Burlesque beauty

Dita Von Teese, most notably known for her sexy burlesque moves and '50s pin-up up girl glamour, has joined forces with Parisian liqueur Cointreau to be their new brand ambassador. The posh partnership, which debuted at a studded VIP party at the Angel Orensanz Foundation in New York City this past April, had a guest list of over 500 with notable attendees Tara Subkoff, Catherine Maladrino, Jason Lewis and Traver Rains and Richie Rich of Heatherette fame. While party goers sipped "Cointreaupolitans," they were entertained with the inaugural performance of Von Teese's Be Cointreauversial show which had the sexy starlet prancing on stage in a Swarovski-encrusted costume of over 350,000 crystals. We caught up with Von Teese after the show to talk about the collaboration, how to bust some serious Burlesque moves and why nothing beats dancing in a giant martini glass.

ELLECanada.com: How did you first get involved with Cointreau?

Dita Von Teese: Well, I always knew that I would eventually team up with a spirit brand; it seemed obvious since I'm known for bathing in giant cocktail glasses! I had certainly been approached by many brands, but Cointreau was the first that I felt had the kind of sophisticated approach that suited me. I loved all the ideas that they had about being true to their incredible history and elegant style, but with a modern touch. This is what my own burlesque shows are all about: being knowledgeable and true to a certain history while reinventing it at the same time.

EC.com: How involved were you in the process of creating the signature cocktail?

DVT: They interviewed me about fragrances, colors, and flavors I like, and a few weeks later, when I met with the expert mixologists in Paris, they had many different kinds of cocktails created for me to try based on my choices. What a fabulous way to spend an afternoon: taste-testing delightful cocktails made just for me! I'll admit, I was a little tipsy by the end, but that didn't impair my ability to choose my signature drink, which is violet scented and a very light, not-too-sweet cocktail that is ultra glamourous and tasty! I've become a master at mixing it myself at home for my party guests, they always ask for it.

EC.com: Love the cheeky tagline Be Cointreauversial Do you consider yourself to be controversial? Or, is that more the sentiments of the media trying to label you?

DVT: Yes, I supposed that I am controversial to some people, even though burlesque and striptease have major places in American entertainment, dating back to the '30s and '40s. It seems that now, more than ever, some people find what I do somewhat risqué or even downright unacceptable, but I suppose it is as it should be: Burlesque is supposed to titillate after all! But, beyond that, I'm not trying to be provocative by any means; I just like the combination of sensuality and elegance and if that's considered controversial, I'll take that as a compliment! I love the tagline Be Cointreaversial because for me, that means living life to its fullest and being who you want to be no matter who disapproves. If you seek approval from anyone and everyone, you have nothing.

EC.com: Your performance for Cointreau has you dipping into an oversized martini glass. This is one of your signature dances: how did it come about initially?

DVT: I started doing this act when I met Catherine D'Lish, my best friend who designs my costumes. We were both performing burlesque since the early '90s and everyone said we should meet, so we did. We teamed up to do shows together and did this dueling striptease where she ended up in a giant champagne glass and me in a giant martini. We worked on this Cointreau-inspired act together, too; it was a lot of fun to think of how we could take the martini glass act I have been doing all these years to a more extravagant level.

EC.com: Where do you envision people sipping your Cointreauteese?

DVT: At elegant dinner parties and events where I am performing, of course! I love the idea of everyone sipping Cointreauteese's as I dip into my giant Cointreauteese on-stage.

EC.com: Tell us about the gorgeous outfit that was customized for you: What was the inspiration behind it?

DVT: Catherine and I wanted to do something inspired by the classic Cointreau bottle, which is the most lovely shade of amber with touches of orange and gold and a bit of purple; we even examined the way Cointreau turns this beautiful opalescent shade when poured over ice; we matched Swarovski crystals to it! Beyond that, we wanted the look to be distinctly French, just like Cointreau, so the costume is very haute couture meets Folies Bergere in the '60s. It's definitely the most elaborate costume I have ever worn, with hundreds of thousand of fancy custom-cut Swarovski crystals and these amazing custom crafted feathers from Belgium -- even had some classic French anthems turned into bump and grind striptease music!

EC.com: Strip tease and burlesque dancing has become quite an art: What do you still get out of it after performing for all of these years?

DVT: Well, sadly, it hasn't become more of an art... it once was an art in the golden age of burlesque in America; fortunately, some of us care enough about preserving that! For me, I never get tired of it because I enjoy the process of creating a new act, watching it slowly come together and being satisfied with the thing I created in the end. It's fun to be really involved: I get to be my own director, producer, stylist, everything, so it never gets boring for me. This is my childhood dream come to life: being a showgirl is everything I ever wanted, so my ambition and love of burlesque never fades in the least. No matter what else I do, I would always want to be recognized for being a burlesque performer, above all!