It’s not every day a boutique kink shop makes it onto Late Night with Seth Meyers, but thanks to a recent break-in at Sinvention in Stratford, Ontario, Canada, the beloved leather gear makers found themselves the punchline of a very unexpected gag. Thankfully, even the folks behind the counter at Sinvention saw the humor in it.
But behind the laughs was a serious incident. In the early hours of May 23, two masked individuals smashed through the front door of the Sinvention store and made off with about $8,000 worth of high-end leather gear, cash, and adult accessories.
“We certainly weren’t expecting to have to restock half our store in a day,” co-owner Julie Bell told CTV News. “That’s a big hit for small businesses.”
Sinvention’s intimate products — many of them handcrafted on-site — aren’t the sort of items that are easily replaced. Still, within just days, the Stratford Police Service had identified suspects and recovered a significant portion of the stolen items.
“We really didn’t expect much from the investigation,” Bell told CTV News. “I was glad to hear there would be a couple of people held accountable.”
While some items remain unrecovered, Sinvention has already stepped up its security measures, installing additional alarms and surveillance systems. And through it all, the team has kept a sense of humor.
“It was perhaps maybe a little bit more interesting subject matter than [police] may be used to dealing with, so I think there’s a lot of enthusiasm to get closure for us,” Bell told CTV News.
For those who don’t already know, Sinvention is more than just a leather boutique, it’s a cornerstone of the kink community in Canada and beyond. Founded in the 1990s by two passionate artisans, Sinvention has grown from leather “experiments” in a family-run saddlery into a global name in premium bondage gear, celebrated for its attention to detail, quality craftsmanship, and ethical materials.
Whether you’re visiting their Stratford boutique or shopping online, Sinvention offers a thoughtfully curated collection of handmade leather gear, accessories, and pleasure products designed with kink in mind. With deep roots in the heterosexual kink, gay, and BDSM communities, the company has always stood proudly for craftsmanship, inclusivity, and sexual self-expression.
As Sinvention continues to bounce back from this costly disruption, their message is clear: They’re still here, they’re still kinky, and they’re still crafting gear worth owning!
Read more about the incident here.
Additional videos here and here.
Visit Sinvention online by clicking here
