Born Heather Renée Sweet (and a natural blonde) on September 28, 1972 in Rochester, Michigan to a manicurist and a machinist of Armenian heritage, Dita Von Teese is an internationally acclaimed burlesque entertainer who’s shows are renown for elaborate choreography and stage craft.

As a young child Dita began not only began training in classical ballet but also cultivating an interest in 1940′s cinema and Golden-Era Hollywood entertainers and fashion.

She would even sneak peeks at her father’s Playboy magazines, admiring the lacy garments and stockings worn by the models.

Dita would later study historic costumes in college and work as a lingerie salesgirl and buyer.

At age 18, Dita began performing as a stripper.

Bored by the lack of originality from the other stripper’s routines, Von Teese designed her own 40′s inspired acts and costumes, complete with beehive hairstyle and elbow-length gloves.

It was during this same time, Dita Von Teese began her career as a fetish model, standing apart from others through her retro pin-up look,reminescent of Bettie Page.

She would later appear on the cover of many international fetish publications, including Bizarre and Marquis magazine; and The Seductive Art of Japanese Bondage and would eventually be featured several times in Playboy magazine.

Known as “The Queen Of Burlesque”, Von Teese is credited with actually revitalizing the art. She’s known for long, extravagant dance shows with props and characters inspired by 1930′s and 40′s musicals and films. Her feather fan dance, borrowed from Sally Rand, used the world’s largest feather fan, now on display at Hollywood’s Museum Of Sex.

At 5′ 5” and 114lbs, Von Teese has reduced her natural waistline to 22 inches (56 cm) and can wear a corset laced down to 16.5 inches (42 cm). In fetish circles she is known as a tightlacer.

An occasional actress, she has appeared in soft-porno, fetish movies, such as Romancing Sara, Matter of Trust, billed as Heather Sweet and two hard-core fetish films by Andrew Blake: Pin Ups and Decadence.

More recently, she has appeared in more traditional features, such as the 2005 short film, The Death of Salvador Dali, Saint Francis and The Boom Boom Room and numerous music videos, including Green Days “Redundant”,”Zip Gun Bop” by swing band RoyalCrown Revue, Agent Provocateur’s video for Joy Division’s “She’s Lost Control,” and “Mobscene” by Marilyn Manson.

Of course Dita Von Teese was once married to Marilyn Manson, who had been a long time fan of her website (credited as one of the first Model websites).

They’re first meeting involved Marilyn Manson asking Von Teese to dance in his music video (she was unable due to contractual reasons). As the story goes,

On Manson’s 32nd birthday, in 2001, she arrived with a bottle of absinthe, and they became a couple. Manson proposed on March 22, 2004 and gave her a 1930s, 7-carat, European round-cut diamond engagement ring. On November 28, 2005, they were married in a private, non-denominational ceremony in their home.

A larger ceremony was held on December 3 at Gurteen Castle in Kilsheelan (County Tipperary), Ireland, the home of their friend, Gottfried Helnwein. The wedding was officiated by surrealist film director and comic book writer Alejandro Jodorowsky. They reportedly exchanged vows in front of approximately 60 guests. – Source

On December 29, 2006, Von Teese divorced Manson citing “irreconcilable differences.”

“I wasn’t supportive of his partying or his relationship with another girl. As much as I loved him I wasn’t going to be part of that.” – Dita Von Teese

Ironically an entertainer who makes her living taking her clothes off, is most famous for her very unique fashion and style sense. She is her own stylist (does her own hair and makeup), and has appeared on numerous “best-dressed” lists and is often seen in front rows of top designer fashion shows such as Christian Dior and Marc Jacobs, labels she often wears.

“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.’” - Dita Von Teese

She has even done a great deal of runway modeling and has appeared in the Los Angeles Fashion Week 2004 walking for Richie Rich’s label Heatherette; Milan Fashion Week 2006 for Moschino and Paris Fashion Week 2007 for Jean Paul Gaultier Haute Couture.

Additionally, she has worked several ad campaigns, including Vivienne Westwood’s spring/summer 2005 collection adverts and she was the spokes model for  Australian clothing range Wheels and Dollbaby.  Having appeared in Vanity Fair, Vogue, Elle and many other international glamour and fashion magazines she is also a spokesmodel for MAC Cosmetics.

Source

Dita Von Teese Photogallery

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