Like the shiny silver rivet pressed between two slight pieces of hand-cut leather, Mateo Guadalupe’s artistry exists at an intersection. There’s his expert process of handcrafting leather accessories, and there’s his explicitly queer and anti-capitalist political intention and direction. Guadalupe does not offer specific sizes for most of his items. Instead, customers submit their measurements to Guadalupe so he can craft for them a unique “luxe leather amulet” that, literally and figuratively, holds them perfectly.

“As a young femme growing up, I made a lot of my own clothes and accessories,” Guadalupe says. “I used to be someone who had a large chest, and it was really hard to shop for things that fit and were really sexy.”

Now, Guadalupe recognizes that lots of folks still face this same issue and crafts his accessories to suit all body types, imbuing them with a physical and psycho-spiritual power. “I definitely think of myself as a bruja and in some ways I feel like this is a healing practice,” Guadalupe says.“And not just for me, but for other people who have had such fraught relationships with their bodies, clothing their bodies, or accessorizing their bodies and having access to those things.”

Mateo Guadalupe pieces, from left- O Ring Collar & Leash, Elektra Crop Top, Priestess Collar, Saturn Harness. Models, Amanda and Jessica Luxury. Photo by Mateo Guadalupe.

It’s Guadalupe’s process and intentions that subvert the typical capitalist process of buying clothes. He transforms what can be an unpleasant experience for gender nonconforming people and/or people with larger bodies into an empowering, accommodating, and inclusive service. “It’s important to me to never say no to someone’s sizing. There’s no reason why I can’t create something for any kind of body,” says Guadalupe. “As a fat person, as a fat femme, as someone who has in the past moved through the world as a fat woman, creating sizes that are real and accessible to all people was always going to be a core part of my business practice.”

In addition to his unique process and intimate knowledge of complex identity politics associated with queer bodies and capitalism, Guadalupe reveres the practice of leatherworking and the material itself. “I recognize and really honor that leather is an ancient material in a lot of ways,” he says, noting his uncle in Mexico City is a self-taught leatherworker. “I have this ancestral tie to leatherwork. Because of [these ties to the] Mexican and indigenous parts of my family, it feels like a very sacred and important material.

Medusa Bustier. Model: Kara Phoebe. Photo by Mateo Guadalupe.

“I also recognize that leather is a really sacred and important material for my queer ancestors of spirit and the queer community, creating space to affirm our cultures and our freaky perverse communities,” he adds.

The design of Guadalupe’s leather accessories are evocative, diverse, and sexy. He uses white and black leather, thick and thin cuts, and lots of studs. “I feel very inspired by legacies of gay bars, bathhouses, ’70s porn theaters, and all the different spaces that queer people have had to create to find liberation and pleasure,” he says. Guadalupe does have the perfect customer in mind when improvising and creating a new non-commissioned work (which can take weeks, months and, in one case, a few years). “I feel like Prince is my dream customer in a lot of ways,” he says. “When people ask, ‘Who are you designing for?’ I feel like Prince is on the list.”

Mateo Guadalupe – leatherworker at Leather Coven
Holyoke, Massachusetts
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Top image: Hera Harness and Siren Crown by Mateo Guadalupe, modeled by Teal. Photo by Kenzi.

The post Upper Leather Queer Made appeared first on Take Magazine.

Take friends and neighbors Boon and Caro Sheridan invited us to a unique house party the other night. The couple’s 19th-century church in Holyoke, Massachusetts has been their home for a couple of years but this week they hosted their first house concert. As expected, it was not just any concert. They went all in with one of their all-time favorites, David J of Bauhaus and Love and Rockets fame. “Great music, amazing company, and one hell of a night,” Boon summed up.

The interior of the Sheridans’ space is configured so that a small landing towards the original pulpit area can be seen from almost anywhere in the building. No longer a traditional nave, it had enough seating for the crowd of 20 or so invited guests. Folks were also encouraged to watch from the lofted areas and stairs. And the sound? Just amazing. The high ceilings and expansive space make this an ideal spot to play music.

David J is out and about on tour now in support of his latest release, the double LP, Vagabond Songs. While he has booked traditional venues, David is enamored with the living room shows. “About five years ago, it was the star prize in a kick-starter campaign to raise funds to produce an album and we ended up in a kitchenette in Los Angeles,” he says of these intimate gatherings. “There were about 20 people and I had such a great night and something clicked that night with me and I just thought, ‘This is a new model, this is great,’” he says. ‘I love this sense of community and it’s familial and connected and intimate and focused. So that was the start.”

David J brought along musician Ali Jafri from the band Ariel out of Canada, who added percussion, vocals, and a little sitar to a few of the songs. The set included a number of new works with a smattering of covers and earlier pieces. A standout was “The Day that David Bowie Died,” an intimate and relatable tribute. “That’s a deep one,” says David. “For me that’s very deep.” Vagabond will soon be released digitally. For now it’s only available as an LP. “Vinyl release only,” says Davis. “The label, Last Hurrah Records based in San Diego, they’re kinda purists about it. They do really high-quality vinyl and high-quality art work. Once you’ve sold out the vinyl, I’m at liberty to make it available as a download.”

Boon and Caro are looking forward to hosting more artists. They were inspired to host by the building itself. “We’re living in a church. We have a space that can accommodate 25-40 people without even blinking,” says Boon. “The sound is perfect, the space is perfect.” The performer was also perfect. Connecting with the charming, talented, and gracious David J with his gothic background and his current Vagabond stories to ramble through and sing in the sanctuary was a stroke of genius. Do we end with a poignant and beautifully executed Knocking on Heaven‘s door? Of course we do.

David J – singer/songwriter
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Images by Ali Jafri

The post The Sheridans’ Sermon Series appeared first on Take Magazine.