La CLIT, aka Coffee, Literature, Inspiration and (sex) Toys, is the brainchild of lifelong friends Francesca De Gaudio, an architect, and London-born Giulia Heuser, a lawyer and legal translator. Having shared countless experiences together, from volunteering to political activism, not long ago they realized how much they craved a place, offline, to talk freely and learn about sexuality with experts and friends alike. And so, La CLIT was established as, yes, an online shop selling quality sex toys, but more importantly to create opportunities to discuss sexual wellness candidly as a community over a coffee or a glass of wine.
“We started La CLIT out of pure desire,” say Francesca and Giulia. “We’ve always chatted about sex and love and looked for resources online. However, we often felt a lack of professional insight and expert knowledge. So, with La CLIT, we’re combining the social aspect of a coffee or drink with information provided by professionals.”
The season gets underway with free talks in Italian (English language events will be announced soon!) at L’Ornitorinco bookstore (via dei Camaldoli 10R), including a focus on male sexuality on October 19, female pleasure on November 23 and anal pleasure on December 9. All the events are led by sex experts, therapists and gynecologists.
Francesca and Giulia explain the reasoning behind their e-commerce. “We discovered that the sex toy market is not heavily regulated and many potentially unsafe products are easily available. That’s why we decided to set up an online store selling only 100% body-safe high-quality products, carefully choosing our suppliers.” From women-designed pocket vibrators to quartz dildos, Italian-made anal plugs, 100% natural lubricants and handmade tailored accessories produced in Milan, customers can peruse and purchase curated products that meet the highest standards of body safety, sustainability and ethics.
Francesca and Giulia want to take things further. Their ultimate ambition is to “open the first literary sex shop café in Florence”. Watch this space!