Fetish Freak is one of London’s most famous and finest purveyors of pervy items and outfits. The brand is about to turn TEN YEARS OLD (that’s older than most drag queens’ lips) so we caught up with lovely owner Jonathan for a cheeky Q&A… #ffjizzpants!
Hi Jonathan, what are you doing right at this very moment?
Hey! I’m putting out a huge delivery I’ve just received of dildos and butt plugs and once they’re out I have two huge boxes of used army boots to price up and put away, oh the glamour !
Fetish Freak is about to hit it’s 10th anniversary, how does that feel?
Bloody brilliant! I can’t believe it’s ten whole years already. I honestly can’t thank our lovely customers enough for their continued loyalty and support- without them there would be no Fetish Freak store.
What do you think has been the key to Fetish Freak’s longevity?
Having a great range of UK made leather and rubber gear at really competitive prices helps and then there is the world renowned customer service. Yes I could stick a pretty twink in the shop who would be far more pleasant to look at, admittedly, but I have been doing this job for 28 years now: I can give good, honest advice with a depth of knowledge unrivalled on the London scene.
How many homes has Fetish Freak had?
We built the shop upstairs in Arch 2 of the Hoist club and were there for six and a half years (until we got turfed out in favour of the ill-fated RoB shop which lasted a year and then went into liquidation!). We’ve been (much happier) in Bolton Crescent for three and a half years plus. We were also in the Eagle bar for six months as owner Mark Oakley heard of our plight and came to the rescue with the offer of a counter there; wonderful fella, wonderful memories!
What are you most memorable experiences whilst running Fetish Freak?
There are so many ! Some of the films shot in the shop have been, ahem, “interesting” and just the varied assortment of lovely customers that we get from all over the world. It can be quite humbling as they’ve often heard about the shop and want to come see it for themselves.
Do you have a favourite item or range in-store?
Not specifically, but I’m proud of the amount of leather gear we have and proud that it really isn’t expensive (chaps from £179 , jeans from £189 etc). We also carry some “pre-loved” gear (mainly leather but some rubber, sports, boots and underwear too…) and I’m told we have the biggest selection of Muir style caps in the UK!
Just so everyone’s clear, once and for all, WHERE is Fetish Freak and HOW can people find you?
Ha! Pretty much EVERY DAY people come in and say “I’ve heard about you but didn’t know where you were!” We are a tiny, fiercely independent company and the shop front just has “FF” above the window (standing for Fetish Freak, not Fist Fuck as someone once told me he’d asked the cab driver to take him to!) Mind you, the window has a huge Leather Pride and rainbow flag in it which helps. So we are in Oval, just by Kennington Park and a stone’s throw from Vauxhall. It’s the parade of shops on the left as you start going along Camberwell New Road from Oval. Easy to get to and never forgotten once you’ve been!
What’s your freakiest fetish?
I’ve been doing this so long that I’ve seen it all before so I’m regressing to vanilla now. Men in short, mmmmmm. And have you heard about the #ffjizzpants on twitter? Filth. Utter filth.
Look into your crystal butt plug…what do you see happening next in Fetish Freak’s future?
Well, I’m considering opening a second store in another city as at present there is only ONE Fetish Freak store in the world so that needs to change… watch this space!
Fetish Freak is located at 76 Bolton Crescent, London SE5 0SE. Pay them a visit and tell them QXMEN sent you! fetishfreak.co.uk
