Dita Von Teese's Wonderbra Lingerie Launch

Dita Von Teese made an appearance in London today, but it wasn't to strip off as part of her Burlesque routine.

The 36-year-old dancer was in the capital to launch her latest line for lingerie giants, Wonderbra.

However, she left the stripping to two leggy models, while keeping her modesty in a formulaic, low-cut black dress and elbow-length leather gloves.

Dita Von Teese is flanked by two models as she launches her new 'party edition' line for Wonderbra at the Dorchester Hotel in London

She posed on a chaise longue at the Dorchester Hotel, flanked by the models who sported the new 'party edition' line of lingerie.

Dita signed up with Wonderbra in 2008 and launched her first range for the company in September of that year.

And, like the star much of the lingerie harks back to the 1940s and 50s, and is based on her very own designs.

Burlesque star launches a new range of lingerie for Wonderbra

The latest line features five styles and includes the Multi Teese Party Edition bra and thong set, with elegant velvet straps, bow detail and sequins.

Other items intended to inspire customers to get into the party mood include a vintage-style red and black high suspender belt, black lace bra and knicker set, and a red and black cleavage-enhancing bra with lace detail and a ribbon bow.

Last year Dita revealed that becoming the face of Wonderbra was a dream come true.

The new Wonderbra features lingerie inspired by 1940s and 50s and is based on Dita Von Teese's very own designs

'I've always wanted to do something with lingerie and it was important for the finished product to be something I would wear myself,' she said.

Burlesque dancer Dita Von Teese poses with models during the launch of her 'The Party Edition' lingerie collection at the Dorchester Hotel in London

Preview of Dita: Stripteese

Famed photographer Sheryl Nields brings burlesque superstar Dita Von Teese to life in a series of flip books that capture the dancer's most intimate performances. A perfect collectible book for fans of Dita, classic burlesque devotees, or for anyone who loves a playful and beautifully packaged book, "Dita: Striptease" is an exquisite visual tribute to this one-of-a-kind performer, featuring three of her most beloved dances.

Martini Glass Show - Performed all over the world, the martini glass show is Dita's most famous burlesque act. Featuring her in her 'Diamonds in the Buff' costume, Dita performs a traditional striptease that culminates with her bathing herself in an oversize martini glass, complete with olive sponge.

Bird of Paradise Show - Inside a posh gilded Victorian birdcage, burlesque's brightest star reinvents the classic feather fan dance with two lush oversize feather fans of exotic, rare magenta pheasant feathers. In an extraordinary costume of beautifully curved feathers, Dita spins around on her golden perch, and treats audiences to an unforgettable wet and wild finale as sparkling water showers over her body.

Classic Striptease - This striptease features Dita dressed in a vintage suit complete with a veiled hat, seamed stockings, and sky-high stilettos. Audiences get a glimpse into Dita's personal wardrobe - and what she reveals underneath it!

Dita: Stripteese will be released on Nov 3, but is available for pre-order now from Amazon:

Pre-order Dita: Stripteese at Amazon

About Dita:
Dita Von Teese, the undisputed Queen of Burlesque, has appeared in Vanity Fair, Vogue, Elle, Playboy, and international issues of nearly every fashion magazine. Dita has performed at events ranging from Elton John's Life Ball and the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show to exclusive parties for Louis Vuitton, Christian Louboutin, Marc Jacobs, and Roland Mouret. Well-known for her elaborate props and costumes, Dita is in demand throughout the United States, as well as in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Russia, and Hong Kong. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband, Marilyn Manson, and a menagerie of pets.

The Voyeuristic Vision of Veronica Vroom

Hot off the heels of the New York Burlesque Festival, The Vroom! Room launches its third sensational Burlesque-Noir show, with more glimpses into the voyeuristic side of burlesque! The pouty Veronica Vroom! and her curvaceous cohort Kristen Lee continue their emasculation of exasperated host Joey Nova, while they present seven sexy stories of secret seduction.

The lineup of burlesque superstars for the October 5 show includes: Amber Ray, The Flying Fox, Weirdee Girl, Miss Kissy Wishes, Kitten Kent: Girl Detective, and of course Veronica Vroom!, with Kristen Lee! PLUS a bonus duet with Weirdee Girl & Miss Kissy Wishes!

The Vroom! Room is on the first Monday of every month at 10pm at The Slipper Room (167 Orchard St at Stanton). Tickets ($10) are available for purchase at the door. Reduced tickets are available with RSVP to Joey Nova at scorpiorockstar@gmail.com. Doors open at 10pm.

Veronica Vroom! hails from Kansas City, the home of crazy little women! After bumping and grinding her way to New York, the most obvious thing left for her to do was become a burlesque performer. Veronica can be seen vivaciously vixening and vamping at various vaudevillian venues throughout the city. If your engine needs a little revving just check out Miss Vroom!'s Myspace calendar: www.myspace.com/veronicavroom

Joey Nova is a NYC-based theatre Producer and Set Designer whose most recent work can be seen on the set of the revival of The Wiz at City Center. He has worked with other burlesque shows such as Wasabassco Burlesque's The NEW Monday Night Burlesque at Public Assembly and Nik Sin's Metal Monday at The Slipper Room. After hours, he is also a nightlife promoter and DJ. He's hosted such famous parties as Glamdammit, Bowie Ball, and his own weekly glam rock party, RebelRebel.

Wrestling + Burlesque = Lucha VaVOOM

Lucha VaVOOM is co-created by Rita D’Albert, one of the founders/producers of the Velvet Hammer burlesque troupe in Hollywood.

