The business of sex
Photographer: Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images
Harry Styles Is Selling Sex — Even If Wall Street Won’t
The pop star’s brand Pleasing treats pleasure as a form of well-being. But banks, regulators and social platforms remain wary.
It began as a whisper, rippling through social media: Harry Styles is coming back. After spending more than two years largely off the grid — running marathons in Tokyo and Berlin, witnessing the Pope’s ascent to power in Rome — he returned this winter with a new album titled Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally and a world tour. But lost in the press frenzy surrounding his new music was another release: a Valentine’s Day restock of the highly coveted vibrator and lube from Styles’ beauty and wellness brand, Pleasing.
When both products debuted last summer, they sold out within minutes online. Some shoppers turned to eBay, where the vibrators — originally priced at $68 — resold for north of $300. Others signed up for Pleasing’s waitlist.