Italian brand Cherry Latex (above) is due to make its GFB debut on the German Fetish Ball 2023 catwalk

GERMAN FETISH BALL 2023 PREVIEW: BERLIN, MAY 17-21

In a few days’ time, the 2023 German Fetish Ball Weekend — the international fetish scene’s most prestigious gathering and biggest annual celebration of latex fashion and fetish — will kick off in Berlin.

This year’s festival, from Wednesday to Sunday May 17-21, returns to its full–scale pre-covid form, with five days of events headlined by the German Fetish Ball itself on Saturday May 20, making a welcome return to riverside venue Spindler & Klatt.

Angela Ryan and Dan Miga (above) are bringing Dan Miga Designs latex and leather styles from Texas to the Ball catwalk

Seven designers are scheduled to feature in the fashion show (following the withdrawal of BlackLickorish Latex owing to production pressures back in LA). The brands on show will be Cherry Latex, Dan Miga Designs, Ero Chains, Jaded Jewall, Lady Lucie Latex, Tarza & Jane and Tysk Berlin.

London-based Lady Lucie Latex (above) is returning to Berlin this year for a second appearance at the Ball

Exhibitor list for the two-day German Fetish Fair (Fri-Sat May 19-20, at Magazin in der Heeresbäckerei as usual) was showing 26 exhibitors when last updated on April 6. Latex-related brands exhibiting include Amentium, beGLOSS, Black Surprise, Chronomatic, Crea Fx, Cyberesque/Kalinoor, Feitico, Inner Sanctum, Latex 101, Maniac Latex, Peter Domenie and Rose Noir Designs.

WEDNESDAY’S KINKY COCKTAILS KICKS OFF GFB 2023 PROGRAMME

First event in the official German Fetish Ball 2023 programme is Wednesday 27’s GFB Kinky Cocktails, once again held at rooftop bar 260 Grad. This is a free-entry, dresscode-optional event.

Popular Berlin latex brand Chronomatic (above) will be exhibiting at the German Fetish Ball 2023’s two-day Fetish Fair

The following afternoon, Thursday 18, sees the return of the GFB Spree Cruise. Although also dresscode-optional, the cruise traditionally sees a boatful of mainly latex-clad revellers making good-natured exhibitions of themselves to appreciative Berliners they pass on the banks of the river.

The evening of Thursday 18 is devoted to GFB Sonic BOOM, the first strict dresscode party of the programme, held at Matrix, the Ball’s old venue. This pre-party for industry participants and ticketholders is always rammed and helps everyone get in the mood for the even bigger events to follow.

Berlin’s Maniac Latex (above), which specialises in men’s styles, will show men’s and women’s latex at the Fair

After the first Fair day on Friday 19, FetishGuerilla Revolution will return on Friday night for its traditional KitKat party. There’ll be performances by Superfly 1.3%, Martini Cherry Furter, Lolita Va Voom, Princess Tweedle Needle and Mademoiselle Opossum, plus a line-up of 14 spinmeisters including Vancouver Fetish Weekend’s DJ Pandemonium and Evilyn13.

After Saturday night’s Ball, festivities conclude with Sunday 21’s traditional GFB Breakfast & Farewell at the Alex restaurant. But some GFB veterans claim that if you make it to this brunch before it closes at 2.30pm, you obviously haven’t been partying hard enough on the four preceding nights!

German Fetish Ball official site

German Fetish Ball ticket page

Vancouver Fetish Weekend co-hosts Evilyn13 and DJ Pandemonium (above) are among FetishGuerilla’s KitKat DJs (Jonny Ray Studio)