Dita Von Teese

Von Teese was born in Rochester, Michigan, the second of three daughters.[6] When describing her hometown, Dita says, "It's a universe away from the colored klieg lights of Hollywood and Paris. But on weekend afternoons, my mom and I had a front seat on a rocket ship to those faraway worlds by way of the old movies starring the most glamorous creatures --Betty Grable, Mae West, Carmen Miranda, Marlene Dietrich...They were our muses."[7] Her father was a machinist and her mother a manicurist.[6][8] She is of English, Scottish, Armenian, and German heritage.[9] Dita has stated that one of her grandmothers was half-Armenian and adopted into an Anglo-Saxon American family.[10] Von Teese is known for her fascination with 1940s cinema and classic vintage style. This began at a young age and was fostered by her mother, who would buy clothes for her daughter to dress up. Her mother was a fan of old, Golden Age-era Hollywood films, and from her Von Teese developed a fascination with the actresses of that day, especially Betty Grable.

She was classically trained as a ballet dancer from an early age, and danced solo at age 13 for a local ballet company. Though she originally wanted to be a ballerina, Von Teese states that "by 15, I was as good as I'd ever be."[8] She was later to incorporate this element into her burlesque shows, where she frequently goes en pointe. The family relocated from Michigan to Orange County, California, when her father's job moved.[6] Von Teese attended University High School in Irvine, California.[11]

When Von Teese was a teenager, her mother took her to buy her first bra, made from plain white cotton, and gave her a plastic egg containing a pair of wrinkly, flesh-colored pantyhose.[11] Von Teese says she was disappointed, as she had been hoping to receive beautiful lacy garments and stockings, of the type she had glimpsed in her father's Playboy magazines. This fueled her passion for lingerie. She worked in a lingerie store as a salesgirl when she was 15, eventually as a buyer. Von Teese has been fond of wearing elaborate lingerie such as corsets and basques with fully fashioned stockings ever since. In college, Von Teese studied historic costuming and aspired to work as a stylist for films. She is a trained costume designer, often designing (and copyrighting) her photo shoots herself.[12]

Von Teese chose her stage name by adopting the name Dita as a tribute to silent film actress Dita Parlo. For her breakthrough December 2002 Playboy cover, she was required to have a surname, so she chose Von Treese from the phonebook. Playboy misspelled it Von Teese, a name which she then kept.[13] Dita is known for her signature painted eye, heavily penciled brow, swipe of crimson lipstick, and blue-black locks. She says, “I have my signature look and I’m sticking to it, because it’s the look that is one hundred percent me, and one hundred percent created by me. I might be a one-trick for it. But it’s a pretty good trick!”[14]

Burlesque

Von Teese is a prominent Neo-Burlesque performer

Von Teese is best known for her burlesque routines and is frequently dubbed the "Queen of Burlesque" in the press.[21][22] Von Teese began performing burlesque in 1992, and, as a proponent of Neo-Burlesque, has helped to popularize its revival.[23] In her own words, she "puts the tease back into striptease" with long, elaborate dance shows with props and characters, often inspired by 1930s and 1940s musicals and films. Some of her more famous dances have involved a carousel horse, a giant powder compact, a filigree heart and a clawfoot bathtub with a working shower head. Her signature show features a giant martini glass. Her feather fan dance, inspired by burlesque dancer Sally Rand, featured the world's largest feather fans, now on display in Hollywood's Museum of Sex.[24]

Her burlesque career has included some memorable performances. She once appeared at a benefit for the New York Academy of Art wearing nothing but $5 million worth of diamonds.[25] Additionally, Von Teese became the first guest star at the Crazy Horse cabaret club in Paris with her appearance in October 2006.[26] Also in 2006, Von Teese appeared on an episode of America's Next Top Model (cycle 7) doing a workshop to teach the contestants about sexiness by means of burlesque dancing and posing.[27] In 2007, Von Teese performed at the adult entertainment event Erotica 07 in London alongside Italian rock band Belladonna.[28]

Von Teese's first book (in collaboration with Bronwyn Garrity), which consisted of her opinions on the history of burlesque and fetish, Burlesque and the Art of the Teese / Fetish and the Art of the Teese, was published in 2006 by HarperCollins (and in New York by Regan Books).[29] Vanity Fair called her a "Burlesque Superheroine".[30]

