The Art of the Teese
Mar. 20th, 2006 10:00 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dancerjodiBrian and I picked up the new Dita Von Teese book this weekend. They had a few copies at Barnes and Noble in the "Relationships" section (sna?) right next to the "Sexuality" section.
Its got a lot of great and artistic photos in it, some biographical info, some how to's (music, makeup, nails) and a bit of burlesque history. The book also comes in 2 parts, with one 1/2 focusing on burlesque and the other half focusing on fetish (the photos and commentary match each section). It cost around $35 retail (versus the $22 advertised on Amazon). We didn't really want to wait for the shipping, though it does go to show you why retail sales are suffering for mail order.
Interestingly, she lists the top WORLD fetish events, and Manray's B&D Ball is in the middle of the list. :) I remember when we saw her at the divey Crystal Palace in Worcester years ago, and first told her about Manray (she claimed she had never heard of it before at that point, who knows). A few year's later she'd emcee the ball with her boyfriend in tow.
Alas, gone are the days I think of seeing her in a small club setting. I'm happy for her popularity, but will miss being able to be that close to see such performance!
EDIT ON 3/21:
I read the burlesque portion of the book last night. Dita talks a wee bit of how she got interested in burlesque, and gives an overview of the history of it. As a part of this history she describes fashion and makeup norms for each decade (20's, 30's, 40's, 50's) and some of her favorite burlesque performers, actresses, music and styles from these times. What's interesting is how Dita describes herself as not a naturally attractive woman, and says that she's as beautiful as she is because of the face she puts on (costumes, makeup, hair). Similarly, she mentions the wonder of the corset in making her look more voluptuous (she only weighs a bit over 100 lbs, and is as tall as me). She describes her love of curvy women, and acknowledges that sans corset, she's not too curvey.
Its neat to see someone so amazingly, breathtakingly beautiful come out and say that what you see isn't really what's underneath. I guess I didn't expect that.
Dita describes how she's always 'on', how she puts great effort into her appearance at all times, and you'd never see her in sweatpants or blue jeans. Similarly, she loves and really appreciates men that do the same (explains her attraction to Mr. Warner, who she dedicates the book to). She doesn't think she was born at the wrong time - if anything she thinks that her style and way of living is needed now when people don't give too much care or put much preparation into how they look. Its true that its striking to meet someone that looks so put together all of the time. We have an older case manager at the hospital like that, and she always looks lovely. Miss Peggy was also the same. Though I never want to take the extra time in the morning before work to get -so- put together, it is nice and refreshing to see people like that. I think its more of an issue of appreciating someone taking the time (but not requiring that people do so). I think that's where feminism has gotten us. Women and men no longer have the pressure to conform to such formal standards (if anything, what's cool or fashionable now is very informal). Its nice to see people that continue to do it by choice. Some styles are just timeless. Definitely some things to think about!
EDIT ON 3/23:
The format of the fetish section is similar to the burlesque half (makes sense), where Dita talks a bit of the history of fetish (time periods, key players, media) and how she herself got into it. On her trip to a sex shop to buy her first corset she asked for photos of women in corsets, and the salesperson introduced her to many images, the most striking being Betty Page. Dita grew more interested in her, crafting her own initial style on Ms. Page, which of course lead her to fetish. She describes her love for foot fetishes (and fetishists), and shares a story of when she was working as an exotic dancer and a patron asked her to come down off of the stage and merely let him look at, and then touch her foot. Betty and that club patron opened the door to a world that many visit, despite trying to keep it hidden.
Dita revisits the idea that she is always 'on' or in character in the fetish portion of the book. She describes how clothes are a way we show who we are: business people, doctors, athletes, and fetishists. She connects fetish and burlesque in that the latter can be seen as a type of the former - the two go hand in hand. She morns times of free expression where sex wasn't a thing to hide away, and chaulks people's fetishes in some part up to the fact that they are denied what they naturally want (she gives the example of a little boy with his Dad at a liquor store saying "Oh Daddy, look at the pretty lady" only to have the Dad scold him and push him out of the store, giving her a dirty look).
In conclusion, Dita notes that people are always asking her if what she does with her life is a form of feminism. It is she replies, if you mean that feminism is the pursuit of being the most feminine. She relishes in the sensual power that women can hold and experience, while at the same time enjoying the damsel in distress role. The book has a really neat ending quote which I can't remember, but its along the lines of 'why not do it, its fun and fabulous'.
