ABOUT US
How we started
In the beginning, there was a great explosion of sound!
Specifically, from the deafening sound system around the pool at the 27th Fetish Factory Hotel Takeover in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Gloss Group was founded in fall of 2022. Our Co-Founders first cooked up the idea while attending Fetish Factory Fetish Weekend earlier that summer. Tess - the newest kinkster of the group, who was attending FF for the first time - was astounded to see such a thriving rubber centric fetish community in Florida. She couldn’t help wondering why there wasn’t a similar community in New York City. After asking Kirsten, Tom, and other veteran kinksters about this reality, they shared with her some of the history of latex in NYC before she had joined the community. Most notably, the story of The Baroness, the fashion empire and fetish community she led, and the recent retirement of her NYC Boutique and move to France in 2021.
The Baroness was not only a trailblazer and matriarch in bringing latex culture and fashion from Europe to NYC, but was also Kirsten’s personal mentor, having apprenticed her starting back in 2005. It was clear that the latex community of NYC had fallen fast in the wake of The Baroness’ departure, and with it any sense of leadership and organization amongst Gotham Rubberists. Through their conversations, Tess, Tom, Kirsten, and Marco agreed that someone had to take up the mantle, and were determined to set out and do just that. AND THUS - Gloss Group was born!
Where we’re headed
WHAT’S NEXT?
Oh we got plans. We got plans for days.
Longterm goals? Manifesting the European latex fetish scene in NYC. Expanding to LA. Reviving NY Fetish Week. Growing a self-sustaining rubberist community that goes beyond a mere “play party organizer”.
And we want you to be a part of it!
The Founders
What is Gloss? Who is Gloss? Why is Gloss?
[she/they]
NYC Chapter Lead
Tess is Gloss’s Lead for NYC Chapter Events and Creative Director, managing our experience design, branding, and the main gal behind our social media.
Tess is the baby of the group, only having discovered latex in 2021 when she tried on a Polymorphe dress at Purple Passion for the first time.
Tess Itura
[she/her]
LA Chapter Lead
Kirsten is Gloss’s Lead for LA Chapter Events and our Vetting + Membership Lead, as well as our own latex creator and fashion designer! As the owner and operator of Kirsten Li Designs Kirsten offers unique insight into the latex fetish scene for the Gloss team. Kirsten first tried on latex in her DORM ROOM in 2003. 🤯
Apprentice for the great Latex Baroness by 2005, and starting her own brand in 2013, Kirsten has consensually been conquering our rubber booties for a whole decade! Gloss Group is only her latest in an empire of glossy goodness 🖤
Kirsten Li
[he/him]
Global Operations Lead
Tom is the tech guy. Promotional emails, website configuration, banking—he does the stuff everyone else would prefer not to. He also appreciates brevity and getting to know people in person. The end.
Tom / Tempus
[he/him]
Founder + Host
Our German host with the most! Don’t you just wanna get the biggest hug from those long gloves arms?
Marco got his first latex piece in 2017 from Busted Brand in LA! ✨
Where did you get yours?
Darkblacklight
[they/he]
NYC Volunteer Coordinator
David reviews the applications for Play Party Volunteers, schedules the shifts, and assists in making sure our team is set up for success night of!
David
JC
[he/him]
Creative Producer
JC is Gloss's creative producer, leading socials and making shiny content happen 📸✨️. Also occasionally the shiniest software engineering department around 🖤
He is new to Gloss, but a passionate lifelong rubberist!
[she/her]
Head of Latex Access & Equity
Emma is Gloss’s new head of philanthropy and manages the Latex Access Fund, which helps reduce financial barriers for prospective members of the rubber community. She’s known for her extensive latex collection and is always willing to lend a piece to a glossy in need!
Emma first discovered her love for latex in London in 2019!
Emma
Ian
[he/him]
Ambassador
Shea
[she/her]
Ambassador
Ian and Shea are an iconic fetish jetsetter couple known internationally for their colorful rubber styles, and have been bouncing around the kinky globe since 1998!
Two of Gloss’s earliest proselytizers, they will be helping Gloss get off the ground for our expansion into the streets of Los Angeles in 2025!
The Friends
The close friends who help make it all possible.
[she/her]
Resident Photographer
Gloss’s photographer extraordinaire! Carly can often be seen taking professional shots at many Gloss events, as well as behind the camera for most of our promotional/marketing pics!
Make sure to tag her if you ever share some of her amazing work!
Carly Starnes
[all pronouns]
Safer Spaces Consultant
Pink is our resident nightlife, DJ, and one of our consent consultants.
They are trained in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Mentalization Based Treatment (MBT), and have experience in supporting those with Borderline Personality Disorder, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Bipolar Disorder, Depression, Anxiety, Substance Use challenges, and Trauma.
With a strong history in nightlife and a trained therapist, Pink is half of the team that leads our sponsored Guardian Training classes.
Pink
[they/them]
Safer Space Consultant
Dr. Emma Kaywin is a sexual health educator, consultant, writer, and activist based in Brooklyn, NY and the other half of the Guardian Training team! We also will refer to them for our
They are the Consent Co-Director at House of Yes (NYC) and co-lead the Safer Spaces team at Meso Creso (DC). They consult for a number of nightlife communities and radical arts organizations across the East Coast, where they develop trauma-informed policies and procedures and train staff. They further deliver tailored workshops and trainings on topics of consent, trauma, and sexuality to party collectives and young scientist groups internationally.
Emma K
HitMeUp
HitMeUp is the amazing kink-centric sex positive event organizer that both inspired a lot of Gloss’s policies, as well as rents us their beautiful loft for most of our events!