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Interview With Alison Miller by Cary Mastermind behind Taboo and Model Alison Miller How did you start working at Taboo Lingerie? I applied at Taboo Lingerie the first day I saw it. I was called back for an interview but never heard back. A few months later, I was working at a clothing store when I got into a conversation with a customer who turned out to be the current manager. Apparently the girl who had interviewed me was unqualified to hire and had since been fired for stealing. She asked if I was still interested in the job, and I left my boring mall job and never looked back!
And how did you come to acquire the store? I started as a part time sales associate and was promoted manager a year later. A year after that, the original owner gave me 25% of the store for Christmas. She'd opened it mostly as a hobby, and was having trouble running it alone. The next year, she'd finally had enough, and she agreed to sell me the store. Since then I've completely turned Taboo's stock and image around. What was once Taboo Lingerie, a 700 sq foot store with a ton of frilly lingerie, a small toy room, and ten DVDs is now Taboo, a 1500 sq foot store with hot, trendy outfits, every toy imaginable, and 6000 DVDs! The one aspect of Taboo Lingerie that persists in Taboo is its all female staff. Sex sells, even in a sex store! The Taboo Girls model lingerie on Mondays, make public appearances, and have a calendar!
Any new projects? I'm currently putting together a magazine called Richmond's Most Taboo that aims to promote the local adult industry and connect adults for fun on a personal level. The magazine has listings for clubs and groups, as well as articles, reviews, and personals. Richmond really needs something like this, and I'm having so much fun putting it together! Anyone interested in knowing more can visit www.myspace.com/richmondsmosttaboo.
What is it about Lingerie that intrigues you? Lingerie doesn't intrigue me. . . at least not what most people think of when they think of lingerie. I like sexy, cutting edge outfits. Taboo doesn't carry boring bras and panties or lacey old-fashioned teddies--only what's new and hip! I have a BA in Fashion Merchandising and I like playing dress up, so it makes sense that I'd be drawn to the stuff! What really draws me to the business, though, are the movies and toys. I'm a porn connoisseur and I think sex toys are positively essential!
What are the most popular items you sell and who buys them? We definitely sell more movies than anything else. Toys are next. The majority of our customers are men, though we do have many female customers and couples as well. These days, the sitcom parody DVDs (Not the Bradys, This Ain't the Partridge Family, etc.) are selling well. In toys, the new Waterproof Jack Rabbit and the Climax Gems line are our most popular.
How did you become interested in fetish/BDSM? All aspects of sex have always interested me. Several years ago a childhood friend found an old decoder for a secret language we'd created in third grade, and there was a code word for "bondage!" Sex is such a fascinating, important part of life, and there are so many ways to enjoy and celebrate it! I like learning about those ways and I especially like teaching others and spreading the idea that it's okay to like and do different things. Sex is about pleasure. It is absolutely not about shame.
Do you enjoy fetishism/BDSM play in your personal life, and if so what are you into? I'm not sure I should answer this before consulting my four boyfriends, three girlfriends, and the gimp in my closet.
Are there any fetishes that you don't find appealing? There are plenty that I don't find appealing, but nothing legal and consensual that I don't understand. To each his own!
What excites you about fetish modeling? Modeling allows a person to explore his or herself. Much like when someone plays a recording of your voice back to you and you think it sounds nothing like you, photos sometimes reveal aspects of yourself you'd never noticed. In fetish modeling, it's even more pronounced. I also like sharing the idea that sexuality, even in unconventional forms, is positive and fun!
What are your favorite types of outfits to model in? I like sexy costumes and exotic clothing--teeny tiny dresses, stockings, big clunky boots or seven inch heels. That sort of thing.
What are your least favorites? Nothing. If I don't like it, I don't model it!
Do you think pinup and fetish are becoming part of the mainstream culture? Absolutely, but in different ways. I see 50s style pinup as a trend. The culture is making a comeback (and I think it's awesome!) but I don't expect it will last. Fetish I think is here to stay. People have always had the desires depicted in fetish modeling, they've just been afraid to express them. Now that the cats out of the bag, I think we'll have a hard time pushing it back in! The growth in modeling overall I also don't think is temporary. Digital cameras, the internet, myspace and Facebook. . . . In the past 20 years, getting your face out there has become 1000 times easier! I don't think people will ever lose interest in expressing themselves through images. I hope they don't!
What do you like to do for fun? Watch porn, drink beer, collect Barbie dolls, and post pictures of my ass on the internet.
See more of Alison Miller & Taboo at: www.myspace.com/richmondsmosttaboo
| See more of Alison Miller & Taboo at: www.myspace.com/richmondsmosttaboo
Photos by: Brandon Thomason, James Groves, Azure Lux, rjtfoto, Poison in Plastic, John Scott Photography, Skin and Ink Tattoo Magazine June 2009, Azure Lux 
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