Dress to Thrill

For anyone who hasn’t heard about burlesque yet, where have you been? Feathers, corsets, glitter and glamour – it’s a craze that grows bigger by the year. Honey DeVille gives us a lesson in seduction Photography by Tony French

It’s Christmas, it’s champagne and canapé season, and it’s hard to ignore the hippest and sexiest of seasonal party scenes – burlesque. If you’re not aware of this cabaret style you may at least have heard of Dita Von Teese – ex-missus of rocker Marilyn Manson, and one of the faces of MAC cosmetics. A retro-beauty with a teeny 16-inch waist, she performs a trademark act in which she cavorts in a giant Martini glass wearing a lavishly saucy get-up.

What’s more, Hollywood A-listers are at it too. Stars like Scarlet Johansson, Denise Richards and Christina Aguilera have all made guest appearances to dance with the Pussycat Dolls in their burlesque act at the Viper Rooms (once owned by Johnny Depp) in LA. Now you can even get fit doing it, thanks to the DVD Hot Moves for Cool Chicks – a Burlesque Workout (www.amazon.com), starring US diva Princess Farhana. Learn to strut like a showgirl, semistrip in style, and tone all at the same time.

The best way to become a burlesque queen is to take a few classes and see a few shows. And the best person to teach you how is me – Honey DeVille. So here’s how to make yourself the most kissable person under the mistletoe and the most unmissable person on the dance floor, by channelling your inner showgirl.

Becoming a burlesque star is all a matter of finding your inner screen siren and playing dressups! It doesn’t matter if you take her to your Christmas party or just limit her to “indoors” to spice up your relationship over the festive season. Besides, every woman should have a good reason to own at least one pair of vertigoinducing heels and a marabou feather fan.

First thing to do is find a name. What’s your best asset? Your wit? Your grace? Your pert behind? Then pick a pseudonym that fits, and be as silly as you like. Some of my favourites include Savannah Sandstorm, Kitty Deluxe and Rusty Bottom. It’s your name for the length of your burlesque life, so make sure it looks good in lights and trademark it to stop others stealing your thunder.

Now you need to create your signature act. I once saw burlesque bombshell Kittie Klaw – watching her perform, the audience laughed so hard they almost popped their corsets. As she danced the Prayer to Isis she dripped candle wax across her body. No one could accuse Kittie of taking herself too seriously, as she groped for some waxing strips and defluffed with wild abandon. The legendary Sally Rand had her ostrich feather and marabou fans. What could be your gimmick? Your Hawaiian hula shimmy? Are you a Victorian chambermaid trying on her mistress’s jewels? Do you only undress to Mozart?

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