Born Heather Sweet in West Branch, Michigan, Dita Von Teese grew up fascinated by the Golden Age of Cinema, pin-up imagery, and vintage lingerie. This naturally blond, mid-western girl then transformed herself into a glamour girl like those she admired. Performing striptease since 1992, she is the biggest name in burlesque since Gypsy Rose Lee and is credited with bringing the art form back into the spotlight with a new sense of elegance and sophistication.
Taking audiences on a journey into fantasy and spectacle, Dita is renowned for her ornate sets and dazzling haute-couture performance costumes adorned with hundreds of thousands of Swarovski crystals. This “Burlesque Superheroine” (Vanity Fair) is the performer of choice at high profile events including those for designers such as Marc Jacobs, Christian Louboutin, Louis Vuitton, Chopard, and Cartier, and was the first guest star in history at Paris’ famed Crazy Horse (established in 1951) where she has performed several sold-out runs. In 2011, Dita brought burlesque to prime time television in the States when she appeared as a guest star on CSI and performed her classic Martini Glass show in an episode billed as “too hot to handle.”
In addition to her burlesque shows, Dita is a self-styled fashion icon who tops best-dressed lists all over the world and also has her own distinct brands. Her lingerie collection is slated to debut with major retailers in the U.S. in the beginning of 2014, and recently launched to rave reviews with MYER Australia. It is available internationally via online sites STYLEBOP.com, Glamuse.com, and asos.com. She has also launched four fragrances which are all available at Ron Robinson in Los Angeles as well as on dita.net and beautylish.com. Her latest scent “Erotique” will debut on-air and online with HSN later this year.
Her Dita Von Teese capsule dress collection which is based on her personal vintage collection, was released exclusively at David Jones in Australia, and in the U.S. exclusively via Decades, the premiere vintage boutique in Los Angeles. It is now available at the Bettie Page stores and online at bettiepageclothing.com. Dita is also a best-selling author who is currently working on her third book, “Your Beauty Mark,” a guide to eccentric glamour, which is slated for Holiday 2014 release.
Dita has served as the global ambassador for Cointreau since 2007 and as such she has created signature cocktails such as the “Cointreau Teese” and the “Margadita,” as well as traveling the world performing her “Be Cointreauversial” glass show, and her latest “Cointreau Diva Exotica” show inspired by the 1940s when the Margarita was developed. In 2010 and 2011, she was also the face of Perrier for an exclusive set of limited edition bottles and cans.
An advocate in the fight against HIV and Aids, Dita was a MAC Viva Glam Spokesperson from 2006-2008 and in 2009 she participated in the H&M/Fashion Against Aids t-shirt campaign. She has also performed and appeared at several events for Amfar and was honored with their Award of Courage in 2008. Her status as a burlesque star and modern-day feminist has also garnered her an invitation to speak at the Oxford Student Union, where other elected speakers have included the Dalai Lama, Mother Teresa, Tony Blair, and Anna Wintour.
Dita is currently touring her full-length revue “Burlesque: Strip Strip Hooray!” with Live Nation, with upcoming spring dates to be announced soon – visit stripstriphooray.com for more information.
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