Zahira's boudoir goes for burlesque and fetish fashion
LOOKING for that fashion item to make you feel fantastic after 40? Then welcome to Zahira’s Boudoir.
Based in a refurbished shipping container at Trinity Buoy Wharf, just to the east of Canary Wharf estate, the company run by Zahira and her partner Idris De Angeli is taking advantage of rising interest in burlesque and fetish styles.
Offering a wide range of leather goods from wedding hats to tickle sticks, the mantra from the duo is to celebrate adulthood, rather than seek eternal girlhood.
“The target clients are women over 40 who want to be women,� said Zahira. “A lot of ladies go through their 30s and do the family thing, then their children are older and they want to feel fantastic again."
“Middle age can be hard for women because most fashion is aimed at young girls. What do you do at 40? If you dress as a young girl it can be like mutton dressed as lamb, so you create your own style.
“Being 45 myself, I’ve tried to create something that I would like to wear, and this range gives you a good
silhouette for your womanly figure.�
They have had stalls at Erotica in Olympia, as well as at the London Alternative Market and the London Fetish Fair, but the duo feel their offerings have a far wider reach.
“The attraction with the fetish fairs is that they contain an open-minded audience, but we’re not restricting
ourselves to a niche market,� said Idris, 47, who was a belt maker in Camden in the 80s and 90s.
The latest products highlight the appeal to a mainstream market and include a bag and cuffs “ideal for women in clubs who dance all night�, while a male version is also in the pipeline. Other useful items for men are corset-style belts which could prove more beneficial than a session down the gym.
“I would love to see more men in them because they are very slimming,� said Zahira. “It helps tone the stomach.�
To allow potential customers a closer look, Zahira’s Boudoir will be hosting an open studio day at Trinity Buoy Wharf on March 8 between noon and 5pm, where people can take a look at the products on offer.
Zahira also plans to branch out to house parties where women can try on outfits. See www.zahirasboudoir.com.
Story written by Rob Virtue
rob.virtue@wharf.co.uk
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