
A fetish model is a
model
A model is an informative representation of an object, person or system. The term originally denoted the plans of a building in late 16th-century English, and derived via French and Italian ultimately from Latin ''modulus'', a measure.
Models c ...
who models fetish clothing or accessories that augment their body in a
fetish-like manner or in fetishistic situations. Fetish models do not necessarily work exclusively in that form of modeling.
Fetish models often wear
fetish fashion, an extreme and provocative style of clothing designed to elicit a strong emotional reaction or sexual desire on the part of the observer. Such clothing ranges from exotic stylized
bathing suits
A swimsuit is an item of clothing designed to be worn by people engaging in a water-based activity or water sports, such as swimming, diving and surfing, or sun-orientated activities, such as sun bathing. Different types may be worn by men, ...
to
body armor
Body armor, also known as body armour, personal armor or armour, or a suit or coat of armor, is protective clothing designed to absorb or deflect physical attacks. Historically used to protect military personnel, today it is also used by vario ...
and
sci-fi
Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel univ ...
fantasy suits.
Bondage models appear in various forms of
bondage
Bondage may refer to:
Restraints
*Physical restraints
**Bondage (BDSM), use of restraint for erotic stimulation
***Self-bondage, use of restraints on oneself for erotic pleasure
Social and economic practices
*Serfdom, feudal enslavement of peasan ...
. Other fetish modeling may involve
body modification
Body modification (or body alteration) is the deliberate altering of the human anatomy or human physical appearance. In its broadest definition it includes skin tattooing, socially acceptable decoration (''e.g.'', common ear piercing in many s ...
, appearing in
fetish photography or exotic
glamour photography
Glamour photography is a genre of photography in which the subjects are portrayed in erotic poses ranging from fully clothed to nude. The term may be a euphemism for erotic photography. For glamour models, body shape and size are directly relate ...
, or wearing
sexual fantasy
A sexual fantasy or erotic fantasy is a mental image or pattern of thought that stirs a person's sexuality and can create or enhance sexual arousal. A sexual fantasy can be created by the person's imagination or memory, and may be triggered aut ...
costumes that fulfil a
uniform fetish (e.g.
French maid
''French maid'' was a term applied in the Victorian and early 20th century periods to a lady's maid of French nationality. A lady's maid was a senior servant who reported directly to the lady of the house, and accompanied her mistress on ...
, nurse, etc.). As well as modelling for photography, fetish models also make public appearances at events such as
BDSM
BDSM is a variety of often erotic practices or roleplaying involving bondage, discipline, dominance and submission, sadomasochism, and other related interpersonal dynamics. Given the wide range of practices, some of which may be engaged in ...
fairs and parties.
Some
pornographic actor
A pornographic film actor or actress, pornographic performer, adult entertainer, or porn star is a person who performs sex acts in video that is usually characterized as a pornographic movie. Such videos tend to be made in a number of di ...
s and
glamour model
A model is a person with a role either to promote, display or advertise commercial products (notably fashion clothing in fashion shows) or to serve as a visual aid for people who are creating works of art or to pose for photography. Though m ...
s also work as fetish models.
Types of fetish models

Fetish modelling covers a wide range of fetishes, including those involving
bondage
Bondage may refer to:
Restraints
*Physical restraints
**Bondage (BDSM), use of restraint for erotic stimulation
***Self-bondage, use of restraints on oneself for erotic pleasure
Social and economic practices
*Serfdom, feudal enslavement of peasan ...
and ',
latex and PVC,
corsets,
tattoo
A tattoo is a form of body modification made by inserting tattoo ink, dyes, and/or pigments, either indelible or temporary, into the dermis layer of the skin to form a design. Tattoo artists create these designs using several tattooing proc ...
s,
body piercing
Body piercing, which is a form of body modification, is the practice of puncturing or cutting a part of the human body, creating an opening in which jewelry may be worn, or where an implant could be inserted. The word ''piercing'' can refer to ...
s,
shoe fetishism
Shoe fetishism is the attribution of attractive sexual qualities to shoes or other footwear as a matter of sexual preference, or an alternative or complement to a relationship with a partner. It has also been known as retifism, after the French n ...
,
food fetishism and '. Fetishes may also involve body parts, such as
breast fetishism
As a paraphilia, breast fetishism (also known as mastofact, breast partialism, or mazophilia) is a highly atypical sexual interest consisting of an exclusive focus on female breasts, which is a type of partialism. The term ''breast fetishism'' ...
,
navel fetishism
Navel fetishism, belly button fetishism, or alvinophilia is a partialism in which an individual is attracted to the human navel.
