Subscribe to my full feed.
Home

Friday, January 18, 2008

Dita Von Teese will be special guest at Vienna's Opera Ball

Dita Von Teese, Martini GlassModel and burlesque dancer Dita Von Teese will attend Vienna's prestigious Opera Ball later this month as the special guest of an Austrian businessman.

Richard Lugner - a 75-year-old real estate and construction mogul who takes a celebrity to the glamorous gala every year - told a news conference Wednesday that Von Teese would attend the Jan. 31 ball with him.

Von Teese, an American whose real name is Heather Sweet, has gained attention as a retro fashion muse and was briefly married to goth rocker Marilyn Manson.

The corset-wearing beauty is also known for her cocktail glass striptease show and turned heads last year when she made a cameo catwalk appearance as a Spanish-style Virgin Mary in a Jean Paul Gaultier fashion show in Paris.

Lugner keeps the Viennese in suspense each winter over his pick to accompany him to the ball. His past guests have included party girl Paris Hilton, former "Baywatch" stars Carmen Elektra and Pamela Anderson, as well as actress Andie MacDowell and the Duchess of York, Sarah Ferguson.

The Austria Press Agency reported that Lugner's daughter begged him for days to invite Von Teese.

The annual Opera Ball, which is broadcast live on national television, is attended by Austria's politicians and socialites, as well as foreign dignitaries. Tickets for the event are a hot commodity and sell out months ahead of time.

No comments: