Thanks for stopping by our sex worker interview series 'A Tryst With...' We're joined by New York Dominatrix Micha Malvada to chat about horror movies, the BDSM community, and hardware stores!
Can you tell us about your journey with professional BDSM?
I was involved in the lifestyle before I was a Pro—it was something that was always intriguing to me. I grew up in San Francisco, peering in leather shop windows and sneaking into Folsom Street Fairs. I was always drawn to fetish imagery and obsessed with leather from seeing Dykes on Bikes at San Francisco Pride to punks at the shows I snuck into. My friends and I would break into graveyards after shows to chain each other with our belts made of hardware store chains. I started to teach myself bondage by reading online blogs and books and read more about SM before I ever went Pro.
When I left San Francisco and moved to NYC I found professional BDSM through a Craigslist ad while I browsed for jobs. Something like “Do YOU look hot in leather?!” caught my eye in the gigs tab. I’ve watched the industry change and have worked through different eras and experiences, on sites like Craigslist pre-SESTA/FOSTA, in a commercial dungeon, learning how to navigate online spaces and sessions during COVID lockdown, and how to grow independently beyond that. My work in BDSM now is very different, in terms of safety and sustainability, than it was when I was younger and navigating the industry on my own. Finding and connecting with community in the industry has taught and allowed me to have the experience I do now, and is something I’m very grateful for.
Where do you draw inspiration from in your BDSM practice?
I draw a lot of inspiration from films, art, music. Horror movies, like Hellraiser and SAW, are some of my favorite references for mean predicaments. If I’m planning an intricate role play I find myself revisiting films or art with similar themes or crafting playlists reminiscent of the feelings I wish to evoke. My friends and colleagues are also a huge source of inspiration for me: collaborating, learning, and skill sharing with those around me is invaluable.
Do you have a pre or post session routine/ritual?
Pre-session—I have a few playlists I rotate through that I'll listen to while reviewing session notes during my commute. If I have an intense roleplay I might listen to my “Terrifying Scores” playlist, for wrestling I’ll put on “Muscle Mommy” —mostly metal & hardcore, or “New Wave Ass Shakers” if I need energy before a long strap session. Post session I immediately take the time to clean and care for my tools and gear,but I also like to hydrate, smoke a joint, eat something with protein, and get some fresh air!
What kind of clients seek you out, and what are they looking for?
I think I tend to attract a good mix of submissives, fetishists, and bottoms. I am very thankful that I am often approached with niche and obscure requests to actualize or create abstract fantasies. Most of my sessions involve bondage and center transformation—into an object, a rubberdoll, a slut, a gimp, a pet, a victim. There are often elements of power exchange and psychological play in my sessions but I just as much enjoy the requests from those who just want to take my fist.
What are some of your favourite kinds of sessions?
Heavy bondage and immersive (especially horrifying) role plays always! I loooove curating an intricate role play scene: I make playlists, incorporate lighting, and like taking the time to plan an arc or storyline in the scene. I love to highlight fear, sensation, and bondage. I did theater for years (and always wished I could only ever be cast as the villain) so building my own perverse BDSM productions in session is very intriguing and rewarding to me—I love when I am trusted to create that.
Is there anything that always makes you feel powerful and grounded in your body for sessions?
The ritual of dressing myself in leather or latex always makes me feel powerful. Once I’m in a session, I feel grounded in being present—my phone isn’t in my hand, I have a plan, I have tools to work with, and a blank canvas to create with for this specific time, this specific person, and this specific place. It’s a huge reason I highly prefer in-person work—the focus I can have in a session always emphasizes power in me. More literally—being able to physically suspend someone, quickly subdue someone in a wrestling session, or watch someone sink into subspace gives me such a sense of power and reward.
Is there a piece in your working wardrobe that you just love?
Last year for my birthday I was gifted a Busted Brand latex maxi dress—it’s sleeveless and laces up all the way down the back, it perfectly displays my tramp stamp through the laces and was custom fit to me.
What is your favourite kink/bdsm hack?
Your local hardware store is the best place to shop for BDSM!!
What are your hobbies and interests outside of work?
Lately I’ve been focusing on making more art!! I have a background in photo and video production and over the past few years I’ve been using my experience through collaborating with colleagues and friends to make pornos, fucked up smut, and fetish photography. Getting to create perverted art with other perverts is my favorite thing! I also love watching horror movies, seeing live music and performance, and traveling.
My favorite scent is: leather.
I get a big thrill out of: fear play.
Want to meet New York Dominatrix Micha Malvada in person?
Head over to her profile! 👇👇👇
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