Toying Around at the International Lingerie Show

LAS VEGAS—The venue was the same, and the faces were familiar. But as the International Lingerie Show got under way Monday morning at the Rio All-Suites Hotel & Casino Convention Hall, it was apparent this venerable trade show has made some tweaks to freshen up the experience for attendees. For one thing, several longtime exhibitors were moved to different parts of the hall or were in reconfigured booths. And though the show floor was smaller in size, the traffic was steadily brisk. But the biggest changes involved ancillary activities. A seminar program has been added, with presentations slated to begin Tuesday. And even more significant, alterations were made to the tried-and-true Monday night fashion show. (For more on that show and other trends in lingerie and apparel, see additional stories on AVN.com.) Though the exhibitor mix tilted more heavily toward apparel and accessories than in recent years, there were still many new pleasure products to be found. For an overview of fresh spring stocking options, a good place to start is the Eldorado Trading Company booth. A dominant feature in the main hall, Eldorado’s multi-room complex was buzzing—not only with members of the Eldorado sales team but also with manufacturers’ reps and curious buyers. Prominently placed at the entry way was the adult distributor’s new marketing slogan: “Elevate Your Business.” Directly inside the doorway was the latest from both Jopen and CalExotics, including the latter’s Inspire line of products designed for women seeking to improve their sexual health. Proceeds from the Inspire line are donated to Living Beyond Breast Cancer, a nonprofit group that advocates for women who have been affected by this all-too-prevalent disease. Eldorado carries full lines from the industry’s largest and most well prominent manufacturers of both pleasure products and lubricants. Representing the latter was J.C. of Wet International, who took the time to show off Unicorn Spit, a lubricant born a year ago after buyers took a company April Fool’s joke seriously—to the tune of 600 initial orders for the then-nonexistent product. Wet’s newest item is very real Sweet Kisses gift set, which contains body glides in Frosted Cupcake and Salted Caramel flavors. In addition to industry giants, Eldorado also keeps an eye out for start-ups. Among these was the As You Like It line of body products. Rep Wes Namba talked about how the line was created to serve the interests of the clientele of As You Like It—The Pleasure Shop in Eugene, Oregon. Owner Kim Marx created the store to be a “gender-inclusive, body-safe kind of shop,” Wes explained. The products are certified organic by the USDA. “We do body butters and massage oils and we have four flavors and four scents,” he said. The top seller in massage oils is Chai; others are Lavender, Vanilla and Naked (unscented). “One of our main ingredients is sunflower oil, which has its own health benefits, but it’s also really light.” There is also a nut-free version “so people with nut allergies can partake. All items are TSA-compliant and the body butters—chocolate, vanilla, chocolate orange and peppermint patty—come in stick applicators, the smallest of which isn’t much bigger than a lip balm. And in fact because it is certified organic and edible, the flavored balm can be used on the lips as well. “It’s nice to have something for the bedroom that is just as safe as your dinner,” Wes said. Just next door to As You Like It was Kiiroo rep Frank Kok, who joined the Dutch company last month after stints with Eropartner Distribution and Mystim. Kiiroo’s Onyx and Pearl devices, made to allow partners to pleasure each other remotely, were on display at the AVN Adult Entertainment Expo in January. Later this year, Kiiroo plans to collaborate with Fleshlight and a webcam company to create a “super booth” at the Venus adult expo in Berlin, Germany. Kok also hinted a bit about the next big thing coming from Kiiroo in just a couple of months. His company is poised to build bridges between content producers and pleasure product manufacturers, Kok said—a role that no one else is filling. He didn’t give away any details about this innovation, but it is poised to break new ground in facilitating interaction between adult entertainment consumers and the content made by producers, as well as between two couples at remote locations, such as cam models and their clients. Another detail he shared is that once the new device is available, any Fleshlight that is already in a consumer’s hands can be turned into an interactive pleasure toy. Over in adult distributor