I was ordinary and I wanted to be unique ´
Burlesque star Dita Von Teese talks beauty, dressing up and her split with rock star Marilyn Manson.
Born Heather Sweet, Von Teese was an ordinary child but she was driven, she says, to be extraordinary, and the creation of Dita Von Teese allowed her to escape into the world of 1940s glamour and burlesque that had always inspired her.
She considers her appearance on the Christmas 2002 cover of Playboy to be the ultimate accolade – ‘suddenly everything I did was validated’. Marriage to Goth singer Marilyn Manson followed, and her performance in a giant martini glass made her an international star.
At 14, you were Heather Sweet, a schoolgirl from Michigan. At 34, you’re Dita Von Teese, world-famous burlesque star. Was there a moment of metamorphosis when you decided to leave Heather behind?
’m the same person as when I was a kid; I just look different. I became fascinated by old movies when I was very little, but I didn’t want to be a movie star – I wanted to be the women they played in those movies. I wanted that glamour in my life. I remember thinking, why can’t I dress like that every day? Look how amazing she is, and look at the power that she has. I pored over old pictures for inspiration, and I became a burlesque artist because I loved the retro aspect of it. I loved playing dress-up. It fulfilled many different aspects of me. I didn’t do it because I wanted to be famous, because that’s when you fail – when your drive comes from the wrong place.
Where does your drive come from?
I worried a lot my whole life. My father was out of work often, so I was always afraid for my family. I couldn’t wait until I was an adult so that I could work. I didn’t enjoy childhood.
Is that important to you – that your name is remembered?
I want my name to be mentioned in the same sentence as the burlesque stars who inspired me. I want to be the best at what I do. I don’t want to be OK at what somebody else does. I always remind myself that I need to work harder, I need to be better.
Do you feel you have a lot to prove?
I had to prove myself to my father, and show that what I was doing wasn’t a joke. My parents divorced when I was 13, and I lived with my father for a while when I was 15 and working in a lingerie store. My mother has always understood and supported me, but my father didn’t approve. He threw me out of the house because I had hand-washed all my lingerie and it was hanging in the bathroom. He was totally offended by it. It wasn’t until I was on the cover of Playboy in 2002 that he began to accept me – that was something he could understand.