I've definitely enjoyed reading the book for its insights into where Dita is coming from, the overview of burlesque and fetish scene history, and I have some things to take away for later (books to read, movies to see, interesting fasion items to seek out). It also leaves me curious to read Mr. Warner's autobiography that's been on our shelf for years (Brian read it when it first came out, but I still haven't). I can truly see how the couple may be two peas in a pod, each having something inside them that the outside mainstream world may find odd. Quite the cute, schmoopy, freaky couple! :)
Its got a lot of great and artistic photos in it, some biographical info, some how to's (music, makeup, nails) and a bit of burlesque history. The book also comes in 2 parts, with one 1/2 focusing on burlesque and the other half focusing on fetish (the photos and commentary match each section). It cost around $35 retail (versus the $22 advertised on Amazon). We didn't really want to wait for the shipping, though it does go to show you why retail sales are suffering for mail order.
Interestingly, she lists the top WORLD fetish events, and Manray's B&D Ball is in the middle of the list. :) I remember when we saw her at the divey Crystal Palace in Worcester years ago, and first told her about Manray (she claimed she had never heard of it before at that point, who knows). A few year's later she'd emcee the ball with her boyfriend in tow.
Alas, gone are the days I think of seeing her in a small club setting. I'm happy for her popularity, but will miss being able to be that close to see such performance!
EDIT ON 3/21:
I read the burlesque portion of the book last night. Dita talks a wee bit of how she got interested in burlesque, and gives an overview of the history of it. As a part of this history she describes fashion and makeup norms for each decade (20's, 30's, 40's, 50's) and some of her favorite burlesque performers, actresses, music and styles from these times. What's interesting is how Dita describes herself as not a naturally attractive woman, and says that she's as beautiful as she is because of the face she puts on (costumes, makeup, hair). Similarly, she mentions the wonder of the corset in making her look more voluptuous (she only weighs a bit over 100 lbs, and is as tall as me). She describes her love of curvy women, and acknowledges that sans corset, she's not too curvey.
Its neat to see someone so amazingly, breathtakingly beautiful come out and say that what you see isn't really what's underneath. I guess I didn't expect that.
Dita describes how she's always 'on', how she puts great effort into her appearance at all times, and you'd never see her in sweatpants or blue jeans. Similarly, she loves and really appreciates men that do the same (explains her attraction to Mr. Warner, who she dedicates the book to). She doesn't think she was born at the wrong time - if anything she thinks that her style and way of living is needed now when people don't give too much care or put much preparation into how they look. Its true that its striking to meet someone that looks so put together all of the time. We have an older case manager at the hospital like that, and she always looks lovely. Miss Peggy was also the same. Though I never want to take the extra time in the morning before work to get -so- put together, it is nice and refreshing to see people like that. I think its more of an issue of appreciating someone taking the time (but not requiring that people do so). I think that's where feminism has gotten us. Women and men no longer have the pressure to conform to such formal standards (if anything, what's cool or fashionable now is very informal). Its nice to see people that continue to do it by choice. Some styles are just timeless. Definitely some things to think about!
EDIT ON 3/23:
The format of the fetish section is similar to the burlesque half (makes sense), where Dita talks a bit of the history of fetish (time periods, key players, media) and how she herself got into it. On her trip to a sex shop to buy her first corset she asked for photos of women in corsets, and the salesperson introduced her to many images, the most striking being Betty Page. Dita grew more interested in her, crafting her own initial style on Ms. Page, which of course lead her to fetish. She describes her love for foot fetishes (and fetishists), and shares a story of when she was working as an exotic dancer and a patron asked her to come down off of the stage and merely let him look at, and then touch her foot. Betty and that club patron opened the door to a world that many visit, despite trying to keep it hidden.
Dita revisits the idea that she is always 'on' or in character in the fetish portion of the book. She describes how clothes are a way we show who we are: business people, doctors, athletes, and fetishists. She connects fetish and burlesque in that the latter can be seen as a type of the former - the two go hand in hand. She morns times of free expression where sex wasn't a thing to hide away, and chaulks people's fetishes in some part up to the fact that they are denied what they naturally want (she gives the example of a little boy with his Dad at a liquor store saying "Oh Daddy, look at the pretty lady" only to have the Dad scold him and push him out of the store, giving her a dirty look).
In conclusion, Dita notes that people are always asking her if what she does with her life is a form of feminism. It is she replies, if you mean that feminism is the pursuit of being the most feminine. She relishes in the sensual power that women can hold and experience, while at the same time enjoying the damsel in distress role. The book has a really neat ending quote which I can't remember, but its along the lines of 'why not do it, its fun and fabulous'.
I've definitely enjoyed reading the book for its insights into where Dita is coming from, the overview of burlesque and fetish scene history, and I have some things to take away for later (books to read, movies to see, interesting fasion items to seek out). It also leaves me curious to read Mr. Warner's autobiography that's been on our shelf for years (Brian read it when it first came out, but I still haven't). I can truly see how the couple may be two peas in a pod, each having something inside them that the outside mainstream world may find odd. Quite the cute, schmoopy, freaky couple! :)
