The babe behind the buckles is Emma Alamo — a queer creator, a recovering alcoholic, a proud power bottom and business owner with serious hustle. Emma welcomed me into her studio and talked about social media, body image and building a career selling bondage gear.

“When I was diagnosed, and realizing how it affected me outside of the way that I eat, it’s these processes throughout my day or the way that my personality functions. It isn’t that disruptive, but having the framework helped. Finding kink, having the words for it, helped contextualize the sex that I like to have, the friendships that I like to have, the dynamics that I like to have and the relationships in general.”