PHOTO: It Is Not About Striptease, But About Style

A world famous performer, the fashion industry and artists' muse Dita von Teese has reintroduced the classic pin up image.

Heather Sweet, better known as Dita von Teese these days, was born in Michigan on September 28, 1972 and the concept of the retro style which she cherishes with such delicacy was passed on to her from her mother, who was a fan of the Golden Age of Hollywood. She danced ballet as a child, which can still be felt in her acts today.  

It’s not about nudity, it’s about style  

At the age of 15, she started working at a lingerie boutique, which is where she got her first corset. Dita studied the history of costumes and worked as a stylist in the film industry, so her expertise in fashion is not a matter of debate in any sense. 

When she was 19, she was disappointed by the lack of originality in strippers’ acts and started working at the local strip club, creating a vintage look and an imaginative act, which resulted in the clients being both confused and fascinated. 

With her creative endeavour, the queen of burlesque has dismissed the boundaries between art, fashion, music, the naked body and stage design itself.   

This was also the beginning of her enviable, splendid career as a fetish model, owing to the elegance of her pin up retro look, which has evolved inspired by Bettie Page.  

"There isn't a heel high enough for Dita Von Teese. She has the style of a bird of paradise," said shoe designer Christian Louboutin. 

Queen of style without stylists 

That the woman's superiority knows no bounds is evident in her appearing in films Romancing Sara, Matter of Trust, Pin Ups 2, Decadence, The Death of Salvador Dali, Saint Francis and The Boom Boom Room, which are expected to arrive to theatres later this year. She has appeared in music videos and is the face of advertising campaigns in the fashion industry.  

The extent to which the fashion industry was thrilled to see Dita’s elegant retro look is evident in the fact that she is included on the lists of the best dressed women in the world. 

Regardless of her being faithful to her style, Dita follows fashion shows with great interest from the front rows and is a regular guest at Moschino and Marc Jacobs’ shows. She is often seen wearing their designs. 

She was at the fashion shows of Richie Rich, Giambattista Valli, Moschino, Jean Paul Gaultier, Vivienne Westwood, Louis Vuitton. 

Von Teese has never used a stylist: "The one time I hired a stylist, they picked up a pair of my 1940s shoes and said, 'These would look really cute with jeans.' I immediately said, 'You’re out of here.'" She does her own makeup and dyes her natural blonde hair black by herself.  

Her beauty is stunning, with a fantastic style of dress to which she herself gives personality, said Stefano Pilati from Yves Saint Laurent, impressed with Dita. 

Beauty is relative: “What you’re not born with, you can create”     

Her porcelain face appeared in many cosmetics companies’ campaigns as well as on the covers of fashion magazines Vanity Fair, Vogue and Elle.

“I'm more attracted to glamour than natural beauty. The young Marilyn Monroe was a pretty girl in a sea of pretty girls. Then she had her hair bleached, fake eyelashes, and that's when she became extraordinary. It's that idea of what you're not born with, you can create,” said the burlesque artist. 

Von Teese, who openly admits to having had her breasts enlarged, was happy to build on what nature had given her at an early age, which is style: “I had an Aunt Opal, who was very painted - green eye shadow, drawn-on beauty marks, flaming red hair. She smoked from a cigarette holder and swore like a sailor. Most people thought she was vulgar, but I wanted to be like her when I grew up!" 

“Am I going to be frolicking about in my G-string in a champagne glass when I'm 60 years old? No.” 

See Dita in the PHOTO GALLERY.