In 2012, it was the second most popular fetish search on Google as per their global monthly averages.
Stimuli
A ...
and
foot fetishism
Foot fetishism, also known as foot partialism or podophilia, is a pronounced sexual interest in feet. It is the most common form of sexual fetishism for otherwise non-sexual objects or body parts.
Characteristics and related fetishes
Foot f ...
.
Fetish models are usually considered to be in a different category to
gothic
Gothic or Gothics may refer to:
People and languages
*Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes
**Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths
**Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...
or alternative models, who are usually far more niche specific. Fetish models may only involve themselves in the overall
aesthetic
Aesthetics, or esthetics, is a branch of philosophy that deals with the nature of beauty and taste, as well as the philosophy of art (its own area of philosophy that comes out of aesthetics). It examines aesthetic values, often expressed t ...
aspects rather than work directly with sex and sexuality. Fetish modelling is usually considered to be a part of the
adult industry
The sex industry (also called the sex trade) consists of businesses that either directly or indirectly provide sex-related products and services or adult entertainment. The industry includes activities involving direct provision of sex-related ...
due to its popular perception as an "adult only" appreciation. However, in recent times, many aspects of the fetish fashion market have been incorporated and accepted into mainstream fashion whereby fashion creators will directly use exotic materials such as latex or
sheer fabric
Sheer fabric is fabric which is made using thin thread or low density of knit. This results in a semi- transparent and flimsy cloth. Some fabrics become transparent when wet.
Overview
The sheerness of a fabric is expressed as a numerical den ...
instead of cotton or wool for their creations.
Popular culture

There have been several notable performers and producers of both the bondage and fetish area who have attained mainstream notability. The most recognized is the 1950s bondage model and
pin-up girl
A pin-up model (known as a pin-up girl for a female and less commonly male pin-up for a male) is a model whose mass-produced pictures see widespread appeal as part of popular culture. Pin-up models were variously glamour models, fashion mode ...
,
Bettie Page
Bettie Mae Page (April 22, 1923 – December 11, 2008) was an American model who gained notoriety in the 1950s for her pin-up photos. , who posed for photographer
Irving Klaw
Irving Klaw (November 9, 1910 – September 3, 1966), self-named the "Pin-up King",Pérez Seves, ''Eric Stanton & the History of the Bizarre Underground'', p. 28. was an influential Jewish-American merchant of sexploitation, fetish, and Hollywoo ...
for mail-order photographs and was subsequently featured in ''
Playboy
''Playboy'' is an American men's lifestyle and entertainment magazine, formerly in print and currently online. It was founded in Chicago in 1953, by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother.
K ...
''.
[Essex, Karen, and James L. Swanson, ''Bettie Page: The Life of a Pin-Up Legend.'' Los Angeles: General Publishing Group, 1996. ][Foster, Richard, ''The Real Bettie Page: The Truth About the Queen of the Pinups.'' Secaucus, N.J.: Carol Publishing Group/Birch Lane Press, 1997. ] She was the first famous bondage model.
In the 1960s, the popular
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English ...
TV program ''
The Avengers'' included several fetish costume elements worn by its female lead performers. This began with
Honor Blackman
Honor Blackman (22 August 1925 – 5 April 2020) was an English actress, known for the roles of Cathy Gale in ''The Avengers''Aaker, Everett (2006). ''Encyclopedia of Early Television Crime Fighters''. McFarland & Company, Inc. . P. 58. (1962� ...
and included
Diana Rigg
Dame Enid Diana Elizabeth Rigg (20 July 193810 September 2020) was an English actress of stage and screen. Her roles include Emma Peel in the TV series ''The Avengers'' (1965–1968); Countess Teresa di Vicenzo, wife of James Bond, in ''On He ...
's leather
catsuit
A catsuit is a one-piece form-fitting garment that covers the torso and the legs, and frequently the arms. They are usually made from stretchable material, such as lycra, chiffon, spandex (after 1959), latex, or velour, but may use less elast ...
s and
leotard
A leotard () is a unisex skin-tight one-piece garment that covers the torso from the crotch to the shoulder. The garment was made famous by the French acrobatic performer Jules Léotard (1838–1870). There are sleeveless, short-sleeved, and ...
s, as well as
Tara King
Tara King is a fictional character of British 1960s adventure television series '' The Avengers'', played by Canadian actress Linda Thorson. The sixth partner of agent John Steed (and fourth female partner), she appeared in series six (in colour ...
's use of
thigh-length boots and leather
evening glove
Ladies' evening gloves or opera gloves are a type of formal glove that reaches beyond the elbow.
Ladies' gloves for formal and semi-formal wear come in three lengths for women: wrist, elbow, and opera
Opera is a form of theatre in wh ...
s.
