Dita Von Teese Talks Lingerie Style, Keeping Fit And Why Etsy Is Her Favourite …

Burlesque dancer, lingerie designer and pin-up model Dita Von Teese shares her style and fitness secrets exclusively with Marie Claire…

What’s your first lingerie memory?
“I used to sneak into my mother’s lingerie drawer when I was younger – I couldn’t wait until I was old enough to wear it myself. I started working in a lingerie store when I was 15 and I was like ‘I’m going to save up my money and buy nice stockings.’ It’s what sparked my career as a burlesque dancer. Lingerie is something that is very expressive – you can be whoever you want to be.”

Your go-to lingerie look?
“Black lace lingerie is always my first choice – its sophisticated, elegant and even erotic.”

What’s your secret to keeping in shape?
“I do pilates 3-5 times a week. Mostly because I like to feel strong, and I have more energy afterwards.”

Where do you love to shop for your clothes?
“I like Etsy – the internet is definitely the best place to buy vintage right now. When I was a teenager I didn’t have a lot of money to spend on clothes. My friends had the cool designer jeans and sneakers, so I started dressing in vintage because I could get the stylish look for less – like wearing retro slips with cardigan sweaters.”

Who are your favourite designers?
“I wear a lot of Jean Paul Gaultier on the red carpet, and Zac Posen in my personal life. Ulyana Sergeenko is great too, I’m wearing ones of her dresses today – I love her romantic, folk style. But if I’m having some down time at home, I’ll usually be found in my pilates clothes or a lovely dressing gown.”

Last item you splurged on?
“Yesterday I bought a beautiful white trench with a red floral print on it from Talitha, designed by Kim Hersov. It wasn’t just off the cuff though – I’d been plotting and planning to find a great summer coat for ages.”

How do you take care of your skin?
“Sunscreen is really important. And I love Éminence Organic Skin Care – I use pretty much their whole skin care range.”

Which make-up products do you swear by?
“I’m obsessed with Suqqu foundation right now, I’ve got all my friends hooked on it. I use a lot of MAC powders too.”

You’re known for donning a bold, red lip. Which one’s your go-to?
“I have like 50 favourites! I do love a really matte red though – like MAC’s Ruby Woo or Lime Crime’s Velvetine Liquid Matte Lipstick in Red Velvet.”

How do you maintain your uber-glam tresses?
“I colour it myself – I just go to the store and buy a box of blue/black hair dye, and do it like every 2 weeks. I’ve got blonde roots showing right now though – I need to work it out after this!”  

Dita Von Teese’s AW15 lingerie collection is available to buy now in Harrods

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Ashley Graham Releases New Plus-Sized Lingerie Reminiscent of Fifty Shades …

This summer, Ashley Graham is getting ready to release a new lingerie for plus-sized women, taking heavy inspiration from the hit “Fifty Shades of Grey”, and creating an overall style that had already managed to captivate the eyes and hearts of fashion critics. Everything in the set – which includes kimonos – will be sold at a sub-$100 price, and the starting size will be 12, according to initial reports.

Graham himself is a size 16, and she’s been quite prominent in the media portraying plus-sized women in a positive light, gathering a lot of support for them and helping society build a better attitude towards them. She has been designing her own lingerie for about two years now, starting in 2013, and she is currently aiming at the US market for this launch as she feels it could definitely use some extra products in this area.

Graham explained that she has no problem finding sexy bras or supportive bras, but combinations of the two were missing as a whole, leading to much disappointment on her side. This inspired her to look into ways to introduce plus-sized lingerie to this market in a way that everyone would be interested, and so far she seems to be enjoying a lot of success.

In August, her new collection will launch in Nordstrom, so interested buyers can get it at the store or directly online. Of course, when shopping for lingerie like that, it’s always best to familiarize oneself with the return policy of the store, as differences in sizes can quickly spell disaster. In addition, it’s always better to get a feeling for how well the product fits in reality before buying it. Online shopping for clothes is becoming more and more advanced and full-featured, on the other hand, so it’s also a viable option.

Ashley Graham’s activism in support of plus-sized women goes beyond her work as a designer, as she is also a member of ALDA, a collective focused on plus-sized women of prominent social standing, promoting a positive social image for women in their shoes and helping society see them in a better light.

Other members of the collective include Marquita Pring, Julie Henderson, Inga Eriksdottir and Danielle Redman, and their group has seen some recognition since its inception. It’s good to see that its members also do a lot of work individually, and Ashley Graham herself is a shining example in this regard. Her current collection has been enjoying some great positive reviews, so hopefully she will continue her work.

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