For Guy, the Dublin-based Leather Coach, leather is like a passport that opens up a world of travel, community, gear and adventure. A certified professional coach in his real life, Guy has also been using his coaching skills to help leather guys gain confidence. And as he says, it’s more about what’s inside their heads than what they’re wearing.
Wander+Lust tracked Guy down to find out what he offers as a leather coach, and to discuss his adventures exploring the global leather scene.
Let’s start at the beginning of your leather adventure. How did you get into it?
I remember back in high school I got this pair of faux leather pants because I thought they were the coolest thing in the world. Everyone looked at me like I was crazy, but I thought I looked cool and edgy. It was in my late twenties while living in Dublin, when I was a student here in Ireland, that I gave myself permission and freedom to go to more leather events. I got some secondhand gear at a sale. It was my first exposure to the scene.
I’ve never heard of a leather coach before. How did that happen?
I’ve been a coach training coaches, working with different startups and companies over the years. As I was stepping more into my leather self, I started looking for a username. I was like, “Well, I’m a coach and I wear leather, so I’m the Leather Coach.” I started creating content that captured where I was on my journey. People seemed to really like that and I felt very seen. People started to message me with questions, with their uncertainty about leather. It became an area of passion for me. I never tell people what to do and I never tell them the right way to do things. I try to help them build their confidence.
What was your last big trip?
I was away for about a month, some of the travel leather related, some not. For the first part of the trip, I went to Vietnam for a couple of weeks—my husband works for a company that has international conferences. Every now and then, when it’s a cool destination, I join him. Next, I went to Chicago for a week in May for International Mr. Leather and visited friends there. Then it just so happened that there was a wedding I needed to attend in Pennsylvania, so rather than fly back to Ireland, we spent some time in New York. Packing for three weeks in the United States was a strategic process. You always want to feel comfortable and have as many possible things to wear that feel right, so you can show up in your best way. This meant a couple of pairs of pants, one of them leather, one leather shirt, lots of T-shirts, bar vests—different ways to mix and match. I brought a suit for the wedding, but I ended up not wearing it, funnily enough. I’m always very mindful of how I dress and the context of where I’m going. Attending weddings in full leather is not something I’m interested in doing; however, this wedding in particular was for a lovely couple, very close friends. So I ended up being quite leathery. I wore leather pants, a nice black dress shirt, a leather tie and a little leather harness.
Was it a straight wedding or a gay wedding?
Straight.
Dublin is not as big a city as London or Berlin. I’m guessing the gay leather scene there is not as big either. What’s it like?
Fifteen-plus years ago, it was very different. Now it’s fantastic. It’s warm, friendly and social. Dublin Leather Weekend (typically late January; 2026 dates TBA) is one of the most joyful leather events because it’s so easy. Beers and chats and giggles and that lovely Irish feeling that you get when you’re here.
If a visitor can’t make it for Dublin Leather Weekend, what are some other venues where they could connect with the community?
Dublin is not a large city, so it’s easy to move from venue to venue. There aren’t that many venues, but there are a few good ones. The George (89 South Great George’s St., Dublin) has been around for decades and is always home in terms of the community. It has probably some of the best drag on the planet. A wide spectrum of people go to the George.
Street 66 (33-34 Parliament St., Temple Bar, Dublin) is more of a café-bar very close to The George. You just cross the river and it’s there. It’s very much a first date kind of place. It used to be called the Front Lounge.
There are two venues in Dublin that are closely linked because they have the same proprietor, Panti Bliss, who is one of the premier drag queens in Dublin. There’s PantiBar (7-8 Capel St., North City, Dublin), which is a very community-centric bar. They used to have a lot of geared nights, movie nights. They did HIV testing downstairs.
A few years ago, they opened up Pennylane (Regent House, 2 Strand Street Great, North City, Dublin), which is just across the street. It’s more grown up, more café, more relaxed. On a monthly basis, that’s where Leathermen of Ireland have their monthly gear night. The staff are incredible. The crowd, even those who are not in gear, are super chill and enjoy it. Panti and other drag queens show up. It’s just such a lovely and welcoming space.
Beyond the leather and gay scenes, when you have friends visiting Dublin, where do you send them?
I always encourage people to just walk around and get a feeling for the place. I invite people to go to the Guinness Storehouse (St. James’s Gate, Dublin), especially when it’s a rainy day because it’s a wonderfully interactive museum. There’s EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum (The Chq Building, Custom House Quay, North Wall, Dublin), which is a relatively new museum that traces Ireland and Irish people’s journey through the world. It’s a wonderful way for people to track their lineage. The Little Museum of Dublin (15 St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin) is so quaint. It’s a collection of objects and mementos and keepsakes from different people that are all housed in a small Irish house in the city centre. It’s the most unassuming, personal museum.
There’s also Dublin Castle (Dame St., Dublin) and Trinity College, where The Book of Kells Experience (Trinity Long Room, The University of Dublin Trinity College, College Green, South-East Inner City, Dublin) is located.
Berlin is considered the epicentre of Europe’s leather scene. What are your favourite places to visit there?
The moment I got to Berlin, I felt the most incredible joy and confidence and freedom in being in gear in a city where people don’t bat an eye. All the bars are so close to each other that you basically have this stretch that is just yours. My top venue would be Prinzknecht (Fuggerstraße 33, Berlin). It is a homebase for visitors, where every night or day begins. It’s always “meet you there.” You can end up spending your entire night there, but usually what happens is that you start there, to get the social energy, get your battery going, before heading out to explore other places.
Segunda Casa (Eisenacher Str. 2, Berlin), which used to be called Sally Bowles, is a similar lounge space, though here you might decide to go to the cigar lounge and engage in a leather kind of cigar-smoking activity.
New Action (Kleiststraße 35, Berlin) is where most nights end. There’s less talking.
You travel with a lot of gear. What are your tips for packing?
The number one tip is to pack things that are you and feel like you and help you be you. Give yourself the opportunity to have different combinations, so you can always show up in a way that feels comfortable for you. You can’t go wrong with a good pair of boots, a pair of leather pants if you have them, a leather waistcoat or vest and a good form-fitting T-shirt. Generally speaking, it doesn’t have to be about more. It has to be about wearing stuff that helps you put your best self forward.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
