In a living room in Uruguay, a group of women ranging from their mid-teens to their late-fifties gather around a red suitcase, in eager anticipation of the goodies within. They are not disappointed: The valise holds a breathtaking array of sensual lotions and aromatic potions designed to arouse the female libido - usually an afterthought in this traditional country not particularly known for being sexually adventurous.
The suitcase also holds a treasure trove of risque toys for the adult woman at play - some fairly mild in sexual tone, others bawdy enough to make a sailor blush. The items on sale include fur-covered handcuffs, a bath sponge with a vibrator discreetly tucked inside, and an array of intimate apparel more notable for where the fabric isn't, than where it is.
Such racy ware has long been familiar in the United States and Europe, but sexual liberation was a long time coming in buttoned-up Uruguay, an insular Catholic country of conservative tastes. Elsewhere in the world, the female market has been a major driver of the multi-billion-dollar sex toy industry. Here, women are just becoming comfortable with the notion that it is all right to acknowledge and satisfy their erotic urges.
Entrepreneurs Nicole Komin and Gabriela Perez say their product line aims to show women not merely how to please the men in their lives, but how to pleasure themselves. And in this country with still prudish inclinations, the entire transaction happens in private, behind closed doors and among friends. Perez said that even if they don't always make the sale, they succeed in something equally important: opening women's minds and helping them become more comfortable with their own bodies.
The duo have run their business since November, and also are in charge of opening new franchises throughout Central and South America. Maleta Roja is an outpost of a Spanish company which has attained a global reach, peddling sensual wares to women across Europe and now poised to conquer Latin America. Inviting a vendor into one's home for a private party to display and demonstrate her products is a sales approach that has been used frequently to sell cosmetics and food storage containers.
