72 marieclaire.com.au
B
ear Girl paints her
heavy lips a bright
red, her blonde curls
falling gracefully down
her back. Around her
neck, she wears a silk
scarf. Her appearance will soon be one
of blank, featureless perfection. But
Bear Girl’s lipstick isn’t painted onto
her skin, it’s dabbed onto latex.
Her curls are a wig while the scarf
is more than just an accessory – its
main purpose is to hide the base of
the mask that’s pulled over her head.
Bear was born a male, but identifies
as a transsexual woman and she’s
getting ready to go out. She wears
her mask and costumes at least once
a week, transforming herself into
“Princess Leyla”, an activity she finds
relaxing and a way of relieving stress.
Christian is a straight man, who
works in a well-known German
company, though he won’t reveal more
than that. He’s also one of the most
prominent members of the German
“masking” community. For him,
masking has become a lifestyle. He
helps younger people create their alter
egos and navigate this strange world,
where people transform themselves
into living dolls. He loves dressing up
for photo shoots and gets sexually
excited when he puts his “female
beauty” on display under the guise
of his alter ego, Chrissie Seams.Meet the Maskers, thousands
of mostly heterosexual men and male-
to-female transsexuals, who first
began experimenting with their latex
disguises in Europe in the 1980s. In the
early years, Maskers almost exclusively
practised their fetish in the intimacy of
their homes or in private clubs. But in
the past 20 years, the phenomenon has
exploded in popularity thanks to
online. Maskers now connect with each
other in character on countless
websites, sharing their
stories and the
photography that
forms a critical part of
the experience.
In 2014, Sydney-
born, New York-
based filmmakers Nick
Sweeney and Luke
Malone produced The
Secrets Of The Living
Dolls, a documentary that delved into
the masking world. In an interview in
Oyster magazine, Sweeney said he was
surprised by the level of normalcy in
their lives. “We were expecting the dolls
to live extraordinary lives in and
outside of the suits and masks,’’ he said.
“But they lead pretty normal, everyday
lives – most of them have large families
with lots of kids, they work regular
jobs, go to church, all of that. The
opposite of what you’d expect when you
see them cavorting around as dolls.’’The degree of masking depends on
the man. Bear Girl prefers to wear a
latex face mask and torso complete
with full breasts along with her regular
clothes, while true latex fetishists,
such as Christian, go head-to-toe with
complete bodysuits. Maskers say they
enjoy the sensation of “being a little
bizarre”, and some are so devoted to the
practice that they potentially risk their
jobs or the support of their families by
allowing their latex fantasy to trickle
into the real world.
Experimenting
with femininity is one
thing, but on a purely
practical level, it’s
difficult to imagine
why anyone would
want to make
themselves a prisoner
of latex armour.
Inching into a full
latex bodysuit isn’t easy. It sucks and
constricts the skin and the wearer has
to pull and adjust it like they’re
squeezing into rigid stockings. Once
inside, movement is restricted and can
be very sweaty, particularly when
temperatures reach 25°C or hotter.
Many masks only provide two thin
slits for eyes making driving almost
impossible, so Maskers hunt for
discreet parking spots close to their
destination before slipping their masks
over their heads like a T-shirt. At times,“They lead normal
lives – most have
lots of kids and
work regular jobs”- Nick Sweeney, filmmaker
Katrina struggles
to get out of her
car in her full
latex bodysuit.CORINNA KERN