Von Teese participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009 in Moscow, Russia, as part of the stage performance for the German entry "Miss Kiss Kiss Bang". The act placed 20th out of 25 participants in the final round of the contest.[31] Later, she said her cleavage was censored during the show because it was too voluptuous.[32]

Von Teese has performed in adult and mainstream films. In her early years, she appeared in fetish-related, softcore pornographic movies, such as Romancing Sara, Matter of Trust (in which she is billed under her real name of Heather Sweet), and also in two Andrew Blake hard-core fetish films, Pin Ups 2[33] and Decadence.

In recent years, she has appeared in more mainstream features, such as the 2005 short film, The Death of Salvador Dali, written by Delaney Bishop, which won best screenplay and best cinematography at SXSW, Raindance Film Festival, and Mill Valley Film Festival, and won Best Actress at Beverly Hills Film Festival. She starred in the feature film Saint Francis in 2007.[34]

In addition, she has appeared in a number of music videos, including the video for the Green Day song "Redundant,"[35] the video for "Zip Gun Bop" by swing band Royal Crown Revue, Agent Provocateur's video for their cover of Joy Division's "She's Lost Control," and (performing her martini-glass burlesque routine) the video for "Mobscene" by Marilyn Manson.[36] She was featured in a striptease/burlesque act in George Michael's live tour 2008, for the song "Feelin' Good".[37] In addition to this, she appeared at the final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2009 as the central feature of Germany's entry, Miss Kiss Kiss Bang by Alex Swings, Oscar Sings.[38] She also appeared in the music video "Up in the Air" by Thirty Seconds to Mars in 2013.[39]

She stated in 2007, "I don't understand why women feel the need to go into acting as soon as they become famous ... But I suppose if the part were aesthetically correct, then maybe I could consider it."[40]

In January 2011, Von Teese guest starred in the CBS police procedural drama series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, in which her friend Eric Szmanda starred, in the episode "A Kiss Before Frying." She played Rita von Squeeze, a femme fatale version of herself, who seduces Szmanda's character, Greg Sanders, in a plot inspired by film noir.[41]

Von Teese on the catwalk at The Heart Truth in February 2011

Von Teese has appeared on a number of best-dressed lists[42] and frequents the front row of fashion shows, particularly Christian Dior, Vivienne Westwood, Jean Paul Gaultier, and Marc Jacobs, labels she is often seen wearing. Speaking of her love of Gaultier, Von Teese has said, "Jean Paul Gaultier, John Galliano, and Vivienne Westwood were the first designers that really made an impact on me. Jean Paul has a lot of the same obsessions that I do, like corsetry, ballet-peach satin and silks, black silk velvet, bullet bras and girdles. When I was a teenager, I would look for 1930s peach satin lingerie pieces to try to get his look for less, because there was no way I could afford his things back then. It was a dream come true to meet him and become friends with him. I met him the first time when I was doing my first fashion pictorial, which was for Flaunt magazine, and it was a huge story of me wearing the most important pieces from his haute couture archives, and that was a dream!" [43]

She has also done catwalk work. During Los Angeles Fashion Week for spring 2004, she modeled for former club kid Richie Rich's fashion label, Heatherette. In 2005, she appeared in the Autumn/Winter Ready-to-Wear show for Giambattista Valli, a former designer for Ungaro, in Paris. In the 2006 Milan Fashion Week, Von Teese was on the runway, opening for the Moschino diffusion label, Moschino Cheap & Chic, autumn/winter 2006/7 show. In 2007, she appeared twice in the Jean Paul Gaultier haute couture show during the Paris Fashion Week, and again in 2014. She has starred in several ad campaigns. She appeared in Vivienne Westwood's spring/summer 2005 collection adverts and became the face of Australian clothing range "Wheels and Dollbaby" for their 2006/7 Spring/Summer advertising campaign. She was an ambassador/spokesmodel for HIV/AIDS awareness when she was selected (along with Eve, Debbie Harry, and Lisa Marie Presley) for MAC Cosmetics' Viva Glam VI campaign (a collection of lipsticks and lipgloss where 100% of the proceeds are for worldwide AIDS charities and to raise awareness for HIV/AIDS). Von Teese has appeared in Vanity Fair, Vogue, Elle,[44] and international issues of nearly every fashion magazine. She has campaigned on behalf of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and has appeared in their ads. She also participated in PETA's campaign "Animal Birth Control (ABC)."[45]

