Valentine’s Day: Kinky Extravagance

Past the understated gate, you find yourself in a large, lush garden. Walk past the fountain, into a dimly lit house, a mixture of modern lines and decadent sensuality.

You’re at Kiki de Montparnasse on Melrose, a store devoted to the fulfillment of our passions, named after Man Ray’s long-time lover, darling of the 1920s Paris social scene and muse to many an artist.

Inside its sleek, softly-lit interiors you’ll find lingerie, sex toys, desire-enhancing kits and sexy reads.

“The whole decadent vibe seems designed to be alluring even to the rich, uptight and squeamish who, in the past, may have shied away from the trappings of bondage because they seemed too garish and sleazy,” Cintra Wilson wrote for the New York Times.

We won’t mention sources, but Cintra knows bondage, garish and sleazy, so we trust her. But we needn’t go blindly into this — one look at Kiki’s Valentine’s Day offerings is enough to confirm that if you’re in the mood for a spiced up session of unadulterated desire-exploration, you’ve come to the right place.

(We have it on good authority that you’re not part of our editrix’s echelon of favorites until one of Kiki’s little black boxes finds its way to you — by messenger, of course, and preferably while you’re out at dinner. With someone else.)

Our personal favorite is this pair of 24k gold-dipped handcuffs, priced at $350. For jewelry or play — isn’t functionalism awesome?

Image by Atherton Bartelby.