The
neo-burlesque
Neo-Burlesque, or New Burlesque, is the revival and updating of the traditional American burlesque performance. Though based on the traditional burlesque art, the new form encompasses a wider range of performance styles; neo-burlesque acts can ra ...
performer
Dita Von Teese
Heather Renée Sweet (born September 28, 1972), known professionally as Dita Von Teese, is an American vedette, burlesque dancer, model, and businesswoman. She is credited with re-popularizing burlesque performance, earning the moniker "Quee ...
started her career as a fetish model and
stripper
A stripper or exotic dancer is a person whose occupation involves performing striptease in a public adult entertainment venue such as a strip club. At times, a stripper may be hired to perform at a bachelor party or other private event.
Mo ...
. Other notable fetish models include the Russian-American performer
Mosh and the Canadian photographic model
Bianca Beauchamp
Bianca Stéphanie Beauchamp (, born October 14, 1977) is a Canadian fetish model best known for her glamour, erotic and latex fetish modeling.
Early life and education
Beauchamp was born in Montreal, Quebec to a French Canadian father and an ...
.
Markets
There are specialized publications that feature and promote fetish models, including ''
Skin Two'', ''Secret'', Italian ''A Magazine'' (not to be confused with the now defunct ''A(sian) Magazine''), and ''
Marquis
A marquess (; french: marquis ), es, marqués, pt, marquês. is a nobleman of high hereditary rank in various European peerages and in those of some of their former colonies. The German language equivalent is Markgraf (margrave). A woman ...
''.
Fetish models may run personal adult pay websites and are featured on fetish adult pay sites.
There are also fetish
fashion designer
Fashion is a form of self-expression and autonomy at a particular period and place and in a specific context, of clothing, footwear, lifestyle, accessories, makeup, hairstyle, and body posture. The term implies a look defined by the fashi ...
s. Most of these designers employ fetish models for their clothing line. Fetish fashion shows are hosted several times a year, including Vex, The Baroness, Skintwo, and House of Harlot.
Awards
The SIGNY awards were awarded each year between 2000 and 2005 (except 2002) to the bondage models voted as the best of that year. The SIGNY award winners have been:
* 2000: Eve Ellis, runners-up Ashley Renee, Andrea Neal
* 2001: Ashley Renee, runners-up Andrea Neal, Eve Ellis
* 2003: Jasmine Sinclair, runners-up Amber Michaels, Ashley Renee.
* 2004:
Jenni Lee, runners-up Jewell Marceau, Emily Marilyn (Molly Matthews)
* 2005: Jewell Marceau, runners-up Ashley Renee, Christina Carter
See also
*
Bondage rigger
A bondage rigger is a person who practices the art of applying bondage, using any of a variety of materials such as rope, leather straps, or metal restraints.
Bondage riggers may participate in bondage for many reasons. These may include: as ...
*
Fetish art
Fetish art is art that depicts people in fetishistic situations such as S&M, domination/submission, bondage, transvestism and the like, sometimes in combination. It may simply depict a person dressed in fetish clothing, which could include un ...
*
Fetish magazine
A fetish magazine is a type of magazine originating in the late 1940s which is devoted to sexual fetishism. The content is generally aimed at being erotic rather than pornographic.
The most well-known early examples are ''Bizarre'' (1946-1959) ...
*
Japanese bondage
means "tight binding," while literally means "the beauty of tight binding." is a Japanese style of bondage or BDSM which involves tying a person up using simple yet visually intricate patterns, usually with several pieces of thin rope (often ...
for a list of Japanese bondage models
*
Nyotaimori
, often referred to as "body sushi", is the Japanese practice of serving sashimi or sushi from the naked body of a woman. is the male equivalent.
History
The origin of nyotaimori can be traced back to the food play of performed in Yūkaku du ...
(sometimes involves bondage)
*
Total enclosure fetishism
*
Uniform fetishism
Uniform fetishism is a particular type of clothing fetishism in which an individual is sexually aroused by uniforms. It is a form of sexual fetishism. Uniform fetishism has been associated with a variety of different uniforms, including schoolgirl ...
References
{{Sex fetish, state=collapsed
BDSM terminology
Model
A model is an informative representation of an object, person or system. The term originally denoted the plans of a building in late 16th-century English, and derived via French and Italian ultimately from Latin ''modulus'', a measure.
Models c ...
Model
A model is an informative representation of an object, person or system. The term originally denoted the plans of a building in late 16th-century English, and derived via French and Italian ultimately from Latin ''modulus'', a measure.
Models c ...
Modeling (profession)