The folks at Providence Monthly thought, for some odd reason, that
including the Big Head in an article about what's sexy in Providence
would be a good idea.. well it also appears that they are
darn smart, and a little sassy to boot, so without further adieu
here is an excerpt from the article .....
Take A Walk On The Sexy Side
Behind the Main
Street storefronts and suburban cul de sacs, Rhode Island is brimming
with a number of people who take pleasure in their work of providing
pleasure for others. Just peel back the exterior and you'll find an
interesting mix of sexy and sensual options catering to countless
desires.
Imagination meets mechanics
Scott Bonelli is the man behind Cranston's Big Head Studio (www.bigheadstudio.com).
After trading several emails, he informs me he's home working in the
garden and I could stop by for an interview. As I pull up I know I
have the right place when I spot the newly installed pond on the side
of the house.
I take a seat on the tapestry-upholstered sofa and look around. Little
bikini tops and panties imprinted with "slut" and
"spank me" sit alongside a heart-shaped paddle on his coffee
table. On the floor, a black suitcase bulging with brightly colored
toys catch my attention. My eyes quickly move to the walls, a rich
burgundy color contrasts perfectly to the original Craftsman style
woodworking. But on to the subject at hand. I wasn't here to do a
piece for This Old House; then again, it was a story about an industry
which utilizes battery operated tools, just in slightly different
ways.
Big Head Studio makes sex toys and accessories, most of which are
custom made to order. So how does one get into this field? With a
background in theater and prop design, of course. Scott started out in
the theater, most recently working for Trinity Rep, but now follows a
more entrepreneurial course.
He hands me a Coke and explains that he made his first accessories
back in college: a pretty matching cuff and collar set for a friend
who was just entering the world of S&M. Over the years he began to
experiment with different materials and designs, and now offers a line
that is anything but the usual. While many of the toys, accessories,
whips, and clothing made for fetish consumers are black leather, his
have a less serious, playful feel to them.
He shows me the pink, heart-shaped paddle. It's acrylic plastic with
the word "slut" carved out. Then he whips out, pardon my
pun, a selection of floggers all made from different materials like
acrylic, plastic, and metal in various colors. One even has tassels
that glow in the dark.
Why this line of work? "I'm an enabler," Scott says. He
enjoys helping turn people's fantasy into reality. But as he points
out, "it's not all sex and perversion." He shows me sketches
people have given him, one of a butt plug scribbled on a napkin. From
these primitive drawings he creates 3D objects. His spends his day
like a designer or craftsman, as opposed to one of a XXX film star.
And when I ask what he likes about his job, he responds that he
"enjoys watching people's ideas evolve from idea to
creation." It's the theatrical element too - people dressing up,
playing roles, and playing out their fantasies with his designs. But
he definitely has fun, too.
When I visit his booth at the Fetish Flea Market in Boston several
days later, I find him dressed in a tropical print shirt and khaki
shorts, with his long brown hair pulled back in a ponytail. The way he
beckons the crowd is reminiscent of a 19th century circus barker as he
describes the Luv Seat, a mechanical chair meant to bend and twist to
make every sexual position possible.
"Girls, guys, let me and my lovely assistant show you how it
works. It's hydraulic, move it up, down... it gives your partner
something to grab onto so you can get good leverage."
He's animated as he explains the chair's features and he and his booth
assistant, a blonde woman dressed in one of his bikini tops and a
plaid schoolgirl's skirt, demonstrate. And like a perfect salesman, he
gets the crowd involved and asks for volunteers to have a go.
But his acts at shows are just that, a sales pitch. He travels the
show circuit working the crowd, trying to get them excited about his
stuff. He points out that while it's enjoyable work, it's still work.
Unlike what those dirty minds at home might think, he rarely uses his
own toys.
Shaping the illusion
While I'm at the Flea Market I stop by the booth of Mark and Dorothy
Nevelow. The two are owners of The Other Woman (www.theotherwomanwear.com),
a corset and dressmaking business run out of the basement of an
unassuming house in the suburban East Bay. I catch them at a very busy
moment while they and their two booth assistants are all fitting women
for corsets.
While most of the vendors at the event are dressed in black vinyl or
leather, Mark has on a white button down shirt and black pants and
Dorothy is wearing a matching dress and corset made from a playful
patterned fabric. The merchandise reflects this alternative to the
alternative, as they have several racks of corsets that range from
feminine brocade and tapestry to whimsical patterns. The clothing
stands out among the others simply because it's not as extreme. In
fact, many of the pieces are downright girly and flirty looking.
I watch as several women of all shapes and sizes get laced up. The
transformation happens almost immediately as they watch the process in
front of the mirror. Their waists get cinched, cleavage enhanced, and
posture perfected. Every case is the same - there is an
"ooh" or "ah" from the women and, in many cases,
boyfriends who are watching light up and smile.
Then it's my turn. It is Mark that quickly sizes me up and comes back
with a black brocade corset. As he wraps the garment around my torso
and starts lacing me up I initially feel like I'm getting a back
massage. I experience the sensation of each lace as it tightens. When
the garment is fully laced there is an overall compression from my
breasts to my hips, and I'm more aware of my breathing, my body, my
figure, and my posture.
When I meet with the two later on that week they explain the physical
process behind the illusion. Dorothy, a pattern maker, or more
accurately, a master draper, goes into anatomical detail.
"The organs of the female body are built to move around because
of child bearing, and there is room for compression." She shows
me a pattern and demonstrates how it fits on the body. The garment can
be tighter in the area under the ribcage. This flesh can be
compressed, forming a smaller waist. But the corset is straight along
the back and kidney areas. To form the illusion of serious cleavage,
the corset pushes every inch of flesh along the ribs and breasts
upwards, giving even someone with a small A cup a décolleté.
Though corsets have historically been painful, and even considered
degrading to women, Dorothy, who has a background in theater costume
making, explains why her approach is different. Her work in the
theater made it absolutely necessary that pieces be comfortable and
functional. She has designed for stage actors and opera singers,
meaning they needed to have beautiful pieces that allowed them to do
their job. As an apprentice, she learned how to pattern corsets to get
the best overall shape without the pain. Now the majority of her
clients are people involved in the fetish scene who choose to play
dress up and engage in fantasy on their own terms.
She acknowledges that the perfect hourglass look that adorns the pages
of women's magazines is unattainable to most except, "those
genetic anomalies that are supermodels." But in her defense, she
did not create this trend and in contemporary society a corseted
figure is not the norm.
"I'm not forcing anyone to look a certain way. I'm giving women
the option to feel sexy by wearing something they can simply take off
at the end of the night."
special thanks to Kristin Amico for the article that
didn't make me sound like a doofuss.. and to ace photographer Kirsten
Detec for photos that don't make me look fat... (dear god i sound gay,
dont i ??)
