylee’s emphasis is on the chemistry between I n this exclusive Q&A with XBIZ Sensuals, Eden Baylee discusses her approach to erotica and the prominent themes found in Spring into Summer: Tell me about the international settings that your stories take readers. I love travel, so it’s always interesting to write about places I’ve been to and have an affinity for. In Spring into Summer, the first story, “A Season for Everything” takes place in London, England — a city I’d live in if I could afford to. It lent itself well to a story about a May-December romance between a professor and a young woman. In “Unlocking the Mystery,” Dublin, Ireland sets the tone to uncover the secrets of a woman’s heart. The Irish people are extremely romantic, and that is part of the reason I chose to set my story in Ireland. “Summer Solstice” takes place in Cape Cod at a private house party. I was in the Cape years ago its characters — and it in no way compromises the eroticism of each story. Her characters are easy to relate to, and while sparking fantasies of love and romance, Baylee gives them all believable personality traits and realistic situations to set the tone for readers to become one with the characters and the storyline, making the sex scenes all the more powerful. and have fond memories of it. The final story called “The Lottery” takes place in Thailand — a country that stole a piece of my heart. It’s a very personal tale and allowed me to pay homage to a beautiful part of the world. In my first book, Fall into Winter, the cold months are represented by locations in New York City, Canada and Austria. What inspired you to incorporate these locations into your book(s)? In a book of short stories, setting is very important. Though each story is unique and stands alone, it makes it more interesting to draw a reader into the plot with a foreign destination. We all love to see new places when we read fiction, so I wanted readers to travel with me to some of these locations. Who is your targeted reader? Erotica is normally aimed at women, but lately, men have told me how much they enjoy PLEASE SEE ‘BAYLEE,’ PAGE 86 50 XBIZ SENSUALS SUMMER 2013 SUMMER 2013 XBIZ SENSUALS 51 52 XBIZ SENSUALS SUMMER 2013 SUMMER 2013 XBIZ SENSUALS 53 Standard Innovation CEO Danny Osadca Discusses Future of We-Vibe By Ariana Rodriguez S tandard Innovation Corporation CEO Danny Osadca sat down with XBIZ during the International Lingerie Show in Las Vegas in April to discuss the company’s relationships with channel partners, future plans, as well as its litigations with LELO. What are Standard Innovation’s goals when attending a regional show such as ILS? At ILS or any other show, our goal is to meet with channel partners to get their insight. We meet with distributors to discuss feedback from retailers. Standard Innovation is geared toward learning, getting feedback and incorporating it into future product designs and marketing efforts. We place a great importance on our relationships with channel partners that also include direct accounts with retailers. We are always here to learn. How many channel partners does Standard Innovation have? Are they global? We sell in 50 countries around the world — from Australia to Asia, Germany, France, the Netherlands and the U.S. The fact that we’re in 50 countries is amazing to me, and I’m in awe of the number of people that ask for We-Vibe. I, myself, have traveled 250,000 miles meeting with distributors and retailers. We rely on distributors around the world to help us learn from them how to best customize our sales approach. PLEASE SEE ‘OSADCA,’ PAGE 80 SUMMER 2013 XBIZ SENSUALS 55 Expanding Horizons Asia Adult Expo Adds Exhibitors, Seminars T By Bob Johnson he Asia Adult B2B Expo and Conference has announced that it’s expanding to a new hall after selling out its original exhibitor space at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center Aug. 29-31. The show organizers, Vertical Expo Services Co. Ltd., also announced a slate of “New Opportunities” marketing seminars presented by adult marketing expert Bruce Friedman who will be delivering talks on “Website Brokering 101: How You Can Make Your Website More Valuable,” “Successful Marketing in the Adult Industry,” and other topics to be announced. This year’s exhibitors include: Platinum sponsor Pipedream Products; Hop Shing, HK manufacturers promoting its HoneyToys brand; 56 XBIZ SENSUALS JOYDIVISION natural lubricants; Loewie’s own Nomi Tang andtop European brands; Loveshop — agent of brands like Viamax, Tickler, Mode, Firm and others; Nanma’s “NMC” brand; Odecco, Chinese pleasure toys manufacturer; and the Taiwan pavilion that includes lingerie manufacturers organized by the Taiwan Hosiery Manufacturers’ Association like Tung Tung Enterprise Co., Ltd., Juihung Textile Co., Ltd., and Gold Camlet Co., Ltd. New exhibitors targeting the Asian and China markets include: MiO MiKO, Belgium exotic chocolate producer; Toys-Sakai Japanese male masturbator, vibrating massagers, condoms, and lotions manufacturer; Wai Hing, sales agent in Hong Kong for “I SWIM” brand men’s underwear and swimming trunks; and Wildone retailer with shops in Japan, Hong Kong and Guangzhou, China. Also on hand will be Hong Kong and Chinese SUMMER 2013 manufacturers of adult novelties, lubricants, lingerie, leather goods, and more including Dongguan Beileqing; Hong Kong Mingle; Mandarin Techology; Mylovey; Nan Sum; Ninghai Jimeite; Shenzhen Funtree; Shenzhen Glowsun; Shijiazhuang Zhengtian, and others. “The purpose of this visit is mainly for us to source new suppliers and we are also looking for interesting products,” Mabel Chan from Shopintimates Singapore said. The organizers also noted that there will be registered buyers in attendance from Australia, Brazil, Chile, China, Czech Republic, France, Hong Kong, Japan, Netherlands, Panama, Philippines, Russia, South Africa, Switzerland, Thailand and the U.S. Pre-registration is now open to trade professionals for free. For details, visit AsiaAdultExpo.com or contact Arosia Tong at +852 2528 0015. A SUMMER 2013 XBIZ SENSUALS 57 Love By Lyn Bimey W ith more than 40 years of experience, Kama Sutra continues to inspire romance between loving couples in a beautiful and elegant manner. In 1969, Joe Bolstad, owner and founder of Kama Sutra, originated the first “romance” product to encourage and intensify the human connection. The Original Oil of Love became an immediate sensation and founded the now famous Kama Sutra brand. Over four decades of pioneering products later, Kama Sutra not only continues but improves upon its founding principles. With such, Kama Sutra is proud to introduce Marla Lee as the new president of the company. While keeping the heart and soul of Kama Sutra, Lee is spearheading the brand overhaul to ensure Kama Sutra remains the leader in romance and intimacy. A long history of brand building and product development for renowned global corporations provides Lee the experience to lead Kama Sutra. Despite its long and successful history, Lee quickly recognized opportunities for improvement. Demand for Kama Sutra products is never a problem, the company says, but Lee has an ever driving force to develop the brand and customer satisfaction. As the new president, Lee says she strives to make everything “100 percent fabulous, top to bottom, from performance to appearance,” and wants each product to scream, “I am here! Look at me!” Vibrant and tantalizing, Kama Sutra’s revamped line of products appeals to all couples looking to spice up their love life. With support from founder, Joe Bolstad, Lee is transforming Kama Sutra into a line of products that catch the eye. Bolstad says he is impressed with Kama Sutra’s new semblance. 58 XBIZ SENSUALS Redefined Kama Sutra’s New President Leads Brand Overhaul “I’m amazed by what she is doing,” Bolstad said. “Ms. Lee is transforming the company from a slow moving, steady eddy into an exciting dynamo. She is creating exciting new products, new and improved flavors and fragrances, more colorful and interesting graphics, more fun, as well as, exploding sales. I’m so very pleased and looking forward to the continued excitement and creative energy she brings to the company.” Rob La Joie, senior director of U.S. sales, says he also is pleased with the new leadership and vision of Marla Lee. La Joie says that with the addition of Lee as president, the company has managed to “help retailers move our items off their shelves even faster.” La Joie says, “Our 2013 mantra is all about stand-alone, open-front, brighter packaging where a consumer could quickly gauge the beauty and quality of Kama Sutra products and further engage themselves into all of our lines.” He says he is very confident in Kama Sutra’s ability to “lead and pioneer the roads ahead” and believes that Lee’s presence in the company “brings an unmatched amount of enthusiasm, passion, and leadership to Kama Sutra.” More than anything else, La Joie said he appreciates Lee’s ongoing efforts to make Kama Sutra better for its customers. The most appropriate word to currently describe Kama Sutra is ‘”new,” the company said. With an emphasis on new packaging, new flavors, new fragrances and new formulas, all of the revamped products are designed for high quality and consumer satisfaction. Most noticeable for the long-time admirers is the redesign of the first-ever Kama Sutra product, Oil of Love. The kissable body oil, now removed from the tin canister, is more visible and attractive to the consumer. The distinctive flavors, fragrances and colors are sure to entice and delight, the company said. As with the original Kama Sutra creation, SUMMER 2013 each product category will encounter some modification for improvement. Despite improvements made to previous products and packaging, new product development is Lee’s specialty. Kama Sutra’s entirely new product, known as Lip Fetish, was completely originated by Lee. The lip-gloss is made to enhance oral pleasures. The polish is specifically formulated to accentuate a pout with a luminous shine, a kissable flavor and exciting warming or cooling sensations. With three different flavors, the Sweet Strawberry, Cool Mint, and Wild Raspberry, Lip Fetish is a modern and advanced design that will excite lovers as well as enhance beauty, the company says. The cosmopolitan product is referred to by Lee as her “baby.” The company president said she spent months refining the formula, packaging and overall look of the product in order to “create a stylish