Ever since seeing Alice Dellal sporting a Fleet Ilya cone bra some months back, I became kinda obsessed. It was so “rock n’ roll”, but then, so “Gaultier for Madonna” that I nearly died! But the British label doesn’t just make fashion forward bras and cool accessories– they also make harnesses and whips. Talk about a “purse fetish”.

Vivienne Westwood once said, “My son has followed fashion since he was a punk. He and I agree that fashion is about sex.” How true. And by the looks of things, designer Ilya Fleet (the line’s founder) would agree. Working alongside Central St. Martins grad Resha Sharma, he’s created a line that deals with both the fashionable, and the fantastical. With its three divisions (classic, concept, and restraint) Fleet Ilya produces everything from belts, to whips, to head pieces. Yet, even in their non-fetish pieces, like a simple handbag, you can still see the bondage inspiration in details like leather straps, zippers, on in the harness-like quality of their belts.

The execution is superb. The leather has this worn quality to it, but at the same time appears so luxurious expensive and — because it is. Like a $235 leg harness (not sure whether or not the dildo is included), and the aforementioned bra? $1200.  Still, the collection of white belts from their concept line that went down the Ana Sekularac runway for the Fall 2008 season were amazingly futuristic, perhaps even Gareth-esque. And I would proudly sport a harness over a fitted T by Alexander Wang  tee. Ugh, damn you, recession…

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