On the June cover of Grazia UK Lady Gaga appears wearing a latex bra by award-winning designer Atsuko Kudo. While the idea of using latex for a bra, or anything other than a medical glove, may seem unusual, this is not the first time Gaga has been photographed in the slick material. In fact, latex is anything but an odd spotting in the performing world nowadays with celebrities such as Beyonce, Christina Aguilera and
Rihanna bravely bearing their curves in the stretchy fabric. It seems Hollywood is becoming addicted to latex and Atsuko Kudo, the go-to for couture latex (who knew latex could be couture, by the way?).
Before squeezing celebrities into latex bodysuits, Kudo went to fashion school in Tokyo where she fell for the unique fabric. “I graduated from fashion college wearing latex when others were wearing suits or kimonos!” Kudo explained in an interview with Sophie Eggleton for Stylebible.com. And latex is more than a flighty choice of fabric for Kudo, who is also the European Fetish Award winner for Best Fetish Design in 2008 and 2009 (we didn’t know about these awards until now either!), latex is a way of life and empowerment. “Maybe the world knows that if you are strong-headed enough to wear latex clothing, no one can mess around with you.”
While I think of myself as a strong woman and someone people can’t push around, I don’t really know how I feel about jumping into an Atsuko Kudo number like the yellow one Beyonce wore in the “Telephone” video. However, the back-to-back Best Fetish Design winner produces some surprisingly wearable pieces like latex leggings and accessories like the beret pictured below on Naomi Campbell on the cover of Korean Vogue. And of course, if you’re feeling exuberantly empowered one day and want to try out one of Kudo’s more daring corseted dresses or cat suits, those are available too at atsukokudo.com.
-Jaimie Sanita
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