and cultivated lip gloss that would be healthy, unique and 100 percent stupendous.” Once applied, the gloss provides a tingling sensation and flavor. Designed to be sold as more than a sexual enhancement product, the sensual polish is a sexy consumable that is the centerpiece of Lee’s renovations. Kama Sutra continues to be a company that represents sexual passion and sensual fire. Lee, who says she feels “like Kama Sutra is an entirely new company,” is heartfelt and fervid when it comes to the work she’s put into the company. With products that range from tranquil and serene, to fiery and wild, Kama Sutra reaches out to the customer with the same message they’ve had since 1969: bringing couples closer together. “After 44 years of successful business, Joe Bolstad, owner and founder, proudly presents these products, and his new company president Marla Lee, knowing that Kama Sutra has come a long way and will continue to thrive and grow under the same principles and beliefs they have always had,” the company said. A SUMMER 2013 XBIZ SENSUALS 59 Intimate Rejuvenation Ending My Stress Incontinence With the Intensity By Jaiya ClubCalExotics.com O kay, so this is really embarrassing to write about, but for the past three years I’ve been dealing with stress incontinence. That means that every time I cough, sneeze, laugh or doing anything that involves jumping up and down, I pee my pants. (Warning: this is going to be a little TMI!) I’m sure you’ve had customers approach you asking if there is anything that helps them with similar issues — being afraid of peeing during sex, not being “tight” enough, wanting to have better toned vaginal muscles, wanting better orgasms, etc. I was doing my Kegels, sometimes, not as often as I tell people to do them, and I admit I was a little lazy about getting them done. While many people know about the benefits of doing Kegels, they still don’t do them, or if they do, they often do them wrong. Even with my attempts at Kegel exercises (which had always worked for me in the past), the sneezing and peeing got worse. Post having a baby, I experienced a hard time contracting and relaxing my pelvic floor muscles. It sucked! I discovered Intensity by JOPEN at the ANME a few years ago. I was very excited to learn about a product that might help new moms get their pelvic floor tone and strength back to pre-birth condition. Of course, I thought that perhaps this was the answer to my issue. When the Intensity arrived it was wrapped and packaged nice and pretty. A friend was there and she asked me if it cleaned my house and did dishes too! It does seem that this product “does it all.” It’s a vibrator, a dilator (dildo) and it has electric stimulation to help 60 XBIZ SENSUALS contract and tone pelvic floor muscles. So it provides pleasurable orgasmic stimulation while it helps tone and strengthen your PC muscles. LOVE IT! A word of advice, do read the directions and insert Intensity completely before turning on the electro-stimulation. This will help avoid any issues — trust me on this one. Intensity needs to be used properly to fully enjoy the many benefits it offers. I used the Intensity about four days per week for three weeks. I mostly focused on the dilator and the electric stimulation. It was less about pleasure for me and more about getting my vaginal muscles of steel back! The good news is that I got results. First, I noticed that at the gym I could JUMP without peeing my pants. That was a very good sign. Second, I could stop the flow while peeing, another good sign that things were improving. Third, my lover said that I felt different, in a very good way. I was more snug. And fourth, my orgasms became better. Not sure if this has to do with the Intensity, but it seems that I just felt better down there and had a stronger libido to boot. I definitely felt sexier not having to worry about peeing myself. That was turning me off big time. So, I’d say that I am in LOVE with the new Intensity. For those customers, especially for moms, looking for something to help improve their sexual health and pleasure I would recommend the Intensity as a way to possibly achieve both! Club CalExotics Expert Sexpert, JAIYA ~ Award-Winning Sexologist, Filmmaker and Author of RED HOT TOUCH, Blow Each Other Away. Providing other educational resources to assist you to fully express yourself sexually at www.MissJaiya.com and www. ClubCalExotics.com. A SUMMER 2013 SUMMER 2013 XBIZ SENSUALS 61 Essential News Lingerie Di Moda to Distribute Baci in Italy XGen Introduces Baci Fantasy Eye Masks B RISTOL, Pa. — XGen announced that it will serve as the exclusive North American distributor for Baci’s new handcrafted fashion eyes masks. The masks are slated to arrive in the U.S. and Canada this summer, XGen announced. Now available in 30 styles, Baci and XGen debuted the fantasy masks at the International Lingerie Show in April. “The mask collection made quite an impact at ILS,” XGen President Andy Green said. “They are unbelievably beautiful and will be a standout addition to any store.” Each of the masks is constructed with an alloy of nickel-free metals and then hand painted. Many styles are embellished with Swarowski crystals. The masks also feature bendable elements that allow the wearer to adjust the mask for optimal fit and comfort. Unlike most adult eyemasks, Baci’s reimagined version does not block out light but rather functions as a fashion accesory to be worn both in and out of the bedroom. A tyes.by.tara, Christabella Fashion Ink Distro Deal G REENWOOD VILLAGE, Colo. — Jewelry designer tyes.by.tara announced that it has partnered with Christabella Fashion Ltd. for exclusive distribution in Hungary. “We have meticulously evolved tyes.by.tara into a flirty and female-focused lifestyle brand,” founder Tara Christine said. “Now it’s time to elevate our focus to a global level. We are thrilled to partner with Christabella Fashion to expand our brands availability and exposure.” Gyula, Hungary-based Christabella Fashion Ltd., a luxury lingerie distributor and retailer carries brands such as Dreamgirl, 62 XBIZ SENSUALS M ILAN — Baci Lingerie has announced its new collaboration with seasoned Italian distributor Lingerie di Moda, which will now offer Baci’s White Label, Black Label and Dreams collections to Italian consumers. “Baci’s further expansion into the Italian market is only natural,” said Alicia Sinclair, Baci Lingerie director of sales and operations. “After all, ‘baci,’ the Italian word for ‘kisses,’ and the culture and nuance the word invokes, is what we had in mind when Baci Lingerie began. Lingerie di Moda is synonymous with quality, sensuality and luxury in the brands it represents, and we believe they are the perfect fit for the Baci brand in Italy.” Lingerie di Moda represents Italian and international brands and distributes lingerie, stockings and tights, swimsuits and bedroom costumes via its retail site for consumers and wholesale site for retailers. “When I first saw Baci’s ad campaign in an international lingerie magazine, it took my breath away,” said Elisabetta Sebastiani, Lingerie di Moda marketing director. “I knew in that instant Baci must be present in our catalog and dreamed of the day it would become a reality. To be allowed to represent Baci Lingerie here in Italy is a true honor.” Each Baci collection offered by Lingerie di Moda has a subtly different aesthetic but are united by an ubiquitous feminine and playfully erotic undertone. The White Collection features 50 pieces in an array of colors, ranging from jewel tones to classic white. The Black Collection was designed to emulate a European chic essence and includes accessories like satin gloves and lace garters. The Dreams Collection is comprised of sensual bedroom costumes for role-play and imagination between the sheets. Baci first debuted at the 2010 International Lingerie Show in Las Vegas. A Maia Toys Now Available Through Honey’s Place S Rene Rof and Shirley of Hollywood. “We at Christabella Fashion are really proud to have been able to start a partnership with Tyes by Tara. Our aim is to offer our costumers a broad collection of high quality products that are also unique and special. This cooperation provides us with an exciting opportunity,” Christabella said. For more information about the companies, contact info@ tyesbytara.com or visit ChristabellaFashion.com. A SUMMER 2013 AN FERNANDO, Calif. — Adult novelty distributor, Honey’s Place announced the addition of the Maia Toy collection to its growing line of products. The company said that since its 2012 debut into the U.S. market, Maia has catered to fashion-forward consumers who “recognize the colors of eroticism with their personal pleasure products.” “Maia has quickly gained recognition as a leader in the au courant adult accessories and pleasure products market all over the world,” Mara Epstein, Maia director of sales and marketing said. “Our packaging is helping to make our products an item that can be proudly displayed anywhere.” Honey’s Place noted that Maia’s colorful products range from contemporary rabbits to sleek Kegel balls, and are made 100 percent medical grade silicone, designed to suit the consumer’s mood with comfort and functionality at affordable prices. “People don’t realize how much effect color has on someone’s decisions. Color makes a mood,” Epstein added. “Between 60 and 90 percent of those people make their decision on color.” “We are impressed by Maia’s knowledge of color and the potential impact that this has in the retail marketplace,” Honey’s Place President Bonnie Feingold said. She added, “The company’s competitive price points are sure to make this line of products a great seller. We are excited to include their line in our diverse selection of products that we currently carry.” Retailers interested in Maia Toys can contact Honey’s Place at (800) 910-3246 or email [email protected]. A SUMMER 2013 XBIZ SENSUALS 63 Essential News Male Power Expands Scandal Lace Collection H AUPPAGE, N.Y. — Male Power has expanded its men’s lace collection of undergarments. According to Male Power, “Customers turn to Male Power for undergarments that are unique, innovative, comfortable and, above all, sexy. The company has a magic touch for spotting new and emerging trends, and creating popular fashions that reflect the styles that are in vogue. Men’s lace is the latest rage, and Male Power has fully embraced it. Several new lines are available, all of them soft and delicately erotic.” Traditional black and white underwear is offered to the man who likes to keep things simple yet sensuous. The wilder types will opt for Leopard Lace, designed to “bring out the male animal instinct.” And there is more on the way. A new neon lace collection was recently introduced at the International Lingerie Show in April. The Scandal Lace collection line of thongs and shorts capture the features of openwork fabric that the company said are designed to “appeal to men’s feminine side.” The products are made from black stretch galloon lace combined with soft, four-way stretch mesh. They come in eight unique and daring styles: Power Sock Short, Garter Belt Short, Sling Thong, Choker Thong, Micro Thong Pinch Back, G-String Garter Short, Micro Garter Short, and Split Back Short. For more information, visit MalePower.com. A Nalpac Releases 2013 Lingerie Catalog F ERNDALE, Mich. — Nalpac has announced the release of its 2013 lingerie catalog, featuring 78 pages of lingerie for men and women. Sales Manager Thomas Rafferty says, “The Lingerie Catalog is a result of the hard work of our graphics, purchasing, sales and marking teams. I am certain this will help our customers stock their stores with Nalpac’s lingerie selection.” 