July 13, 2006

Duette, Via Multi-Stim Vibe, and Made To Measure Pleasure  Respectively Garner 1st, 2nd & 3rd Prizes; Octopussey Scores People’s Choice Award

Los Angeles, CA – A diverse panel of “sex-perts” convened at the recently opened Babeland on Melrose last week to judge the finalists in the Babeland Project Sex Toy design contest. Cash prizes, gift certificates and goodie bags filled with over $500 worth of sensual toys were presented to First, Second and Third Place winners.

With DJs Confucius and Bunny of Rabbit In The Moon plying their craft on the turntables, a stylish crowd of industry-ites and Angelenos bopped through the uber-mod boutique and browsed its impressive selection of quality erotic toys, films, books and a new line of sensual products called Babeland Body, while the jurors totted up their calculations on the ten designs in the final round of the international competition.  Mixologists from event sponsor Smirnoff offered special Babe-a-lini cocktails to help guests beat the heat, while catering by Food Fetish provided noshables to those who  managed to also work up an appetite while perusing the sexy stock-in-trade.

Babeland co-founder Rachel Venning then introduced her fellow judges: Dr. Jennifer Berman, urologist and an internationally renowned expert and pioneer in the field of female urology and female sexual medicine, Dr. Janet Lever, research scientist and regular contributor to Glamour magazine and MSNBC.com, Christian Trinker, President & CEO, Funfactory USA, Inc., manufacturer of high-end sensual toys and Sylvie Vaught, Celebrity Stylist, Estilo Salon.

Duette, an elegant, finger ring-shaped design for the discreetly passionate, took top honors; the Via Multi-Stim Vibe, inspired by the popular rabbit-style vibrators, with a  sliding “wave” mechanism in the center, was named second place winner; Made to Measure Pleasure, not a sex toy per se, but rather a customizable online ordering system allowing shoppers to select the size, shape, and material that suits them best, won third prize. The Octopussey, outfitted with eight arms that can be folded, bent or connected in numerous directions for endless erotic experimentation, was named the People’s Choice award, based on customer voting on the Babeland website prior to the final competition.

Venning, who touted the creativity and ingenuity of the scores of designs originally submitted, explained that the criteria for evaluating them included marketability, originality, functionality, aesthetics, and innovation.

In addition to the winner’s bags of toys, gift bags were provided for judges and attendees alike. Event sponsors Doc Johnson, Fun Factory, Vibratex, Vixen Creations, Sportsheets, Big Tease Toys, D.A.V.E., and Tantus all contributed to the tremendous assortment of products.

*********************************
About Babeland:

Babeland is recognized around the world as a friendly place to shop for sex toys, books, and videos. It is the premier bi-coastal, women-friendly sex toy store with a new shop in Los Angeles, two locations in New York City, a flagship store in Seattle, and a website: www.babeland.com. Founded in 1993, Babeland has received numerous honors in its thirteen years of business, including a Zagat Survey Awards for "Top Service" in New York City in 2003 and 2006. It was voted "Best Place to Buy Sex Toys" by The Village Voice, New York Magazine, New York Press, Miami New Times, Seattle's The Stranger, and The Seattle Weekly. Co-Founders Rachel Venning and Claire Cavanah have been hailed as "new generation sex gurus" by Self Magazine.