Original Mr. S – Alan Selby:
The Leather Daddy Who Built an Empire
In the fog-shrouded streets of 1970s San Francisco, a British expat named Alan Selby arrived with little more than a suitcase, a motorcycle, and an unapologetic passion for leather. What he built from those humble beginnings would become Mr. S Leather—an institution that didn’t just sell gear but helped define modern gay leather culture.
Alan Selby:
Selby wasn’t born into this world. Raised in postwar London, he served in the Royal Air Force, where the strict hierarchies and polished boots first sparked something in him. But it was the 1960s counterculture that truly set him free. He immersed himself in London’s underground scene before crossing the Atlantic, landing in the Bay Area just as the sexual revolution collided with gay liberation.
Selby in San Francisco:
San Francisco in 1978 was electric. The Castro pulsed with newfound pride, and the South of Market (SoMa) district was becoming the global epicenter of leather bars and bathhouses. Selby saw a gap: quality leather gear was hard to come by, often imported from Europe at exorbitant prices or poorly made locally. With $500 and a rented garage in SoMa, he founded Mr. S Leather.
Behind the Name
The name itself was a wink—“Mr. S” stood for “Mr. Sadist,” a playful nod to the BDSM community he loved. Selby wasn’t just a businessman; he was a practitioner. He tested every product himself, from harnesses to restraints, ensuring they could withstand real play. His first catalog, photocopied and stapled, featured hand-drawn illustrations and blunt descriptions: “This sling holds 300 lbs—trust us, we tried.”
More Than a Shop
Word spread fast in a pre-internet era. Leather daddies from New York to Berlin mailed in orders. Selby’s innovation wasn’t just in craftsmanship but in community. He sponsored motorcycle runs, hosted workshops on safe flogging, and turned his shop into a de facto community center. When AIDS devastated San Francisco in the 1980s, Mr. S became a hub for safer-sex education, distributing condoms and literature alongside paddles and chaps.
The Leather Daddy:
Selby’s persona was as iconic as his products. Known as “The Leather Daddy,” he was a towering figure with a handlebar mustache, always in full regalia—vest, boots, and a gaze that could melt steel. He mentored younger leathermen, insisting that kink required consent, communication, and care. “Leather isn’t about pain,” he’d say. “It’s about trust.”
Innovation & Inclusivity:
By the 1990s, Mr. S had outgrown its garage, moving to a sprawling 8th Street warehouse still its home today. Selby expanded into fetish wear for all bodies, pioneering plus-size harnesses and gender-neutral designs long before inclusivity was a buzzword. He embraced the internet early, launching one of the first e-commerce sites for adult products in 1995.
From Founder to Forever
Selby passed the reins in 2002, dying in 2004, but his legacy endures. Mr. S Leather remains 100% employee-owned, a rarity in any industry. The company still handcrafts most items in-house, using American leather and ethical labor. Its catalog—now online and digitall— still carries Selby’s spirit: unapologetic, playful, and deeply human.
Today, when a newbie straps on their first Mr. S harness at Folsom Street Fair, they’re wearing a piece of history. Alan Selby didn’t just sell leather; he stitched together a community, one buckle at a time.