R&M Leathers’ Presents “Miss Leathers" In Collaboration With Pornhub
For R&M Leathers’ inaugural fashion show, the brand explores the vanishing vernacular of pre-sanitised urban vice. Presented in collaboration with Pornhub, models are framed through a draped arced peep-show installation, performing as contestants inspired by the televised glamour of 1980s swimwear pageants.
Mariani draws inspiration from the disappearing typography of 42nd Street, littering the collection with references to Peep-O-Rama and Show World Center, the latter a now shuttered institution which used brass admission tokens which are reimagined as an oversized belt buckle. Staged as a final performance just as municipal cleanups sweep through its subculture and close down its venues, the collection interrogates voyeurism, vanishing leather countercultures, and the mechanics of public display.
The show's namesake, “Miss Leathers,” serves as a phantasmic figure cast as a centerfold. Mariani configures these commercial spectacles with subcultural codes; a sash emblazoned with the show's title evokes the longstanding International Mr. Leather competition. Throughout the collection female archetypes, here the showgirl, the bride, and the Bavarian maid, become stand-ins for subverted forms of fantasy femininity.
Mariani continues to explore how desire is codified through leather. Slimline calfskin bodices are softened through handcrafted leather trim that mimic broderie anglaise, echoed in the corseted bust and the intricate detailing of a bridal garter. Mini skirts are adorned with oversized domed studs and hand pleated with a white tuxedo trim.
As an ode to artist Nan Goldin’s 1978 portrait Nan as Dominatrix, a minimal leather dress introduces a dropped hemline, fastened at the neck with an industrial combination of zips and buckles to reference the dissolution of Times Square's sleaze era, other dresses are cut into babydoll slips and floor length columns.
Rendered in a disciplined palette of muted chalk white, buffed black, the collection refines the house codes. Silhouettes feature busts and leg lines drawn upwards into dramatic, fountain-like arches. High-cut bodysuits sit sharply above the hip, while bikinis are trimmed with fluid micro-chainmail and crystals engineered to move like fringe. Mariani reinterprets the label's signature studded detailing in key looks with crystal rivets, embellishing thin strips of leather that cage the body.
Looks are accessorised with feathered headdresses and bustles made from black ostrich boas. A flyaway veil is adorned with leather confetti and paired with an oversized bouquet of meticulously shaped white leather roses.
The partnership with Pornhub materialises in a capsule collection of collaborative pieces, available from 18th September. The collection's disciplined monochromatic palette is interjected with rhinestoned bikinis and shorts which play with Pornhubs signature orange alongside hosiery backseams and baby tees playfully inscribed with the platform's URL. Staged as Pornhub's first-ever presence at London Fashion Week, the runway features brand ambassador Asa Akira alongside performers Elly Clutch and Frances Bentley, who pay homage to the era's televised glamour. This alignment of subcultural codes and uninhibited expression creates a shared vision for the runway.
“It’s a real pleasure to support R&M Leathers’ inaugural 'Miss Leathers' show, a celebration of sexuality, creative expression, and true artistry,” explains Alex Kekesi, Vice President of Brand and Community at Pornhub. “The spirit Ruby has breathed into her brand and this presentation are very much aligned with Pornhub's championing of authenticity and the freedom to forge your own path, making this collaboration a natural fit. We’re proud to have brand ambassador Asa Akira, alongside Pornhub models Elly Clutch and Frances Bentley, featured in the show and bringing this vision to life. As our first presence at London Fashion Week, this marks an exciting milestone for Pornhub and an opportunity to spotlight creative expression that transcends industry boundaries.”
NOTES TO EDITOR
About R&M Leathers
Founded in 2018 by Australian-born, London-based designer Ruby Mariani, R&M Leathers is an independent label specialising in leatherwear. Formally trained in fashion design, Mariani honed her craft whilst working for bespoke fetish shoemaker Ilias Little Shoe Box. What began as a DIY project, initially sold directly at gigs while touring with her crust band, has evolved into a label that interrogates the canon of leatherwear, reframing the body through an intimate focus on the feminine form. The brand is frequently worn by artists including Charli XCX, Olivia Rodrigo, Addison Rae, Lily Allen, and Ivy Wolk, and has been featured across Interview, Perfect, and i-D.
Show Credits
Creative Director: Ruby Mariani @r_and_m_leathers
Styling & Consultancy: Gerry O’Kane @gerryroryokane
Hair: Kim Rance @kim_rance
Make-Up: Lynski @lynskii
Nails by Jada Ellize @jadaellize at Premier Hair and Make-up using Tweezerman
Casting: Madde Ostlie @maddeostlie
Creative Production: Rosie Cartwright @rosie_cartwright
Lighting Design: Samuel Pearson @hydradesign_
Show Set Design: Patience Harding @patienceharding
Movement Direction: Simon Donnellon @simon.donnellon
Music & Sound Design: Oliver Vereker
Show Production: Antony Waller @_awcstudio
Millenary: Noel Stewart @noelstewart
Hardware: Georgia Kemball @georgiakemball
R&M Leathers PR: Agency Eleven @agencyeleven
Pornhub PR: People’s Revolution @peoplesrevteam
Collection Notes: Robert Poulton
Art Direction: Oliver Jeanes @oliverjeanes
Graphic Designer: Loren Tsang @lorentsang
Special thanks to Pornhub @alexkekesi