Burlesque queen Dita Von Teese on her curious collections

David Pescovitz 8:07 am Tue Jul 17, 2012

Our friends at Collectors Weekly interviewed Dita Von Teese about her penchant for vintage lingerie, antique hats, classic cars, burlesque memorabilia, and a lifetime of flea market finds.

Collectors Weekly: What are the most unusual items in your collection?

Von Teese: I have a corset that Betty Grable wore in a film called “The Farmer Takes a Wife,” and I also have a shawl that Dorothy Lamour knitted. It has her little “Knitted with Love by Dorothy Lamour” label, and I have a photo of her in her chair on set knitting the actual shawl. I keep both of these garments in glass cases that can be opened so I can wear them or show them to people anytime. I also have lots of rare vintage books about burlesque and about beauty. I have a collection of vintage flared riding pants—I guess that’s kind of odd.

My hat collection is massive, too. I have several hundred, and a whole room in my house devoted to them. I collect vintage taxidermy: I have two big heart-shaped domes filled with birds, I have a bear rug, a monkey, and a full ostrich. I also have a collection of rare feathers I got from a famous place in France that supplied feathers to Josephine Baker, Mistinguett, and all the showgirls in Paris for 300 years.

"Va-Va-Voom Vintage: Dita Von Teese on Burlesque, Fast Cars, and Old Lingerie"

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