Asa Akira, Taylore Scarabelli, and Natassia Dreams.
A few weeks ago, noughties PR maven Kelly Cutrone sent me a cryptic voice note about pornography and fashion. The pitch? A press trip to Los Angeles to cover the 5th annual Pornhub Awards party, an exclusive event to celebrate the industry’s top performers, held at a nightclub attached to a John Lautner-designed Beverly Hills mansion owned by NBA fanatic James Goldstein. But there was a catch. Rather than simply reporting on the party, I, along with a group of the world’s top pornstars, would be dressed up in a custom look by Cutrone’s client and Pornhub collaborator, the sensuous London-based designer Luis de Javier.
I felt nervous and ill-prepared as I arrived at my fitting in a small suite at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel last Tuesday. I had been told that Diplo would be DJing the party on Thursday night, and that Stormy Daniels, at just 44 years old, would be receiving a lifetime achievement award for her work in the adult film industry. But it was unclear whether I would have access to either one, and I had yet to receive an actual invitation to the party. When I told friends and coworkers about the junket, some—mainly men (of all sexual orientations)—feigned jealousy, while others rolled their eyes and reminded me of the controversy surrounding the billion dollar company’s content moderation policies. But I’m no abolitionist, nor was I traveling to L.A. to do a deep dive into the politics of porn. Rather, I was on a mission to hang out with horny party goers, and find out how it feels to get dressed up like a Pornhub V.I.P.
When I entered the stuffy, talcum-scented suite, Asa Akira, the 38-year-old award-winning adult film performer, director, and host of the first and second annual Pornhub awards was positioned between racks of latex looks and stacks of designer shoes (“To elevate the outfits,” a stylist told me). She was getting her new double d’s laced up in a Luis…
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