Dita von Teese reveals Wonderbra lingerie collection

A leading light in the revival of burlesque, Dita Von Teese is celebrated for her hourglass curves and the retro style she wears to make the most of them.

Naturally for the model and muse, it's important to love every layer.

Lingerie has long loomed large in her life, and now the star has launched her own designs for underwear brand Wonderbra - fittingly, by perching on a swing shaped like a giant bra, in London's Covent Garden.

And she's thrilled that her designs will soon be making their way into other women's lingerie drawers.

"My first job was working in a lingerie store and I always thought some day I would love to have my own lingerie store or be a lingerie buyer, I never thought that I would be doing this."

Dita appeared wearing an elegant peach strapless gown, cinched in at the waist to show off her curves - the immaculate makeup and glamorous waving hair-do goes without saying.

Her vintage look is inspired by the golden age of 1940s cinema.

"I think I'm really sort of mostly influenced by the past but not just of one particular era I think a lot of the eras are kind of - I like the idea of them all being melding together and it just being about the spirit of old Hollywood"

Like her former husband Marilyn Manson, Dita loves a show stopping image.

The star kicks against the trend for natural beauty - creating a memorable look is far more fun, she says.

"There's just so much emphasis put on being natural and real and of the moment and fashionable I kind of disagree with all those things, I love artifice I love man made beauty, I like the idea of being whoever you want to be and not just saying this is what I've got, this is what I've going to live with"

And she bats away any suggestion that beauty is pain when it comes to shaping her figure with corsets. She bought her first one when she was at school and has been a fan of them ever since.

"A lot of people put a lot of emphasis on oh, me wearing corsets and the pain and suffering but I think it's a little like wearing a high heeled shoe, it's not as pleasant as wearing a - going barefoot of course, but there's something about it that we love, that manipulation and the sort of discipline and the way that everything changes about your body shape and that's what I love about things like corsets and high heeled shoes."

Making a statement with your style is what it's all about for Dita. Her fashion icons are all brave with their wardrobe choices.

"I definitely look to people that have an unfaltering sense of themselves, I love seeing what Tilda Swinton is wearing for instance, I think she has a really distinctive, interesting look and doesn't play it safe."

"Madonna throughout her history has done some outrageous things," she continues, "and I know that she's - you can tell that when she puts together a look or a style she knows about it, it's not just a team of people doing it."

Your look doesn't have to be always polished and sleek to get Dita's vote, just strong.

"Amy Winehouse who has a very distinctive style with regard to her make up and her hair and even though it gets a little messy sometimes, it's still there and it doesn't change."

And the first step towards top to toe perfection?
"You know, you should definitely have good lingerie, you should respect yourself by throwing out all the things that have holes and blown out elastic or stains or whatever, just get rid of it and buy something new. But fortunately you don't have to spend a lot of money to have glamor and function in your lingerie drawer anymore," insists Dita, "and I think the other thing is good shoes."

Behind the scenes with Dita Von Tease