There are no words to express how Vena is such a collaborative and nice individual. And to top it off, would you look at her pictures? Wow! It's always a big honor to get in touch with any Sirens... and then quickly feel like we've become friends. Such is the case with the unique Miss Vena!
1) Tell us a bit about your ethnic background and origins?
I’m Chinese with a little Indonesian and Dutch thrown in, raised in Southern California but spent my early years in a British prep school in Malaysia… how’s that for diversity? Ha!
2) So when did you find out that you had a passion for fetish clothing? Has this created some issues with your relatives & entourage?
I’ve loved fetish wear for as long as I can remember and I’ve been fortunate enough to wear the creations of some top designers. I think that corsetry was one of the very first things that ignited my passion for fetish wear. The wasped shape of a corseted body just represents the basis of what makes the human form so sexy. I feel like the luckiest person on earth to be the muse of Exquisite Restraint Corsets (www.exquisiterestraint.com) right now. Their quality and designs are well known in the industry. So when they cinch me in one of their outfits, it’s almost better than sex… woo… is it getting warm in here? But fetish is more than just clothing to me because I believe that life is about experiencing as much as you can and I’m very open about my fetish lifestyle, especially to the people closest to me. I just don’t take things too seriously and have fun with it.
3) What personalities were inspirations to you when you first started being interested in the scene?
Bettie Page is the first name to come to mind because I’ve always admired the ones who blazed the trail for the rest of us. But there are so many more who are every bit as relevant and I’ve had the honor of meeting a few of them. I’ve tried to let them know how much I appreciate their achievements. Interestingly, my event guestlists tend to mainly be filled with people who genuinely contribute to the fetish community, and not the Divas.
4) Are we wrong to guess that you’re your own makeup artist? Do you prefer to elaborate a new look well in advance or are you as comfortable creating something original on the spot?
I think it’s important for a model or performer to know how to do your own makeup. When I first started modeling, I would experiment with new looks. And whenever I work with a professional makeup artist, I ask questions and study how they do it. Recently I was shooting for a magazine and was lucky enough to have Pamela Vain do my hair and makeup. I realized that there’s a true artistry in hair and makeup, just like photography and design.
5) What do you prefer wearing most? Head to toe latex or simple lingerie? ;)
Oh, that’s an easy one. Latex of course! It doesn’t always have to be head to toe, although that can be tons of fun. I’d have to say that latex is one of my fetishes. I’ve been working with a new latex company called Frenchy LaRue (www.frenchylarue.com) and they’ve made me some amazing outfits for shows and events. I’ve also helped choreograph and coordinate fashion shows for them and had the time of my life shining latex outfits on beautiful models.
6) Did you start promoting/planning events because you saw some things that didn’t please you in previous festivities?
Most of the events I’ve been to are actually very well done so I can’t say that I’m displeased with them. In fact, I keep in touch with many of the other fetish event promoters and try to help cross promote our events. I think that we can build a better fetish community by supporting each other, rather than bickering amongst ourselves. I’m lucky enough to be on the guestlist of most fetish or gothic clubs in my hometown of Los Angeles, but even so, I tend to stand in line and pay the cover at least half of the times I go. I understand what the promoters face and I’m more than happy to support them as well.
As for my own events, I joke that I produce them because it’s the suppressed masochist inside me trying to get out. In the case of Exotica Detroit, we had to start it because there simply wasn’t a top caliber fetish event in that part of the country. Producing an event is a thankless job because you’re running around all day and night long dealing with emergencies to make sure that everybody else is having fun and enjoying the spotlight. But as cheesy as it sounds, my payoff comes when the party is at full swing, and all the problems have been resolved. That’s when my partner and I can meet in a dark corner of the party where nobody can find us, and look out at the enormous crowd having the time of their lives, and we say to each other “We did this…”
7) What can an audience expect from a Vena stage performance? Are you as comfortable in performing solo than with other artists?
Never expect anything normal in my stage shows. I’ve performed alone as well as with my troupe, Vena’s Evil Dolls. I’d have to say that performing with the Evil Dolls is my favorite because we have such an amazing time performing together. The Dolls aren’t just very good friends and a support network, but we’ve all performed together enough that we can count on each other. We’ve done shows at Sexopolis, the Hollywood Bondage Ball, Skin Two Exotica Detroit of course, and we’ve also been invited to perform on the main stage at Pride in Los Angeles, as well as the Love LA Show. We’re always bruised up after each show because one of us is always getting killed, beat up, stripped, or we’re fighting each other. One thing that we always try to do is send a simple but underlying message with our shows. It might be about Karma, or about love, or revenge. Midori and I once discussed how we share a similarity in this area. And now that I’m working on a new sponsor with a very unique product, we’re going to really be different from any other show.
8) Do you design your own wardrobe yourself? What is the ideal relationship with a favorite designer?
I tried designing my own clothes a few years ago and while it was fun, I now get to work with a few amazing designers whom I would be too embarrassed to show my own stitching to. I think it’s important to work closely with your designer so I’m in touch with them so often that I consider them among my closest friends. And on top of that all, it’s not often that your best friend happens to own the hottest fetish/gothic clothing company and names one of her designs after you. So look for the “V Skirt” named after me at Hilary’s Vanity (www.hilarysvanity.com). Now talk about an ideal relationship with your favorite designers.
9) Since we’re based in Montreal and can claim to enjoy some measure of creativity and tolerance for the publicity and running of our events, we’d like to know if there are still many territories remaining hostile towards fetish gatherings?
I’ve been fortunate enough to have nothing but positive experiences. There was some initial concern that being close to the bible belt, Detroit would throw a backlash towards us “freaky fetishists”. Well, that never came to fruition and we had the full support of the local fetish community. That’s not to say that fetish events are welcomed by everybody in mainstream society, but thanks again to the efforts of those early trailblazers, the public seems to be much more educated and tolerant of us than 10 years ago.
10) What would you say is the biggest misconception that the general public still believes in towards the fetish scene (and transgender entertainers, in particular)?
I think there’s a strong misconception that fetishists are dysfunctional, victims of child abuse, or some kind of psychotic stalkers. I think the media contributed to the misconceptions, but it’s also responsible for cleaning up our image. A few of my friends are professional Dommes and their clients include movie producers and directors (as well as judges, and lawyers) so I’d like to think the media also consists of fetishists. As for transgender entertainers, most people only think of drag. But there’s a long history of singers, actors and actresses, and other performers who are, or were, male-to-female, or female-to-male transexuals.
11) What do you do when you’re between assignments and just want to relax?
I unpack, do laundry, and sleep! One of my favorite things to do is waking up late, and having my coffee with a breakfast I cooked in my own kitchen. Since I’ve done a lot less traveling in 2009 to focus on my upcoming membership site, I’ve been able to enjoy this a lot more lately.
12) Do you have time to "play" a lot in your personal life? What kind of activities attract you more on your own time, if any?
Oh yes, I don’t think I could ever be in a relationship that doesn’t allow for some play. My list of fetishes is long but anytime latex or bondage is involved, I get weak in the knees.
13) Have you ever been to any Canadian events, by any chance? You know that you’re welcome in Montreal any time…!
Thank you so much. I’ve yet to make it to Canada but several of my friends who have performed there or attended told me wonderful things about the Montreal Fetish Weekend, and the city in general. The promoters and I have exchanged a few warm emails and I invited one of them to be a VIP guest at the last Exotica. I really would love to attend, and even perform there some day. I’d say that we’ll have to keep in touch about this.
To know more about Vena's Evil Dolls, just read the article!