64 XBIZ SENSUALS The 2013 Nalpac Lingerie Catalog features bestselling pieces from brands such as Hustler Lingerie, Rene Rofe, Magic Silk, Fe- tish Fantasy Lingerie, Male Power, Justus Boyz and Active Man. Sexy costumes are also featured in the Lingerie Catalog for Halloween ordering. SUMMER 2013 Catalogs will arrive in customers’ mailboxes and is also available online at www.nalpac.com/ lingerie2013. For more information about lingerie at Nalpac and Nalpac’s almost 20,000 items, or to place an order, visit Nalpac.com, contact a Nalpac account manager toll free at (800) 837-5946, fax an order to (248) 544-9126 or email [email protected]. A SUMMER 2013 XBIZ SENSUALS 65 Essential News Karishna Khelani Joins Fantasy Lingerie Releases Plus-Size Collection Coquette Sales Team C C AMBRIDGE, Ontario — Coquette has announced the addition of Karishna Khelani to its sales team, as the company’s Puerto Rican rep. Khelani was born and raised in Puerto Rico. She attained her undergraduate degree in international affairs and public relations, and later stepped into the Bostonian life at Northeastern University where she completed her masters in international communications. After living in Boston and traveling the globe, she shares her time between New York City and Puerto Rico. “Currently I am a PR specialist for vendors within the wedding industry,” Khelani said. “I love dealing with vendors bringing their beautiful work to the eyes of searching brides and grooms. Throughout my entire career as a wedding planner and wedding publicist I have realized brides are interested in the dress but also what’s underneath. It’s a foundation piece. Brides determine whether they are sexy or cute from within so why not start with some Karishna Khelani sexy or sweet lingerie.” Khelani recently traveled to Las Vegas to meet with the entire sales team during the International Lingerie Show at the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino. Stepping right in and helping with visiting buyers, Coquette’s sales team says it is excited to have her on board. “Karishna is a bright young lady and we are thrilled that she has joined Coquette,” said national sales manager Dave George. “She brings with her a strong work portfolio and a cultured perspective that will be a perfect fit to our fantastic sales team. We look forward to working with, and getting to know her.” A HATSWORTH, Calif. — Fantasy Lingerie recently released a line of boxed and hanging lingerie designed exclusively for plus-size women. The collection, dubbed Curve, was designed with cuts, fabrics and color stories determined to specifically flatter, fullfigured women. According to Fantasy Lingerie, the pieces were designed by a plus-size designer, giving them an edge of authenticity. Curve also re-imagines garments traditionally intended for more petite women. Namely, the baby doll dresses and chemises are outfitted with underwire and molded cups to provide curvier women with shaping and support. “Curve by Fantasy Lingerie is an excellent line for boutiques as well as exotic stores, because it speaks to women of all ages and demographics, and truly fits a plus size woman with a cohesive color story that is easy to merchandise,” Fantasy Lingerie managing director Leilani Whitney said. “This is the kind of lingerie you want to show off because you are so proud of how it will make you look and feel.” The plus-size collection also employs a unique pricing structure. Unlike many plus-size lines, Curve charges the same price for all sizes. For example, a 1X costs the same as a 3X. According to Fantasy Lingerie, this allows retailers to keep their pricing consistent while avoiding offending customers with a price differential. Fantasy Lingerie will debut the Curve Fall collection at the Las Vegas International Lingerie Show this September. A Magic Silk Releases Catalog H AUPPAGE, N.Y. — The new Magic Silk 2013 Catalog is on the way. Introduced at the International Lingerie Show in Las Vegas, the bright and illustrated 64-page brochure will be mailed to all distributors, and thousands of retailers worldwide, the company says. “Magic Silk now offers the widest and most diverse assortment of merchandise in the intimate apparel industry,” the company said. “The many collections cater to every taste and sensibility, offering cutting-edge style blended with supreme comfort. All of the Magic Silk lines are contained in the catalog, strikingly depicted against vivid themed backgrounds. The hot, new collections 66 XBIZ SENSUALS SUMMER 2013 are featured as well, including Bridal Bands of Lace, Hypnotic Swirl, Satin Treasures, Midnight Bound and the most recent Fishnet styles. Such popular collections as Exposed Lingerie, Hot Angel, Wise Cracks, Cheap Thrills Costumes, Men’s Silk Knit and Exposed Couples are also highlighted.” All styles are now available in Queen Size. According to the company bold packaging continues to be its hallmark because “quality products should be elegantly and creatively displayed.” Examples of product boxes and in-store display plan-o-grams are also contained in the comprehensive catalog. For more information, visit MagicSilk.com. A SUMMER 2013 XBIZ SENSUALS 67 Essential News Icon Brands Unveils Nina New Simply Silicone Mercedez to Launch Products L OS ANGELES — Icon Brands is following up on the strong reception of its Simply Silicone Mini and Mini G Vibes with eight new Simply Silicone products, and the entire “stripe” is now shipping. Joanie Lee, Icon’s VP of sales, explained, “We added two Cock Cages in a super-cool Celtic design, two great couples kits with bunnies, vibrating rings, cages and more, a trio of ultrathick silicone ‘donut’ rings and a 10-function ‘love button’ ring kit in two great colors.” With consumers and retailers alike requesting silicone more than ever, Icon said it felt it was time to brand an entire line with“Silicone” right in the name. Lee added, “And when you see all the eye-popping primary colors together, Simply Silicone makes a visual statement that you simply can’t ignore.” Each Simply Silicone item is fully covered in ultra-soft, velvety silicone, and in one of four bright colors: pink, red, cyan and navy. The packaging is high-contrast white and black, with a black backdrop that vibrantly displays the pieces, and was created by Icon’s decorated design team. Lee has high hopes for the entire line, which is now 12 SKUs wide, commenting “if the Simply Silicone vibrators are any indication, this is a material whose time has come…and a collection whose time has come.” Simply Silicone ships immediately and is available from Icon Brands and leading distributors nationwide. Visit iconbrands. com for more information, or contact Lee at joanie@ iconbrands.com. A Pjur Releases Pjur Woman Nude W ASSERBILLIG, Luxembourg — Pjur has introduced the sixth and final product of its Sexy Six collection, pjur Woman Nude. The water-based lubricant is free of any additives, including glycerin, parabens, oils or perfumes. “Nude means naked or raw,” pjur’s Rich Harris told XBIZ. “For the adult market, it’s a good name because it has two meanings: a sexual meaning and an ‘in the raw’ kind of meaning.” Harris believes while the lubricant market is saturated with natural, additive-free products, they 68 XBIZ SENSUALS are sub-par “from a performance standpoint.” Pjur Woman Nude was designed expressly to effectively lubricate and moisturize women’s skin while conforming to a healthy standard. “Often, less is more,” said Alexander Giebel, founder and CEO of pjur Group. “We have developed pjur Woman Nude especially for women who pursue a conscious lifestyle. Thanks to the neutral formulation, it is perfect for the soft and sensitive female skin.” A SUMMER 2013 ‘La Scorpia’ Swimwear L AS VEGAS — Former Vivid star Nina Mercedez announced the impending launch of her new limited-edition swimwear line, “La Scorpia,” on Twitter, which was officially released in June. While Mercedez told XBIZ that the 15-piece collection will go well with Christian Louboutin shoes, she said that, aesthetically, La Scorpia really is its own arachnid. “Swimwear is swimwear, but I’m trying to create something different,” she said, adding, “My life has an impact on [the collection], and my life is the adult industry and Instagram and the girls in the business.” To accommodate two of her major consumer bases — her female Twitter fans and the stars of her production company — Mercedez decided to create a distinct curvy-girl-friendly line by offering plus sizes and separate garments to allow ladies to mix and match pieces to fit their unique body type. “That’s the reason I’m doing extra large and the reason I’m doing F-sized busts — because some of the girls have come out and said, ‘Are you going to carry this and are you going to carry that?’ And I wasn’t before, but so many people have asked for it that I am now.” Mercedez admitted that she is personally frustrated with the limited swimwear options for her own body type — a DD bust and a very petite waist. She mentioned that, based on the photos she sees on Instagram, girls’ bodies have changed; and yet, brands continue to gear their apparel towards waiflike women. La Scorpia’s business model will continue to be based on consumer interactivity after the first collection is released. According to Mercedez, she is launching only 15 pieces in order to gather feedback from her social media base and then use it to inform her next 15 pieces. “If you don’t have the voice of the people who are buying, and you’re not in touch with them one-on-one, then you could put out 50 bathing suits. But if it’s not what they want, they’re not going to sell,” Mercedez said. Mercedez originally wanted to design a jewelry line separate from her swimwear line, but decided to combine them when she realized that wearing jewelry to the beach is too impractical and unwieldy for most poolside fashionistas. The result, Mercedez explained, is a “flashy and blingy and classy” hybrid collection bedecked with gold chains and “really big between-the-boobs jewelry pieces” already attached to the swimsuits. While the pieces will be affordable, they will also be limited, Mercedez said. Nina Mercedez left Vivid in 2006 to create her own production company, Heartbreaker Films. Mercedez continues to be active in the adult world and has previously owned online stores that sold exotic wear. Mercedez also owns the XXXFastPass.com network of porn star websites, as well as her own feature dancing agency, Feature Elite. According to Mercedez, the girls of Heartbreaker films will be rocking her swimwear at pool parties — with Christian Louboutin shoes — come summertime. A Entrenue Streets New Bachelorette Mini-Catalog P HOENIX — Entrenue has released a new mini catalog dedicated to the popular decorations, games and party accessories for soon-to-be-bride’s bachelorette celebration. The 28-page supplement includes the latest from Kheper Games, CandyPrints, Ball & Chain, Little Genie and more. The colorful and user-friendly catalog features interactive games, themed shots and shakers, and a selection of sashes, veils, buttons and tiaras. “It’s officially wedding season and bachelorette accessories have become a major category for adult retailers across the country,” Entrenue President Joe Casella said. “We created our bachelorette mini catalog to make it fast, easy and convenient for our customers to keep their stores stocked with everything from traditional bride sashes to more racy decorations and gag gifts.” To register, email catalog@entrenue. com and include your phone number or call (800) 386-7268. A SUMMER 2013 XBIZ SENSUALS 69 Essential News Swan Receives Upgraded Technology Nasstoys Expands Elite Vibes Collection N EW YORK — Nasstoys has introduced two new vibes to its popular Elite Collection. The Elite Collection Finger Twister and Climaxer vibes are each distinctly shaped to please and feature a removable bullet designed for easy replacement when it’s time for fresh batteries. Each sleeve can also be modified for use with a favorite bullet vibe. “The new Elite Collection vibes are the ideal pick for women looking for discreet, customizable pleasure,” sales and marketing Director Kathryn Hartman said. “Each one features a uniquely shaped, soft sleeve that transmits powerful sensations from its removable bullet, which can be replaced for everlasting pleasure.” Both vibes are waterproof and phthalate-free with push-button removable bullets. The Elite Collection Finger Twister T is available in black and purple, features a rippled texture that’s soft to the touch and a threespeed bullet vibe. The Elite Collection Climaxer vibe features a 100 percent silicone sleeve and is designed for G-Spot and clitoral stimulation with a 10-function removable bullet. It is available in black and purple. “The Elite Collection is a stellar Nasstoys line that delivers extraordinary style and function,” Hartman continued. “The clean, sleek packaging of this line appeals to the sophisticated shopper.” The Elite Collection of products is available now. For more information or to place an order contact a local distributor or email [email protected]. A ORONTO — Swan is introducing its newest generation of vibration technology. The company began rolling out its latest upgrade in March. “Three years ago, I was so proud of the power that the Swan collection had, and still am today,” Swan President Steve Bannister said. “I never imagined it could get any better. In this situation though, it feels great to prove myself wrong. Wait until you feel these vibrations!” Not to confuse the new vibrations as being “faster,” Bannister adds, “I’d also like to really make it clear that instead of just speeding up our vibrations which really just makes for a buzzier, numbing sensation, we’ve actually reworked the major components for a wider vibration space. Instead of faster vibrations, you end up with deeper, pulsating, ones that just feel great.” A CalExotics Introduces ‘First Komar Company Time Fetish Now Offering ‘The Collection’ Closet Collection’ B L OS ANGELES — California Exotic Novelties has introduced its First Time Fetish Collection that introduces people to the world of fantasy play. The collection includes a Riding Crop, Love Paddle, Satin Eye Mask, Nipple Teasers, Flogger, “O” Ring Gag, and Seduction Kit. “The First Time Collection is popular because it catches the attention of novices when they walk into a store. The First Time Fetish Collection includes products that people may have 70 XBIZ SENSUALS never purchased before. It’s perfect because the brand speaks directly to them,” President and CEO Susan Colvin said. Made of quality materials, the products come in a “seductive,” gray pallet. “First Time Fetish is a high quality line of playful fetish gear that is a muststock for any retail store. The items are perfect for beginners or experienced users,” Jackie White, vice president of sales said. A soft presentation adds to the line’s appeal, SUMMER 2013 explained senior director of business affairs Al Bloom. “The First Time Fetish Collection is packaged in pretty boxes and easily merchandises on a store wall or end cap. This lets the beginner know this line is for her — and as any marketer knows, speaking to the target demographic is the key to success.” The First Time Fetish Collection is in stock now and available. To order the collection call Bloom at (909) 465-4946 or email [email protected]. A ALTIMORE — Komar Company has announced the addition of The Closet Collection by Impulse Novelties to its boutique novelty line offerings. The company said the Collection offers a variety of massagers from the Carrie B. Slim G to the Jimmee Lightning Rod, each as unique and stylized as the couture shoe lines that inspired them. “Manufacturers like Impulse Novelties are really making great strides in producing a mainstream friendly product. As a woman I was immediately attracted to the packaging design, and tying that together with the shoe shopping experience is very clever. As the buyer for Komar I am always excited for the opportunity to introduce a boutique brand to our customers and grow together,” Komar’s novelty buyer Adrianne Foreman said. Impulse Novelties’ Lorraine added, “The decision to work with Komar was an easy one. My history with the company goes back years. I have always been impressed with the company from top to bottom, and am confident in their ability to support our line.” “Customer response has already been overwhelming, with Komar already having to reordering the line twice, Komar salesperson Mark Foreman said. “With such a simple and elegant concept, matched with a widely accessible price point, we at Komar are excited and proud to partner with The Closet Collection, and remain excited to see even more great offerings from them in the future.” To view the entire line click here. Retailers interested in The Closet Collection can contact Komar at (800) 486-6247, or email msavage@komarcompany. com. A SUMMER 2013 XBIZ SENSUALS 71 Essential News Holiday Products to Distribute Booty Parlor C HATSWORTH, Calif. — Holidays Products has been selected as a distributor of Booty Parlor, a beauty and lifestyle brand for women, to help expand its market reach. “We’ve carefully developed and grown Booty Parlor into one of the leading female-focused sexy beauty and lifestyle brands in the world — now it’s time to expand our U.S. market presence,” Charlie Myers, founder and president of Booty Parlor, said. “For many years we’ve had requests from retailers to make Booty Parlor more accessible, so we are thrilled to be expanding our brand’s availability via Holiday Products as its premier distributor in the business.” Booty Parlor debuted in the Holiday Products booth at The International Lingerie Show in Las Vegas in April. “We are very excited to have been chosen to distribute the Booty Parlor Line. This partnership exemplifies our “best of the best philosophy,” Diana Fitzgerald, sales manager of Holiday Products, said. Clearly, Booty Parlor’s innovative products, incredible marketing and name recognition make them a great addition to our product Line.” Booty Parlor proffers sensual products designed for bedroom and everyday use, including pheromoneinfused body scrub, lace vibrating panties, “love kits” for sexy occasions and even a book written by co-founder Dana B. Myers, “The Official Booty Parlor Mojo Makeover: Four Weeks to a Sexier You.” According to the mission statement of husband-wife and co-founders, Charlie and Dana B. Myers, Booty Parlor was created to foster confidence in women, in the bedroom and otherwise, and has attracted an impressive roster of A-list customers, like Jennifer Love Hewitt, Jessica Biel, Blake Lively, Christina Milian and Megan Fox. For more information, email [email protected] or visit bootyparlor.com. A Doc Johnson Expands Black Rose Collection N ORTH HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — Doc Johnson is now shipping the winter season’s Black Rose expansion. There are eight new additions to the “feminine and accessible” BDSM line. The additions to the Black Rose collection are: the Vixen vines, a faux leather whip with rose tipped falls; the Sultry Spanker, a gorgeous black and purple twosided paddle; the Kinky Kuffs, purple silk and black lace restraints; the 4-Way Foreplay, a sultry and comfortable hogtie; the Harness Your Desire Vac-U-Lock complete set features a curvy black silicone attachment and beautiful harness; the Blooming Ben Wa Balls, weighted silicone ben wa balls available in black or purple, and the Stems of Seduction anal trainer kit featuring doubledipped iridescent purple and black plugs in two sizes and a 1 oz. 72 XBIZ SENSUALS personal lubricant. Victoria Bowman-Steinour, Doc Johnson’s director of marketing and public relations, says, “Black