Discover Your Inner Bimbo at New Event Space in Pawtucket

Entering The Bimbo Factory. Photo courtesy of @onyxmediastudios

2025 called and said this is going to be the year that the term “bimbo” takes back its former meaning. Thankfully, New England burlesque sensations Lopez La Lopez, Belle Gunz and Jane Doe picked up that call and understood the assignment, putting their minds together to create The Bimbo Factory.  

The queer-owned business is an event space that opened in April welcoming aspiring burlesque, drag and other performers of all types to take classes, attend community-building events, stage photo shoots and spend time co-working in a safe space.  

Located in Pawtucket’s Hope Artiste Village, the trio of ladies made the space scream femininity by decorating it with a hot pink color palette complete with chairs that are in the shape of high heels, disco balls and burlesque props. Muralist Creeps, the mind behind Bad Fit and former co-director of Inspiria Gallery along with Gunz, helped the “bimbos” in the conceptualizing and designing process of The Bimbo Factory. She tapped into her artistic talent to ensure all the painting and visual aesthetics were on brand before continuing her art journey on the West Coast. The look of the space is the first thing visitors see, so it was important to get it right.  

“When people first walk into our space, they gasp with delight. It’s so rewarding to see their eyes light up while hearing grown adults squeal over the playfulness of it all. It really does create an instant environment where people feel like they can let their guard down,” says Gunz.  

Since opening, the space has hosted pop-up galleries, pajama parties, photoshoots for performers, flamenco, burlesque, ballet and acting workshops and even costume sustainability classes –and they’re just getting started. As the space is part BIPOC-owned (Lopez is Latina), BIPOC scholarships and more plans to uplift marginalized voices are on the horizon. Future plans also include orchestrating glitter wrestling matches, sip and sketch nights, figure sketching and more. Recently, the factory added a mutual aid station with Narcan, condoms, fentanyl test strips, menstrual products and a food pantry for anyone in need, thanks to their partnership with Weber/RENEW in Pawtucket. The group dips their toes into anything creative, with the space being a freeing and accepting one for all.  

“Our mission is to provide a space for people to be unapologetically themselves and to celebrate unabashed femininity,” says Doe.

(Left to right) Founders Jane Doe, Lopez La Lopez, Belle Gunz and designer Creeps. Photo courtesy of @onyxmediastudios.

Gunz and Doe have worked together for years, partnering to create performance event company Third House Events. Third House Events is still alive and will now be operating out of The Bimbo Factory. Lopez also co-founded a burlesque organization, Rhody Q, with local performer Odette Goode, which puts on a monthly burlesque open stage at AS220’s Black Box Theatre. All femmes have degrees and jobs outside of the factory, with Doe being an HR director and consultant, Lopez owning her own marketing agency and Gunz working as a hospitality consultant and event planner. All are proudly self-described “bimbos,” which leads us to the backstory of the name.  

Historically the term “bimbo” was used to degrade women. This group of empowered women decided to reclaim the word to make it something to be proud of. 

“We’re taking back a word that is often used to demean those who embrace hyper-femininity, who speak openly about sex, and find joy in aesthetics and glamour. Being a Bimbo/Himbo/Thembo doesn’t mean you lack depth – it means you’re owning your power, intelligence and fabulousness all at once,” says Lopez.  

The one major rule the “bimbos” have is people must leave the judging and negativity at the door. All ages (over eighteen years), body types and identities are welcome, so when people walk into The Bimbo Factory, the goal is for them to feel cozy, safe and happy.  

“Everything happening in the world is terrifying so building a space where people can lean on each other, learn from each other and feel comfortable with each other was at the front of our minds when creating the Bimbo Factory,” Gunz says. 

Follow along to see all of the fun on Instagram @TheBimboFactory_.  

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