Neon lights, stained curtains, and faded posters, latex lingerie and accessories. That’s pretty much the image that comes to mind when you think of a sex shop. To sum it up, embarrassing is probably the adjective that best describes the most natural activity in the world that most people enjoy. It was precisely this contradiction that lead Justin and Chelsea Kerzner, the two owners of Contact Sports in Soho, New York, to open their adult store with a completely new brand identity and design. They wanted the store to be like sex: fun.
The question is—if we move away from the above desrcibed aesthetic—what are we left with that could lead us to a completely fresh approach? Well, the two owners thought that sport was the closest thing to intercourse because it also involves movement, physical contact, and the production of similar amounts of hormones that promote happiness.
This gave rise to the idea of using a seventies locker room as the basis for the concept. The store’s walls are decorated with iconic figures and events from sporting history, and an entire wall is covered with freshly cut red roses, available for purchase by anyone who wants to arouse their partner’s or their own sensual desires with a romantic gesture.
In addition to the carefully picked and individually designed furniture, the products for sale have also been thoroughly researched and selected. The team studied tens of thousands of products and selected those whose brand, image, and vision all fit the Contact Sports concept.
The opening of the Manhattan store was also motivated by the fact that the Covid pandemic saw a worldwide increase in demand for sex toys and products, and subsequently, more and more brands began to rewrite the narrative around them. This is illustrated by the fact that Sephora, in addition to its online platform, has launched their new wave Maude products available to the public, and the lifestyle brand Goop, founded by Gwyneth Paltrow and particularly popular in the US, has recently launched Goop Sex, a platform to encourage deeper conversations about sex and sexuality. Contact Sports has similar ambitions; as well as offering products from premium brands, they plan to play an educational role and build community. To this end, they plan to organize lectures and talks, speed dates and sports events screenings.
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Photos: Contact Sports