Nalpac’s booth, XR Brands reps Rebecca Weinberg and Lynda Mort were there to answer buyers’ questions about the company’s many product lines. Also eye-catching were the colorful Aria vibrators—a revamping of the Blush Novelties brand—and the new packaging for System Jo’s various products, with sleek designs that nonetheless provide a lot of information about each item’s properties (including the USDA organic rating some all-natural formulas). System Jo’s newest SKUs include Gravity perfume for women and eau de cologne for men—each infused with pheromones. Veteran lubricant manufacturer M.D. Science Lab had a beefy lineup of new products on display, each offering different sensations in addition to lubrication. Sensual Arousal Lubricant, aimed at enhancing and arousing men, comes in four bottle sizes, while the Max Size Male Enhancement comes in a 5-ounce tube. And five different lubricant combinations come in two-in-one dual dispensers, each with a different evocatie name. Invigorate mixes warming and cooling gels; Krave offers two flavors, Strawberry Kiwi and Piña Colada; Lust features two arousal gels aimed at women while Infuse pairs his and hers formlations. And Tease includes a silicone lube with variety that includes clove for encourage relaxation. Specializing in lingerie and body adornments, Xgen Products had a busy booth at the show, highlighted by its Lapdance Lingerie and Peekaboos pasties, Hollywood Curves body enhancers, Pleasure Wigs and Secrets vibrating panties. But the real news was the addition of three new models to the Bodywand personal massager family. The WandPlus G Spot 8 and the Wand Plus Rabbit 8 both run on A/C power—one with a curved tip, the other with a clitoral stimulator on the shaft. And the Wand Plus Curve G8 includes 100-240 volt charging. A big player in the toy world, Dave Levine of SexToy.com was at the show with his AdultShopping.com team to inform e-tailers about the newly rebranded white-label e-commerce platform. AdultShopping.com offers services to a variety of industry players, including manufacturers, brick-and-mortar chains and home party planners, as well as many different online entrepreneurs. Another familiar name in pleasure products, Doctor Joel Kaplan, was represented with a booth, as has been the case in recent shows. There to answer questions this time, however, were two new faces who came on board in November. Judith Itshaki is Kaplan’s niece, and she and husband Sam Itshaki moved to San Diego to take over the line of sexual wellness products. Sam pointed out the new packaging on four kits to enlarge not only the male member but also women’s nipples and clitoris. The couple also provided handouts about KaplanCare, a program for customers that provides training, troubleshooting and product warranties. Entrenue, another adult distributor that is a regular at ILS, had its share of new items from such boutique manufacturers as Fun Toys, Rianne S., Fun Factory and LELO. But perhaps the biggest news was the debut of a more affordable version of the Eroscillator, made by Advanced Response. Equipped with a unique oscillating motor, the personal massager with interchangeable tips was available in a copper color as well as a premium gold edition. The new model is plum-colored and is offered at a lower price point. In addition to a display in the Entrenue booth, Fun Factory also had its own space. The U.S. arm of the German manufacturer has busily released several new items recently, including the Moody, a vibrator shape designed by Good Vibrations for a white-label item but now available with Fun Factory’s G5 handle and touch controls. Company rep Sunny also pointed out the Lady Bi, which is equipped with motors in both the shaft and the clitoral stimulator, for simultaneous internal and external stimulation. And if that weren’t powerful enough, the Bi Stronic Fusion offers the same dual stimulation plus the thrusting power of the Stronic series. Like Good Vibrations, the owners of the Love Zone group of adult stores in the Seattle area went looking for products that they could carry exclusively. One standout in its new Ple´sür Body Products line is the ITouch rabbit-style vibrator by Levett. Rather than a single-pronged clitoral stimulator, the Ple´sür model includes three tips: one to hit the clitoris and the others to stimulate both sides of the labia. In addition to other products from Levett—including wand-style vibrators in the same soft magenta and an anal toy in charcoal black—the Ple´sür  collection also encompasses BDSM and fetish gear as well as a line of colorful small toys that are playful enough to engage first-time buyers.