Von Teese states that she never uses 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 make-up, and dyes her naturally blonde hair black at home.[8] Von Teese's unique style is "inspired by eccentric women like Luisa Casati, Anna Piaggi, and Isabella Blow."[46] She also says, “Doing it myself is a matter of integrity and pride. I look forward to stepping out of the world and honestly stating “Yes, I did this.” I love the confidence it gives me. I would feel a fraud otherwise. Truth is, it takes less time [than a stylist] for me to do it myself. It is also so much more fun! Why would I deny myself such pure pleasure?”[47]

She has designed a new lingerie range with Wonderbra.[48] One of Dita Von Teese's trademark items is the garter belt with six garters instead of the usual four, with two each at the front, side seams and back.[49] In May 2012, Von Teese launched her makeup collection "Classics" in partnership with the German cosmetic brand Art Deco. Compact powder, blushers, eye styler, eye shadows, mascara and lipstick were produced to recreate the burlesque performer's retro look.[50]

In 2012, Dita Von Teese launched her own clothing line[51] and underwear line called Von Follies.[52][53] In 2013, Dita was both model and muse for the 'Dita' 3D printed gown designed by Michael Schmidt and Francis Bitonti and 3D printed by Shapeways exactly to fit her body.[54] Constructed of over 3,000 interlocked 3D printed components and over 12,000 Swarovski crystals it is one of the first fully articulated 3D printed garments to take the technology from haute couture to a sensual fabric-like form.[55]

Dita has also worked creating her own fragrances. She’s created 4. Her first was named Dita Von Teese (Released Fall 2011) and is described by Dita as mood setting for glamour. Her second was named Rouge (Released November 2012) and is described as mood setting for seduction. The third FleurTeese(Released Spring 2013) is for romance and Erotique (Released Fall 2013) is mood setting to be erotic.[56] She says, “I lusted after something that would appeal to those of us not reluctant to proclaim we are women. Too many best-selling scents are so fruity and vanilla with a sweetly cloying air that a mere spritz gives me a toothache. Or they smell like cake. I do not want to smell like cake!”[57]

In 2014, Von Teese began working with Myer, an Australian department store, on a lingerie line fronted by Australian model Stefania Ferrario.[58]

On January 22, 2020, Von Teese walked in Jean Paul Gaultier's final couture fashion show in Paris.[59]

Von Teese practices Pilates and dressage. Her house is dedicated to early 20th-century décor, including a complete pink kitchen with vintage appliances. Her home has no white walls, something Von Teese claims she is afraid of.[60] She also has a room dedicated to hats.[6]

Von Teese currently resides in Hollywood.[61][62] She is a collector of vintage china, particularly egg cups and tea sets,[63] and drives a 1939 Packard One Twenty Eight, a 1946 Ford Super De Luxe,[64] a BMW Z4 and a 1965 Jaguar S-Type.[65] She also owned a 1939 Chrysler New Yorker from 1997 to December 2010.[66] She says, “I live to surround myself with everyday things that are beautiful. I serve my home-baked petit fours on porcelain pedestals and sip tea from flowery tea cups, charming gems from my flea market treasure hunts. I keep cosmetic brushes in vintage vase cast like the heads of ladies, complete with glamour dos and makeup. I always carry a pretty compact, maybe one scored for next to nothing on eBay”[7]

Von Teese has been in a relationship with graphic designer Adam Rajcevich since 2014.[67]

She used to own a Devon Rex cat, Aleister, who passed away on May 26, 2020.[7]

• Von Teese, Dita; Garrity, Bronwyn (2006). Burlesque and the Art of the Teese: Fetish and the art of the teese. New York: Harper Collins/Regan Books. ISBN 978-0060591670.

• Your Beauty Mark: The Ultimate Guide to Eccentric Beauty (2015). ISBN 978-0-06-072271-5

• Official website
• Dita Von Teese on IMDb
• Dita Von Teese at the Adult Film Database