Atsuko Kudo On Pleasure & Their New Lube

Back in 2012, London-based Japanese designer Atsuko Kudo gave SHOWstudio viewers a lesson in Dressing For Pleasure. A pioneer in latex design, launching their namesake label in 2001, Atsuko Kudo has provided wearers with the keys to their own empowerment and pleasure through the rituals of dressing. Dressing in latex comes with its own rituals, lubrication being one of them. Now, Atusko Kudo are launching their own lubricant which looks, and feels, as different as their clothes.

What does pleasure mean to the Atusko Kudo community?

Atsuko Kudo: Whilst it's difficult to speak for a whole community, of course there are some things in life which can safely be considered as universal. For us the pursuit of pleasure would be high on that list. Specifically, those who wear Atsuko Kudo latex will know our clothing is always designed for anyone who wishes to look and feel beautiful, feminine and strong. In other words, we feel femininity in all of its glorious forms is the central focus for the pursuit of pleasure in the AK world.

In fact, we decided to call the lube Dressing for Pleasure because it encapsulates the idea that pleasure is usually the at the heart of wearing latex clothing. This in itself makes the experience one of personal pleasure, perhaps indulgence (some might say even one of decadence). However it’s defined it’s absolutely our pleasure if others receive pleasure from dressing in AK latex!

Latex historians will also know of course that Dressing for Pleasure is the name of an early fetish clothing magazine and the title of a more recent book about the scene. And eagle-eyed SHOWstudio viewers will also know that we used this title previously for our first ever work with SHOWstudio in 2012 when we did the Dressing for Pleasure LiveStudio. We feel we are following a lineage and a passion for dressing for pleasure.

What do you want people to feel like when they see the campaign images?
There are a few words which come to mind….sensual, sexual, beautiful, feminine, orgasmic. For the most part we hope to make the viewer feel enticed and intrigued by what we’re presenting. And as excited by our new concept as we are!

What's different about the Atusko Kudo lube?
We believe that Dressing for Pleasure lubricant is different because it has been carefully designed for our specific purposes as a couture latex brand. When considering the formulation, the absolute key factors were how well it would perform with our clothing, how it would feel to the wearer during dressing and the effect on the skin.

We of course wanted to help create a pleasurable dressing experience, so the lube formula had to make this feel effortless, silky and smooth. Once the latex clothing is dressed this lube also allows the clothing to be ‘mobile’ enough over the skin so that it can be smoothed into a perfect finish. The rich blend formula means a small dosage of product is required to achieve accurately positioned garments. In addition the lube needed to leave the skin feeling light, silky-smooth, and oil-free after usage - which we believe it does.

Atsuko Kudo: We also decided that the bottle should have a specific applicator tip - which in Japanese is called Tongari or ‘pointy’. If using for intimacy, the use of our Tongari tip helps to make Dressing for Pleasure more special. It allows a very carefully calibrated amount of the lube to be applied and permits greater accuracy with the location of the application.

After we created what we believe is the perfect lube to dress Atsuko Kudo latex clothing, we have found that it also works very well in the wider world of sexual wellness. It’s a smooth and luxurious feeling lubricant, which can be not only used for dressing latex clothing, but also complements condoms and enhances personal pleasure exploration! Which often go hand in hand….

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