Burlesque icon dons six yards of oomph

[1]

Dim lights, sparkling chandeliers, a live bar and groovy numbers played by the DJ set the party mood. As the serenading tunes of In aankhon ki masti ke mastane hazaron hain played in the background, dressed in a black lace saree by designer duo Shivan-Narresh and traditional jewellery including a mang-tikka, Dita Von Teese, the international queen of burlesque, made her much-awaited appearance.
“I had heard about this exotic and magical land called India and always dreamt of coming over. It is a beautiful place, rich in culture and tradition. I am enjoying my stay here and would love to have a few touristy days,” says Dita on her maiden visit to the country as the global brand ambassador of the French orange liqueur brand, Cointreau.
As with most visitors, she decided to have a glimpse of Taj Mahal. “It is an outstanding monument. I loved exploring it,” she smiled. Apart from other things, she swears by Indian delicacies. “I have been gorging on the Indian food since the time I landed here. I enjoyed every bit of it, especially the chicken tandoori,” adds Dita.
Talking about her early life, the 40-year-old recalled, “I was obsessed with films from the 30’s and 40’s from a very young age. I wore my hair and makeup in vintage style. Eventually working for a lingerie store, I was interested in collecting them and getting photographed in pin-up style. Thereafter, I joined a stripclub and loved sporting corsets and stockings. It wasn’t until I really started learning more about the history of striptease, that I learned of this word ‘burlesque’, and even then it wasn’t important for me to call myself a ‘burlesque dancer’. There wasn’t really a burlesque scene then, like there is now.”
She further added, “Now almost twenty years into my career, I usually still cut to the chase and say I’m a stripper, so I don’t have to explain what burlesque is, mainly because I feel a bit silly explaining the difference between striptease and burlesque. So throughout my career, my goal was to change people’s minds about what it actually is to be a stripper, to pay a tribute to the daring ladies that came before me and to dispel the modern myth that burlesque is just retro-style dancing.”
The designer duo, Shivan-Narresh, who styled her look for the evening said, “Dita has been an all time muse, epitomising height of beauty and it was a great experience to dress her. Her special wish to experience Bollywood on her maiden trip was kept in mind and the saree came across as the best way for her to get a taste of it. The classic black saree was translated in lace, a technique closest in depicting Dita’s love for lingerie and corsetry. It was crafted with delicate 1940’s influenced black lace, styled with traditional Indian jewellery that personifies elegance of Dita Von Teese.”
Talking about her saree, Dita said, “Black lace always works for me and I find the saree really beautiful.”