So alas, the party came to an end, but not the story. After all the hubbub and intrigue, I found myself suddenly bombarded with questions like, “So what is it with you and toe rings? Do you have a foot fetish?”
Well I never actually thought of it that way. I just liked wearing toe rings because I thought my toes were cute and that toe rings were sexy. I was totally unprepared for having to explain myself – as if there was any ‘splaining to do.Still, I thought to my hopelessly business-minded self, “hey wait. Maybe there’s something to this”, and off I went to www.pto.gov to apply for the trademark. Having that mark opened a virtual Pandora’s box of new opportunities beginning with a line of foot care products marketed under the brand name “Fetiche™” for a more elegant, French image.
Within a year, I partnered with Lake Pharmaceuticals, an Chicago-based company that saw fit to appoint me brand ambassador. Thanks to the connections and experience of the company’s CEO, Fetiche foot care had a run in several health and beauty aids chains. He also had more confidence in me than I had in myself and landed me a spot on Canada’s equivalent of our Home Shopping Network. It was a complete disaster! Once again, I was unprepared to appear in front of live TV cameras. With their blink intimidating red lights, I froze and ended up making a total ass of myself. To make matters worse, I was assigned a co-host who acted like a complete jerk causing me to lose focus and track of my spiel on air. As expected, not many sales were rung up in Canada that day, French name or not.
“Fetiche” or “Fetish”, however, you chose to pronounce it, was a compelling name for its time, particularly given the likes of Yves St. Laurent’s Opium and Dior’s Poison and, as it turns out, I wasn’t the only one that thought so. Not long after the on-air debacle, another opportunity presented itself in the form of fragrance. When Dana Perfumes came calling, I sold the rights to my mark and soon Fetish perfume was filling the air. But to saga didn’t stop there. A year later, pop star Christina Aguilera, of all people, jumped onto the Fetish bandwagon, reintroducing, and recording, about her new makeup line, “Fetish by Christina Aguilera”. From the pages of Women’s Wear Daily – JUNE 27, 2000FETISH SCENT RELAUNCHED
Grammy-award-winning singer Christina Aguilera is expanding her range with a line of color cosmetics. The 19-year-old international pop star is partnering with the Boca Raton, Fla.-based New Dana Perfumes Company on a relaunch of its teen brand Fetish.