Lucha VaVOOM began in 2002 and has been selling out theaters in its hometown Los Angeles as well as abroad ever since. Their winning marriage of “sexo y violencia” has scored raves from the likes of Vanity Fair, Rolling Stone, Los Angeles Times and has been featured on NPR’s “Morning Edition,” “Jimmy Kimmel Live” as well as Mun Dos, Current TV, Telemundo and “A Current Affair.”

An evening at Lucha VaVOOM is like nothing ever witnessed before. The night seamlessly alternates between highly skilled luchadores wrestling in the ring and scintillating burlesque performances. For these shows, the famed Julie Atlas Muz will make her Lucha VaVOOM debut, the world famous Wau Wau Sisters will astound with their trapeze striptease and queen of the tassel-twirl Lucy Fur, dancer extraordinaire Lux LaCroix and hula-hoop gender bender Karis will round out the night’s entertainment.

In between matches, the finest, handpicked burlesque acts from around the world astound us; at Lucha VaVOOM, we like a little sexo with our violencia. Raucous aerial acts, Pogo-stick peelers, hula-hoop hotties; we’ve got it all.

But wait there’s more! Our color commentary is handled by comedians Tom Kenny, Dana Gould and Blaine Capatch. Other guest commentators include Fred Armisen, Brian Poussein, Patton Oswalt, Jeffrey Ross, Chris Hardwick and Bobcat Goldthwait. Even Jack Black sat in, proclaiming “Lucha VaVOOM is the sh*t!

Catch Lucha VaVOOM's debut NYC performance at Webster Hall on Sunday, September 20.
For more information see http://luchavavoom.com

Very Sexy Photo shoot Videos

These likely fit into the pinup category, but some of the outfits, hair and make-up are spectacular. Enjoy a few choice clips from photo shoots for Maxim Magazine:

Maureen Van Mortis modern pinup shoot:


Nina Kate Steampunk shoot:


Jerri Byrne fetish shoot:


Vikki Blows Halloween shoot:


Wow, who knew photo shoots could be so sexy!

Burlesque's Growing Pains

In the Depression-era days of Gypsy Rose Lee, burlesque dancing was about as naughty, and as nude, as it got in public. The emphasis was on the tease more than the strip, until Playboy and harder-core pornography came along in the 1950s.

Now burlesque is back with festivals and club performances, from Amsterdam to Alabama. It’s seen as a chance for some bawdy fun and, some would say, even a little empowerment for the performers who are often amateurs with other day jobs.

But its growing visibility, in mainstream clubs and theaters, is also sparking a debate, and some confusion about what it is and whether it’s appropriate in those settings.

Is it performance art, as some contend? Or is it, as others say, just a (very) thinly veiled excuse to strip in public, even if most performers end a routine in pasties and G-strings?

“The performers are interested in being sexy, but not being pornographic,” says Rachel Shteir, a DePaul University professor who’s written books about burlesque. “They’re trying to strike this middle ground. But that’s very difficult to do in our culture.”

A few recent cases highlight that point.

Earlier this year in New York, burlesque performer Tara Lee Heffner filed a lawsuit against the Learning Annex for referring to her as a “porn star” in an online ad for classes she was teaching. She claimed the label damaged her reputation.

This summer in London, one club owner also shut down long-standing burlesque shows after being told he’d have to purchase an adult entertainment license, something generally reserved for more traditional strip clubs with dancers who make use of laps and poles.

“There’s no doubt that some men watch burlesque and find it as sexy as other forms of entertainment,” says Alex Proud, whose club in the city’s Camden borough bears his last name. “But at the end of the day, the naked bit lasts about three seconds.”

And many audiences of burlesque shows are filled with women, who often focus as much on the costumes, glamour and dancing as anything.

“True burlesque is more of a kitschy Vaudeville act than anything else. It’s all about the art of the striptease, a cheeky and titillating performance that can induce chuckles, cheers and longing sighs all at once,” says Katie Laird, a burlesque fan in Houston.

“Performance is the key word here, not naked gyrations for dirty dollar bills.”

At recent shows produced in Chicago by burlesque dancer Michelle L’amour (pictured), performers donned large feathered fans, in the tradition of Depression-era starlet Sally Rand, and costumes that ranged from a scantily clad secretary to a 1950s housewife. The midnight performances at the city’s historic Music Box Theatre also included slapstick comedy acts and a campy magic show, as well as a couple of male “boylesque” performers.

“Even my super-conservative grandmother is totally OK with it,” one performer, Cherokee Rose, said of her work with L’amour’s troupe, the Chicago Starlets. Still, the 28-year-old Chicagoan preferred to use her stage name, rather than her real name, because she’s looking for a job in the psychology field. “I wish people in my field were more accepting of this,” she says. “But sadly, they’re not.”

Most of L’amour’s troupe are professionals or students who started by taking classes with L’amour and moved onto the big stage when she considered them ready. For them, burlesque is a hobby.

The 29-year-old L’amour is, in fact, one of a few dancers who’s made a living at burlesque since its comeback in the last decade. Other professionals include Jo Weldon, a.k.a. “Jo Boobs,” and Dita Von Teese, who regularly makes red-carpet appearances and who’s become a bit of a fashion icon.

Theirs is a style that is more “classic” burlesque, focussed more on subtlety, artfulness and humor. But, L’amour says, it’s no wonder people are confused about what burlesque is when you have harder-core strip clubs featuring burlesque performances or even pop music acts, such as the Pussycat Dolls, referring to themselves as a “burlesque troupes.” Singers Cher and Christina Aguilera also are set to star in a movie titled “Burlesque.”

“It’s become a bit of a pitch word to hook people’s interest,” L’amour says.

In this latest rebirth, even many women can’t decide what they think of burlesque.
By Martha Irvine AP National Writer