Rose has been performing very well since its initial release. Consumers find the line accessible and retailers are pleased with how the products are sophisticated yet easy to merchandise. The Black Rose collection is the perfect fit for the consumer who wants a touch of luxury in their BDSM play.” The debut items in the Black Rose Collection were released in May of 2012 to much acclaim, award nominations, and strong sales, the company said. For further information, catalogs, plan-o-grams, marketing materials such as posters, signage and postcards, and instructions on how to order, contact Doc Johnson’s sales department at: orders@ docjohnson.com. A SUMMER 2013 Crystal Delights’ Newest Product Included in Art Show N EW BOSTON, N.H. — Crystal Delights’ newest product called My Pleasure Pony Tail has been included in The Kinsey Institute Juried Art Show 2013 held at The Grunwald Gallery at Indiana University open for viewing now through July 13. Kinsey Institute Juried Art Show is a contemporary art exhibit exploring themes related to sex, gender, eroticism, reproduction, sexuality, romantic relationships, the politics of sex and gender, and the human figure. It features paintings, prints, photographs, ceramics, wearable art, metalwork, sculpture, fiber art, and video installations from local, national and international artists. “It is a great honor to be selected to participate in the Kinsey Institutes Juried Art Show and even more exciting to be picked twice in the last three years,” said Shellie, creative director of Crystal Delights. “We are so excited to be included in such artistic company. Here at Crystal Delights we truly believe that art is pleasure and our My Pleasure Pony Tail is a perfect example of that.” Crystal Delights’ My Pleasure Pony Tail is a soft full tail made of handcrafted monochromatic textured natural yarn attached to the new Unicorn Horn Plug made of smooth borosilicate glass. The My Pleasure Pony Tail will soon be available in pink, blue, purple and white on CrystalDelights.com. Like every Crystal Delights toy each My Pleasure Pony Tail is handmade without a mold and crafted in the U.S. No two tails are exactly the same; but all are made with the highest attention paid to detail. The Kinsey Institute Juried Art Show 2013 is part of the 113 Days of Art, a summer-long festival in Bloomington, Indiana that features visual arts, music, and cinema events on the Indiana University campus. Two awards will be given to artists in the exhibit, “Best in Show” and “Gallery Visitors Choice.” The Grunwald Gallery is open Tuesday through Saturday, noon to 4 p.m. All events are free and open to the public. For more information, visit KinseyInstitute.org. A LELO Debuts Bridal Pleasure Sets S AN JOSE, Calif. — LELO has added bridal-themed pleasure sets to its collection. “Wedding season is well underway, and from now until September there will be an average of 6,200 weddings taking place across North America every day,” the company said. “Given an average of 170 guests per wedding each spend upwards of $200 on gifts, there’s no better time to present a unique option for that bridal shower, bachelorette party or wedding surprise. So in true LELO fashion, we’re excited to present a set of three exclusive products tailored specifically to wedding season.” The LELO Bridal Pleasure Set includes the Noa waterproof, USBrechargeable silicone rechargeable couples’ massager featuring six vibration patterns, silk and suede blindfold with pearl detailing, suede teaser ring with pearl detailing, a USB charging cord, a lover’s guide, a user manual, and satin storage pouch. The LELO Bridal Pleasure Set features an MSRP of $199. For more information, email [email protected]. A SUMMER 2013 XBIZ SENSUALS 73 ESSENTIAL Stocking Guide Accessories Anal LUX LX1 BMS FACTORY — MSRP: $59.95 Lx1 is designed for the gentleman who demands control of his desires. Made with 100% waterproof silicone material and with a soft ring for safety and removal at the base, the entire surface of the Lx1 has been sculpted for the male body. With two curves and an added bend for perineum stimulation during use, the Lx1 is perfect for beginner to intermediate users. Contact: (905) 793-6400 [email protected] WAND ESSENTIALS ECSTA-SEAT WAND POSITIONING CUSHION XR BRANDS — MSRP: $119.88 Slip into ecstasy with this uniquely designed wand positioning pillow. Simply insert your favorite massage wand into the open ended hole, position yourself over the wand head which is designed to stick out of the top, and turn the wand to your favorite setting. This ultra comfortable seat is made from soft hypoallergenic foam and is machine washable. The ergonomically designed cushion is contoured for the ultimate wand control. Ideal for hands-free stimulation. Contact: (888) 261-4181 [email protected] TINGLERS NS NOVELTIES — MSRP: $33.20 Tingler Vibrating Plugs I, II and III provide intense and strategically placed vibration exactly where you want it most. The firm yet forgiving silicone body yields to every body type ensuring a comfortable fit. The flat skinny base fits snugly along your body’s curves, making it the perfect plug for adventurous couple’s play. Each velvety smooth jackpin controller features two buttons for easy on/off operation and 3 levels of intensity control. Contact: (818) 773-4999 [email protected] Bath & Body RIDE RAZOR SLIQUID — MSRP: N/A Ride Razor is carefully formulated to soften coarse beard and body hair while conditioning and moisturizing to leave skin smooth, hydrated and touchably soft. This is the ideal allbody shave cream featuring hints of natural botanicals, shea butter and aloe vera. Choose from Desert Sky or Ginger Lime. Contact: [email protected] METAL WORX MINI LUV PLUG PIPEDREAM PRODUCTS Give “precious metals” a whole new meaning with this luxurious crystaladorned pleasure plug. Cast in high quality aluminum and hand-polished to perfection, this tapered anal plug is equal parts art and pleasure. The hygienic finish is sleek, nonporous and easy to clean, while the design is body-inspired and made to excite. Each Metal Worx masterpiece comes in a discreet “storage case” you can use to store your toy after use. The premium pieces are great for temperature play-stick them in the freezer to cool things down, or place them in a bowl of hot water to heat things up. Contact: (818) 772-0100 [email protected] SLIQUID ORGANICS MASSAGE SLIQUID — MSRP: N/A Sliquid Organics Massage Oils feature four unique varieties formulated using a blend of naturally occurring nut and seed oils combined with organic botanicals carefully selected for their soothing properties. Choose from refreshing and invigorating Rejuvenation, relaxing and calming Tranquility, sexy and arousing Serenity, and scent-less Escape. Contact: [email protected] NATURAL MASSAGE OILS KAMA SUTRA — MSRP: $17.99 Fruit scented sensual massage oils made from naturally derived soy bean, grape seed and almond oils. The perfect massage treatment for body and spirit, naturally. Contact: (800) 778-7921 [email protected] MASSAGE CANDLES KAMA SUTRA MSRP: $18.99 A sensually scented candle that melts from candle wax to a warm, liquid massage oil in minutes, ready for a smooth-as-silk massage between lovers. Contact: (800) 778-7921 customerservice@ kamasutra.com 74 XBIZ SENSUALS SUMMER 2013 OILS OF LOVE KAMA SUTRA — MSRP: $15.99 These light, silky water-based oils impart a delicate scent, a delicious taste, and a tingling warmth to the skin. Rub a few drops on whatever spots desire draws you to, then blow gently to release their powers. Slippery to the touch, warm to the skin, and irresistible to the tongue, they draw your lips with their delicate scent and sultry taste, and arouse your lover with a tingling glow. Contact: (800) 778-7921 [email protected] SUMMER 2013 XBIZ SENSUALS 75 ESSENTIAL Stocking Guide Fetish Kits FETISH FANTASY SERIES SPINNING NIPPLE STIMULATORS PIPEDREAM PRODUCTS — MSRP: N/A Sales Manager Lynn Swanson says, “The Fetish Fantasy Series Spinning Nipple Stimulators are an easy sell to any customer, whether they’ve tried other nipple stimulators or not — there is nothing like it in the marketplace. Each cup simply suctions around the breast creating a vacuum seal that holds in place while the soft, tiny nodules spin against the nipple. This revolutionary design gives the wearer a totally new sensation with seven unique functions to choose from.” Contact: (818) 772-0100 [email protected] FRISKY PINK BEDROOM RESTRAINT KIT ZEUS ARCANA ELECTRO VIBE WAND SENSUAL FEATHER NIPPLE CLAMPS SC NOVELTIES — MSRP: $9.49 Let these delightful feathered nipple clamps tickle and tantalize you. The soft tips are coated in rubber for comfort and grip, and the pressure is easily adjusted with the screws set into the side. The delicate feathered ends are cloud soft and flutter enticingly when worn. Both functional and fabulous, these fun nipple toys are great for all experience levels. Contact: (714) 907-1035 [email protected] ZEUS ELECTROSEX — MSRP: $129 Want some vibration with your electro play? With the Arcana ElectroSex Wand, you can have both. This one-of-a-kind wand features five levels of electro and vibration intensities, each independently controlled with their own button dials. With the side boost button, you can create your own pulse pattern by tapping the button for a rhythmic jump. Contact: (714) 907-1035 info@ sextoydistributing.com Men’s Toys EGO BY JOPEN — E3.5 JOPEN — MSRP: $112.99 Completely recharges in three hours via its premium rechargeable lithium ion battery. It is unscented, non-porous, hypoallergenic, has a satin finish and is virtually seamless. Its intense incremental speed control is whisper-quiet. Contact: (909) 590-5210 [email protected] XR BRANDS — MSRP: $50 The Frisky Bedroom Restraint Kit is portable and easily restrains with H-shaped straps that fit underneath any size bed and reach around to securely cuff ankles and wrists and restrict movement. The sturdy Neoprene cuffs are soft and comfortable, yet close securely with heavy duty Velcro. Swivel clips attach the cuffs to straps underneath the mattress. Enjoy putting your partner in compromising positions as you tease and please them until you decide they are released. Contact: (888) 261-4181 [email protected] Novelty & Games BACHELORETTE PARTY FAVORS “CAUTION BITCHES!” TAPE PIPEDREAM PRODUCTS — MSRP: N/A When you know the party’s going to get out of control, be prepared with caution tape. Caution tape reads: CAUTION BITCHES. Can’t say you haven’t been warned. Contact: (818) 772-0100 [email protected] Lubes SLIQUID — MSRP: N/A Sliquid Naturals is a 10-piece line of pure lubricants and gels formulated using only natural ingredients and never parabens or glycerin. From simple water-based Sliquid H2O to hybrid water-based/ silicone gel, Sliquid Naturals has a body-safe personal lubricant variety for everyone. Contact: [email protected] SLIQUID SWIRL PRIMO TUX THE SCREAMING O — MSRP: N/A The PrimO Tux is a premium vibrating ring reimagined for discerning shoppers with a taste for luxury at an economical price. The Tux is made of 100% premium silicone that stretches for a tailor-made fit and features our most powerful 4-function vibrating motor yet. Suit up with the PrimO Tux and turn every bedroom encounter into a formal affair. Contact: (310) 446-1632 [email protected] 76 XBIZ SENSUALS SUMMER 2013 SLIQUID NATURALS SLIQUID — MSRP: N/A Sliquid Swirl is a collection of naturally flavored water-based lubricants made using flavoring and a hint of aspartame for sweetening. These subtly flavored lubricants are intended to enhance taste – not disguise – and are gentle enough for use by sensitive women. Choose from Cherry Vanilla, Pink Lemonade, Green Apple, Blue Raspberry and Strawberry Pomegranate. Contact: [email protected] SUMMER 2013 XBIZ SENSUALS 77 ESSENTIAL Stocking Guide Sexual Health Vibrators KEY BY JOPEN — STELLA III JOPEN — MSRP: $39.99 One set of graduated weighted balls (20g, 30g and 45g) includes one triple ball holder with retrieval loop wrapped in body safe silicone. It measures 1.75-inches by 9-inches overall. Contact: (909) 590-5210 [email protected] POSH SILICONE THUMPER “G” CALIFORNIA EXOTIC NOVELTIES — MSRP: $24.99 Silky soft luxurious silicone dual massagers features three petite designs for versatile use and three powerful speeds controlled by an easy push-button controller.“The POSH Silicone Thumper G is pretty, playful, and has all the bells and whistles women want in a dual stimulator. Three petite designs, three powerful speeds and an easy push-button controller make this silky, soft, dual massager one of the most luxurious on the market,” said Susan Colvin, president and CEO of CalExotics. Contact: (909) 606-1950 [email protected] BLOOM BY LEAF BMS FACTORY — MSRP: $110 Bloom has perfectly captured the essence of a naturally budding flower. Its slightly flexible stem is designed for a customizable experience at your fingertips. With a separate vibration powered by PowerBullet technology on each end of the smooth, 100-percent waterproof silicone exterior, the Bloom can flex to achieve the level of excitement that you desire. Comes complete with a charger, sturdy reusable box, and canvas tote for storage. Contact: (905) 793-6400 [email protected] FRESH BY LEAF BMS FACTORY — MSRP: $95 Exciting, pure perfection. These words naturally describe all that Fresh is. With its perfectly sculpted design for clitoral stimulation, Fresh contains vibrations that traverse its entire surface. Whether you are looking for a refined edge or a soft curve, use any portion of the waterproof silicone covered exterior to reach your desired feeling and intensity. Powered by PowerBullet technology and comes complete with a charger, sturdy reusable box, and canvas tote for storage. Contact: (905) 793-6400 [email protected] LIFE BY LEAF BMS FACTORY — MSRP: $95 With its simple, subtle contours and smooth finish, Life allows for exploration of the body that can only be described as pure comfort. Its beautifully curved structure of 100% waterproof silicone and rechargeable PowerBullet technology allow for the powerful vibrations to be felt in any position. Comes complete with a charger, sturdy reusable box, and canvas tote for storage. Contact: (905) 793-6400 [email protected] THE TRILOGY ORGASM KEGEL BALLS GREYGASMS — MSRP: $9 Trilogy Orgasm Balls are ideally weighted for Kegel muscle strengthening, and easily removable by way of the nylon release cord. Slick, nonporous ABS plastic inserts and is suitable for long-term wear. Contact: (714) 907-1035 [email protected] Stimulating Topicals LIP FETISH KAMA SUTRA — MSRP: $15.99 A softly colored lip polish that has a deliciously kissable flavor, and exciting warming and cooling sensations is specially formulated to accentuate your pout. Get ready for sensual kisses, and more. Contact: (800) 778-7921 [email protected] PLEASURE BALMS SPIRIT BY LEAF KAMA SUTRA — MSRP: $13.99 Discover your body’s countless pleasure points with these specially formulated gels. Pick your favorite flavor and enjoy the kissable, tingling and refreshing sensation on any part of the body. Contact: (800) 778-7921 [email protected] BMS FACTORY — MSRP: $90 With Spirit, experience the feeling of pure bliss at the touch of your fingers. With its stylized and highly effective shape, allow Spirit to take you on a sensual journey. Covered in the softest waterproof silicone available and containing powerful vibrations from the trusted PowerBullet technology, Spirit is sculpted in a way that is naturally form-fitting. Allow the defined tip of the widely curved base to explore your senses in a way you have never felt before. Comes complete with a charger, sturdy reusable box, and canvas tote for storage. Contact: (905) 793-6400 [email protected] BGOOD DELUXE LE RÉVE WILD WABBIT B SWISH — MSRP: $44.98 The second generation Bgood Deluxe is out now. With the Bgood Deluxe a little good goes a long way. Stronger and more silent than ever, this six-function, seven-inch waterproof silicone massager can’t be missed. Contact: (310) 598-5546 [email protected] PIPEDREAM PRODUCTS — MSRP: N/A Awaken your senses with Le Reve Wild Wabbit, the adorable 7-function silicone rabbit vibe designed to fulfill your dreams and desires. Made from silky-smooth Elite Silicone and developed to excite, this cute little bunny is guaranteed to get pleasure hopping. Choose a function on the one-touch controls and let the whisper-quiet vibrations whisk you away. Contact: (818) 772-0100 [email protected] THRUSTICK REMOTE CONTROL THRUSTING LOVE MACHINE TOPCO SALES — MSRP: $799 The Thrustick is powerful, self-heating, remote controlled, thrusting love machine. It includes two dildo attachments featuring 6 functions of vibration and pulsation, with eight different thrusting speeds, all controlled by a wireless remote that works up to 32 feet away. The selfheating feature warms the Thrustick up to a comfortable temperature. Contact: (714) 907-1035 [email protected] 78 XBIZ SENSUALS SUMMER 2013 ENVY BY JOPEN — ONE JOPEN — MSRP: N/A Featuring seven functions with incremental speed control, the One also complete charges in twoand-a-half hours. It is made with premium silicone and maintains and retains body heat. It features an unscented, non-porous, hypoallergenic satin finish and is virtually seamless. Contact: (909) 590-5210 [email protected] SUMMER 2013 XBIZ SENSUALS 79 OSADCA The lawsuit is based on a pioneering patent — meaning it CONTINUED FROM PAGE 54 was invented by us. Bruce Murison made a tough decision to buy that How do face-to-face meetings patent. We’ve assessed the situation at events such as ILS serve your and made a decision to protect it. channel partners? It was a revolutionary patent. The For me it helps a lot. In the two U.S. International Trade Commission years that I’ve been with Standard could’ve rejected our application but Innovation, I’ve gotten to know our they did not. [Update: On June 17, retailers and distributors and the the ITC ruled in favor of Standard Inface-to-face meetings help to better novation, issuing a general exclusion and cease and desist order against understand the nuances of our international partners. There are a lot all infringing Lelo Inc. products. “The We-Vibe team is extremely pleased of nuances that get lost in translation otherwise. We’ve made it our by the Commission’s ruling,” said mission to establish good relationDanny Osadca, CEO, Standard Innovaships and have everyone get to know tion. “We can now get back to what our team. We’re a small team but We-Vibe does best, inventing and we’re all very active in developing bringing to market premium, bodyrelationships. We want to be known safe sexual health products. Thank as the best manufacturer to work you to our loyal partners. We greatly with — one that meets commitappreciate the support you have given ments offering the greatest product us throughout this case. We are also and support. sincerely grateful to the ITC for allowing us to engage in this process.”] A recent Huffington Post article We believe that the suit LELO mentioned We-Vibe being in most recently brought forth is a talks with a major U.S. drugstore retaliatory move. They’ve taken an chain for distribution. Does aggressive approach sending cease Standard Innovation have its and desist letters to our channel sight set on the mainstream retail partners. It’s disappointing that they market? chose to go that route but we will We are currently in two large defend ourselves and protect all of drugstore chains in Canada — our distributors and retailers. Rexall and London Drugs — and are The message I’ve gotten from the currently working on a third. We’re industry regarding this situation is also in discussion with several large that they support us and accept that chains in the U.S., and are confident we will vigorously defend our brand. that we’ll get that placement in In the meantime, we have thrilling 2013. Clearly, the drugstore market new products coming out this year. sees that our sexual wellness focus We’re also celebrating our five-year complements their business. anniversary this year. Actually, five years ago at ILS is where Melody Can you comment on Standard and Bruce Murison launched the Innovation’s patent litigations? We-Vibe. A Grey Sensual Care Collection and the original Fifty Shades of Grey Pleasure CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3 Collection give retailers the ideal opportunity to convert LoveHoney, a U.K.this interest into sales.” based novelty company “I’m so excited that the that debuted the official Fifty Shades toy collection, toys I described in the books have come to life celebrated the announcement by surveying custom- and can now be enjoyed around the world,” James ers about their opinion of said about LoveHoney’s the film. The survey revealed that collection. The Fifty Shades collec90 percent of respondents tion features sleek products do not want the book’s sex scenes to be toned down for done in grayscale, with the silver screen. Fans also