Biography
An alluring glamour girl who brilliantly channeled Bettie Page, Dita Von Teese drew on her love of vintage films, lingerie and style to become the modern queen of burlesque. With her milky white skin, black-as-midnight hair and 1940s-inspired high fashion, Von Teese cut a striking figure on red carpets and runways, becoming one of the most popular and influential fetish models of all time. She achieved household name status thanks to her romance with and marriage to shock rocker Marilyn Manson, who shot her 2002 Playboy cover pictorial. While the pairing perplexed some fans and critics, others saw the two as a match made in Goth heaven, and they drew worldwide attention as the object of intense curiosity, scrutiny and envy. Although they split after a year due to Manson's alleged party lifestyle, Von Teese continued her career as the greatest champion of the art of burlesque since Gypsy Rose Lee, earning millions of fans and dollars with clever-but-naughty routines that involved giant martini glasses, feather fans and dazzling costumes dripping in diamonds. Beloved by both woman and men for her playful, intelligent sensuality and style, Von Teese lent her expertise to such productions as "Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle" (2003) and took the occasional acting role, including a spot on "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" (CBS, 2000-15). As smart as she was sultry, Dita Von Teese created a retro-but-cutting-edge character for herself that impacted opinions on sexuality, glamour and fashion.
