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?
Tess Itura [she/her]
Tess is the 🖤 and soul of Gloss. Our team’s branding and experience designer and the main gal managing 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.
Kirsten Li [she/her]
Kirsten Li is Gloss’s 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. 🤯
A Pro Domme by 2004, 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 🖤
Tom/Tempus [he/him]
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.
Darkblacklight [he/him]
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?
The Friends
The close friends who help make it all possible.
Carly Starnes [she/her]
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!
Pink [all pronouns]
Pink is our resident nightlife, DJ, and one of our consent consultants.
Theya 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.
Emma K [they/them]
Dr. Emma Kaywin (they/them/theirs) 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.
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!
Ian [he/him]
Shea [she/her]
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!