shiny metal and black voted for their ideal Chris- matte silicone accents. Several toys are adorned tian and Anastasia and chose Ian Somerhalder and with written references to the novel. ex-“Gilmore Girl” Alexis One vibrator bears the Bledel, respectively. inscription “Charlie Tango” The LoveHoney team in black script, in homage believes that sales of their to the helicopter that ChrisJames-approved products will only increase as the tian uses to literally sweep mainstream film continues Anastasia off her feet. to trend worldwide. Other novelty companies “The huge interest have reported an elevated around this announcedemand for products given cameos in the book. Good ment shows that ‘Fifty Vibrations reported that its Shades of Grey’ is still sales for kegel balls have the biggest name in the increased by 1,800 percent business,” LoveHoney since the novel debuted and Commercial Director Ray featured the once-relativeHayes said. “The recently launched Fifty Shades of ly-obscure item. A JOHNSON 80 XBIZ SENSUALS SUMMER 2013 80 XBIZ SENSUALS SUMMER 2013 SUMMER 2013 XBIZ SENSUALS 81 SUMMER CONTINUED FROM PAGE 20 frequently offers contests through its Facebook page but the readers must come into the store to actually enter. They announce the contest on Facebook which can be sexual health trivia, references to a sexy scene in a film, and many other questions that are easy to answer but the answers must be entered in their contest box in the store in order to win the prize. “Holding contests like this is a free way to distribute extra inventory while bringing in new customers,” Susan claimed. “The customers like getting their names announced, too, although I always leave that up to them.” Community Tie-Ins How active is your store in community events? Paying back to the community leads to endless rewards to your bottom line. David Goldman of Skitzo Kitty added, “Too many people assume that they know something that they don’t know – that the community doesn’t welcome them but you don’t know until you go out there. We sponsor the community football team. We never say no to fundraisers. It keeps our brand front and center when people think of where they can purchase adult products and lingerie in a welcoming environment.” Jennifer Downey of Ambiance has an extra-special tie-in available to her. “We are located in Cleveland where the Rock ‘N Roll Museum is and we are promoting our stores to dovetail with their special retrospective on the Rolling Stones, which is appropriately called ‘Satisfaction.’ We are going to have lots of visitors in town and are playing up many of the Stones songs including ‘Mother’s Little Helper’ and others. The demographics for Stones fans who will be visiting the Museum are perfect for our store. It should be a great summer for us.” Even if you’re not located near a special museum or in the center of town, think of sponsoring summer-related events including a women’s softball team or adult pool time at the local pool. If there are bars in your area, they are also usually filled with thirsty drinkers at the end of a hot day and what better way to get the word out about your company but to hold events at those places as well? Get in touch with your adult products distributors to see if they have any swag you can give away to promote products at your store as many manufacturers have plenty available for free. So now you know there’s no excuse to experience the dreaded summer sales slump. Get your store on track and give yourself time at the beach to soak up the sales you’ll be making while working on your summertime tan. A LELO has announced it will continue to defend its right to import and sell its CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3 products in the U.S. market and will pursue legal action The decision only afagainst SIC as necessary to fects the U.S. market and do so. LELO Inc. is curstill must be approved by rently pursuing litigation the United States Trade in Federal District Court in Representative delegated California against Standard by the President during a Innovation Corporation 60-day period following the and its We-Vibe 3 product ITC’s order. The decision is also subject to review by the for infringement of one of LELO’s patents. United States Court of Ap“LELO has also taken peals for the Federal Circuit. the opportunity to express LELO says ITC’s ruling its sincere gratitude to its is “a clear setback for the loyal U.S. partners over American consumer, and the recent months, and the industry as a whole.” affirmed its commitment LELO claims that the intentions of SIC [Standard to stand by retailers and Innovation Corporation] in distributors in offering asking the ITC to bring this genuinely innovative prodinvestigation represented a ucts to their customers,” the clear action to prevent com- company said. A new line of LELO perpetition in the marketplace for its We-Vibe product line. sonal massagers is slated “SIC has instead chosen for release in fall 2013, which the company claims to target through legal will succeed in offering proceedings LELO and other innovative companies consumers greater choices while inspiring innovation that wish to offer more across the industry as a choice for consumers,” the whole. A company says. LELO 82 XBIZ SENSUALS SUMMER 2013 82 XBIZ SENSUALS SUMMER 2013 SUMMER 2013 XBIZ SENSUALS 83 Midnight and Lapdance, and new Bodywand Minis in neon colors and a new five-function CONTINUED FROM PAGE 35 model. OVO was showcased in a the iconic device. brilliant white booth where “It could be said that we the brand’s store displays saved the Hitachi Magic were exhibited filled with Wand,” Vibratex co-owner product. ILS also marked the Shay Martin said. “Hitachi was thinking about pulling it public debut of Dana DiValli, out of adult in order to main- the company’s North American rep. tain its image and branding Baci Lingerie held a but they’re allowing us to confundraising event on the eve tinue with the Magic Wand of ILS at Buzio’s Restaurant name, but we’ve removed at the Rio to benefit the the Hitachi name. With the rebranding, we’ve modernized Eileen Stein Jacoby Fund at the look of the packaging but Fox Chase Cancer Center. kept everything the same. It’s Throughout ILS Baci’s booth an evolution that’s helped us showcased new Dreams Collection styles and offered established a stronger relaeyelash application at its tionship with Hitachi.” Lash Bar. According to Martin, the The Adventure Indusupdated design features improved componentry that has tries booth draw fans of the company’s recent advertiscorrected the wand’s weaking campaigns featuring nesses, as well as made it more distinguishable against company exec Adam Hasner. According to Hasner, he was counterfeits. XGEN Products exhibited frequently recognized and asked for autographs. with the title as the U.S. ECN participated at source for Baci Lingerie, ILS as the North American and announced the upcomdistributor for OVO, as well ing distribution of ornate as exhibited its new range masks, Luna Veneziana for of Zolo masturbators. The Baci. XGEN also unveiled company also presented an new styles from Seven ‘Til ILS exclusive introduction of Envy by Jopen. Coquette showed off new collections that offered lingerie that ranged from sexy to conservative as well as new styles that serve as outerwear. With bright colors in the company’s Spring/ Summer collection, Erin Sue who handles marketing and communications for Coquette, declared “Fuchsia and purple are the new red.” “The show’s been fantastic and we were very busy, always,” Sue said. “We’re excited to show off our new collections. Though it depends on the customer, our most popular releases were Darque because it can be marketed and outwear and intimate wear – the collection is extremely versatile and fashionforward. What defines us is that Coquette offers lingerie for every woman to feel empowered and beautiful.” On the second evening of ILS, Williams Trading invited its loyal vendors and customers to celebrate Bob Cichetti’s 33rd anniversary with the company. The distributor also offered a 3.3 percent discount on orders placed at the show ICON CONTINUED FROM PAGE 44 we really appreciate that because we’ve really work hard to achieve it. And as more and more women become novelty buyers, that design orientation will only become more important. “We definitely have merchandising on our minds when we launch new products,” Lee said. Icon offers a “Each brand has a broad variety of uniquely selection of items that themed items. complement each other. We suggest our items not go into a ‘Gay’ or ‘Couples’ section, but rather a Falcon, Evil Angel or Icon Brands section. Our products look most appealing when merchandised together and that’s something we carefully plan.” Tse herself represents another part of the company’s commitment to merchandising in stores around the country. Lee calls her “absolutely one of the best at motivating salespeople. She does Ladies Nights, trainings, and in-store merchandising. Retailers love Jenny, and Jenny loves to travel, demonstrate product and cheer up the place!” For more information, visit the Icon Brands booth at ANME or check the Icon Brands website at Icon Icon Brands executives Rebecca Weinberg Brands.com. A and Joanie Lee attend ILS. 84 XBIZ SENSUALS SUMMER 2013 “It feels like it was only yesterday that I started working for Williams Trading,” Cichetti said. “I still have a lot of fun doing what I do. Williams Trading’s 40th anniversary is next year and so I’ve been with the company almost from the start. Bob Pyne and his family are the greatest to work for.” According to Cichetti a lot has changed in the industry since he started. “Thirty-three years ago this industry wasn’t as out in the open as it is today,” he said. “It’s easier to do business now. Also, after 33 years I see my relationships with people in the industry as not just our customers, they’re friends.” Nalpac’s booth highlighted The Official Fifty Shades of Grey Pleasure Collection, the newest display available from ID Lubricants, and slat-walls full of new products from its vendors. Nalpac owner Ralph Caplan said, “What a great sight to watch as customers, one after another, walked up to our booth, saw something new that caught their eye, and stayed as Nalpac’s top-notch sales team came to their service. We are confident that our presence at ILS this year boosted our customer base as well as bolstering our reputation as America’s leading adult toy distributor.” Sales Manager Thomas