Major magnet for the leather-minded shopper
An Amsterdam institution started in 1975 by Robert Meijer (died 1991), RoB has has since spread its corporate wings in several directions, with a franchise in Paris (but no longer London, Zürich, Berlin, Brussels and Manchester), and has emerged as perhaps the most recognised global brand of gay leather fetish wear, both off-the-peg and custom-made. The business is more slick and the leather slightly less special than in za old days, but the RoB name retains a certain gravitas nevertheless, and this Warmoesstraat outlet remains a starting point for many a leather visitor to the city. And while the business still caters to severe practitioners of bondage and SM with the full spectrum of gear and accessories, it has embraced rubber, neoprene and, more recently, textiles as tastes change in more casual and democratic directions. The Berlin enterprise changed its name to R&Co in April 2015, and now is not connected RoB.