MEET CHARLES

Hello, my name is Charles and I am on an incredible journey to compete at Mr International Mr Leather 41 in Chicago in May 2019.

I was born and raised in South Africa, and like many of my countrymen, believe passionately in inclusion and community. As a proud and passionate Leatherman, I think we have more work to do in sharing this amazing community with a broader range of people.

My first experiences with the leather scene were in London, and I have great memories of those exciting and sometimes scary first steps. I found the leather community to be very welcoming and open and was able too learn and experience from very genuine people. 

That knowledge and those experiences I treasure still to this day. I learned respect, trust, being proud and honourable while been totally accepted into the community.

In the intervening years, I’ve found my place and my voice in the leather community. I’ve built relationships and shared experiences with some of the most remarkable men in the world.   This community has given me the strength and freedom to explore my desires, kinks and broader fetishes interests - to live many aspects of my life to the full.

In 2004, I moved to Hong Kong, one of the most exciting and dynamic cities in the world. It’s been a stimulating growth experience personally  and  professionally. I found the man of my dreams and have built a family  and  made  my  home  in  Hong Kong.

I’ve also come to see the tremendous potential of expanding the leather community in  Asia with Hong Kong a  natural launching point,  due to history,  language  and  location.

The leather scene in Hong Kong, and Asia more broadly, is in its early stages of development. Today's furtive glances, private parties and shy questions have the potential to develop into a thriving and exciting new chapter to the leather experience and build the  community.

As Hong Kong Leatherman, I am committed to bringing an increasingly diverse community of men to the leather scene. 

Here in Asia discretion is paramount and the fascination and interest in the leather experience is not public. Finding connections in the community with men of similar interests can be challenging and leads to many feeling isolated and alone. 

We need to take the first steps towards giving these men the sense of pride and self confidence they deserve and the opportunity to comfortably express themselves openly.

As a firm believer in openness I will be  proactive in creating a non-judgmental platform that promotes diversity and inclusion from within the community, encouraging involvement of any kind from like-minded individuals of any shapes, sizes, beliefs, age, experience and roles. 

When not wearing some sort of leather, you’ll find me sweating at the gym, sharing time with my family, travelling the world and exploring new places and designing some of the most exciting public spaces in the Middle East and Asia. 

The gym grounds me and provides that much needed space to regroup physically, mentally and emotionally. 

My family, and the unconditional love we share, is the source of my strength. My inspiration and motivation is  from the many diverse connections I  make on my Instagram feed.

My work challenges me intellectually, and is an outlet for my strong drive as a creative.  It also tests me in terms of project management ,  organisation and working with people. At  the  heart of  good  design is a intelligent  creative process, and I believe creative people bring a different perspective to problem solving or attacking new challenges.

I am a leatherman through and through. The attitude, the aesthetic, the projection of masculinity all press my buttons. So does the spirit of the community. 

My leather experience has made me proud of who I am and has encouraged to explore and expand my sexual boundaries. Of course, it’s not all about the sex. But sex in leather just turns me on more. Everything is heightened. It’s electric and very sexy. I feel more confident and more engaged. 

The smells, the taste, the feeling on my skin, even the sound of leather moving gets me excited.