Rafferty said, “I am so proud of my team and the effort they all put forth to make this show a success. The product knowledge and customer service from this team are unbeatable. I watched as countless existing customers were greeted as old friends and new customers were welcomed in with open arms. I feel the sales team at Nalpac is the best in the industry.” Highlights of the Nalpac booth included Sportsheets’ new 20th Anniversary packaging with its bold color photography to distinguish it from their black and white Sex & Mischief line. New OHM and Serendipity silicone lines were displayed from Blush. From California Exotics came the classy Posh Collection, the young and fun Shane’s World Collection and the new collection featuring “Gigolo” star Nick Hawk. Wet showed off its counter displays featuring wOw Gentle O and Max O testers and product. Doc Johnson showed its range of merchandising options, as well as products from the Wonderland and Mood Collections. Pipedream brought its Juicy Jewels line as well as new products from the Extreme line. Nasswalk featured its newest products, including the new magnetic NenWa Balls. Fun Factory USA launched two new store displays and a line of 10 new battery toys at ILS. According to the company, the entire stock of displays was bought up. Fun Factory introduced a large store display as well. The “Roundy” is a circular piece of furniture designed by a German architect and made in the U.S. It measures five feet in diameter and provides more than 10 feet of shelving area for testers. Frederic Walme, CEO of Fun Factory USA said, “we had a few prototypes in stock and sold them all the first day of the show.” Additionally, Fun Factory unveiled its new line of compact-size battery toys, retailing between $50 and $70. Director of Marketing Emilie Rosanvallon says: “There is a market for powerful battery operated silicone toys in this price range — consumers are looking for a vibe in the $50-60 price range that does more than just tickle them and has a more tasteful design than big jelly rabbits. We bring high-end motors, design and materials at affordable price,” said Emilie Rosanvallon, director of marketing for Fun Factory. Most of the new battery toys in the line use the same design as an existing rechargeable Fun Factory toy. The company used its best selling shapes for this new battery line in order to ensure great and immediate sellthrough for the retailers. April Lampert, Sales Manager at Fun Factory USA added, “Buyers at ILS were excited about being able to offer consumers a choice between the Ocean rechargeable and the Ocean battery for example. The battery model we just launched has an optimized motor, six speeds and six patterns and it’s submersible — all for $20 less than the Click n’ Charge model. This is great for consumers with a smaller budget who love the shapes of our rechargeable minis but do not have $90 to spare. The new battery line also features a brand new design: the Gigolino, a great success at ILS. “ Fun Factory also showed the Theken Display at ILS. Only 14 inches in diameter, it fits on most counters and shelves. It can hold two toys and holds instructional toy cards. “We launched the Theken display in January and gave it out to to stores who carry the Stronic,” Walme said. “Now many retailers are using it for the rest of our line as well. They really help sell our higher priced items.” A SUMMER 2013 XBIZ SENSUALS 85 Each personalized retail store tour features new product information, Good Vibrations’ company history and Q&A sessions. In addition, the SHOW tour can host birthdays, reunions, ladies’ nights out and bachelorette parties. Visit GoodVibes.com for booking details and rates. A — including most medical doctors,” Queen said. She added, “SESAs, and our off-site SHOW Educators, are chosen for their comfort level discussing sex and their sex ed and community backgrounds. Good Vibrations was founded more than 36 years ago specifically to integrate sexuality knowledge with the shopping experience, and we’ve been an informational resource ever since.” The company said it offers workshops and provides panelists for college classes, conferences, and numerous service organizations as well as presenting to counselors, therapists and educators from different fields. They whet the readers’ appetite and set them up for intense sex scenes CONTINUED FROM PAGE 50 that are more graphic and contain stronger language. As there are my writing. It leads me to believe natural ebbs and flows during sex there isn’t necessarily a distinction in real life, so should there be in between the sexes. Many more men fiction. Good pacing gives the reader now read erotic literature. time to build excitement, take a Ultimately, my readers love a breather, and ride the wave with the great story with believable characcharacters to the very end. ters, told in a way that touches their Ultimately, erotica is not just senses. about pounding sexual images into a reader’s mind. It’s a characterDiscuss your approach to driven genre that invites the reader erotica. How does a more into a sensual world. In my stories, subtle approach to describe you’ll feel words massage you, hear sex scenes appeal to a female great music, and taste the sweetness of wine. demographic? In actuality, my approach to sex The characters in your stories isn’t subtle, but literary. I don’t use are often described as “multiflowery prose or euphemisms. Sex can be slow and longing or intense dimensional;” how can the and hardcore. That’s how it is in real average woman relate to them? I think it’s because my characters life and how I like to portray it in my are multi-dimensional, the average stories. I believe words can be incredibly woman will be able to relate to seductive and effective as foreplay. them. I write about smart women who love and are capable of being loved, but they also have insecurities and can get hurt. They are not merely buxom bombshells I use as a prop to facilitate sex scenes. They are women with dreams and desires, and though they may have fears, they ultimately don’t let these fears stop them. A good gauge for me to measure if characters are multi-dimensional is to see if they’ve changed at the end of the story. As people, we are constantly learning and changing, and that is how I like to write about the people in my stories. How does Spring into Summer complement your previous book Fall into Winter? My first book was more raw in language and description of the sex acts. The stories are equally well fleshed out, but it was an earlier stage in my writing. Spring into Summer shows a movement toward less sexual description, but I consider the stories as sensually arousing. Erotic author Eden Baylee was previously in the banking industry. Baylee describes her Baylee’s previous work, “Fall into Winter,” as more “raw.” training program led by staff sexologist Dr. Carol Queen and the education team — CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3 the program offers in-store tours and off-site workshops. with sexual shame and “Good Vibrations SESAs stigmatized due to political or have more experience speakcultural influences. Hosted by Good Vibraing to people about their sexual concerns, interests, tions’ Sex Educator-Sales Associates (SESA) — who are and informational needs certified through an extensive than almost anyone else VIBRATIONS BAYLEE 86 XBIZ SENSUALS SUMMER 2013 Tell me about your previous life. How was it to make the transition from a banking career to writing full time? I was a banker for 20 years before leaving corporate life to write full-time. That was back in January 2010. It took me a long time to get to a place where I felt comfortable with leaving a secure job and leaping into the unknown. I’ve never been able to juggle both writing and doing a full-time job, and at some point, I had to make a choice. Ultimately, we only get one chance to do what we want in this life, and I didn’t want to regret that I did not pursue my passion. A SUMMER 2013 XBIZ SENSUALS 87 ESSENTIAL INDEX Adult Asian Expo asiaadultexpo.com [email protected] Baci Lingerie bacilingerieusa.com [email protected] Bathmate bath-mate.com [email protected] California Exotic Novelties calexotics.com [email protected] Classic Erotica classicerotica.net [email protected] Coquette coquette.com [email protected] Doc Johnson docjohnson.com [email protected] Dreamgirl International DreamgirlDirect.com [email protected] Eldorado eldorado.net [email protected] electric lingerie electric-lingerie.com [email protected] Empowered Products empoweredproducts.com [email protected] Entrenue entrenue.com info@entrenue Envy envymenswear.com [email protected] Jelique jelique.com [email protected] JimmyJane jimmyjane.com [email protected] Jopen jopen.com [email protected] Joyful Pleasure joyful-pleasure.com [email protected] 88 XBIZ SENSUALS The Kama Sutra Company kamasutra.com [email protected] SUMMER 2013 LELO lelo.com [email protected] Magic Silk magicsilk.com [email protected] MalePower malepower.com [email protected] Masque Sexual Flavors yourmasque.com [email protected] My Venus Spa myvenusspa.com [email protected] NASSTOYS ww.nasstoys.com [email protected] Nature Lovin’ Lube naturelovinlubricants.com [email protected] OVO ECN.com kh@ ecn.com Passions Boutique passiones-boutique.com [email protected] Pink Lipstick pinklipsticklingerie.com [email protected] Pipedream Products pipedreamproducts.com [email protected] pjur pjurgroupusa.com [email protected] Rapture Novelties rapturenovelties.com [email protected] Rocks-Off rocks-off.com [email protected] Shunga Erotic Art shunga.com [email protected] Spartacus spartacusleathers.com [email protected] Specialty Trade Shows, Inc. spectrade.com [email protected] Sportsheets International sportsheets.com [email protected] Standard Innovation Corporation we-vibe.com [email protected] SXScience sxsciencelabs.com [email protected] TyesByTara tyesbytara.com [email protected] Vivo Brand Management [email protected] Wicked Sensual Care wickedsensualcare.com [email protected] SUMMER 2013 WWilliams Trading Co. williamstradingco.com [email protected] XBIZ SENSUALS 89 ON THE SCENE INTERNATIONAL LINGERIE SHOW 90 XBIZ SENSUALS SUMMER 2013 Photos courtesy Hew Burney SUMMER 2013 XBIZ SENSUALS 91 ADULTEX 2013 Photos courtesy Adultex 92 XBIZ SENSUALS SUMMER 2013 CALEXOTICS NICK HAWK LAUNCH PARTY Photos courtesy CalExotics SUMMER 2013 XBIZ SENSUALS 93 94 XBIZ SENSUALS SUMMER 2013 SUMMER 2013 XBIZ SENSUALS 95 96 XBIZ SENSUALS SUMMER 2013