These are photos from an event in London last night for the launch of Cointreau Prive Pop-Up Bar. Your guess is as good as mine for what that is exactly. But no matter – because Cointreau’s girl (I think she’s the face of the brand, right?) Dita Von Teese was there, and she’s getting her style groove back after several wonky public appearances. I usually don’t care for pale girls in pale creams and whites, but this works on her and it manages to avoid the “bridal” vibe. Also, I usually dislike these cutout-dresses, especially when the cutout is at the waist, but the detail is done well here. Plus, this dress is a 360-degree experience – look at Dita from the back:

Um… how did I never notice that Dita has a great ass? She so does. Her back is lovely too. While Dita was in London, she also sat down for an interview with Time Out London. I just liked this – she’s not saying anything groundbreaking, but she just seems like a cool chick. I wish Dita was my friend!

Also at the Cointreau event – Kelly Brook and her magnificent rack. Only her rack was nowhere to be found, because it seems like Kelly duct taped her boobs down and squished herself into this tragedy of a dress. Why is this style popular now? You know who wore these kinds of oversized, poofy, faux-Elizabethan collars? Clowns. I like Kelly, but she needs to stop covering up!

Photos courtesy of Fame & WENN.

In the last two public appearances that Dita Von Teese has made, I kind of hated her outfits. That’s hard to admit, because Dita is usually one of my favorite fashion girls. Even in candid photos when she’s shopping or just out and about in LA, she’s always immaculately pulled together. But in Australia a few weeks ago, she was wearing one of her own designs (for Muse) and she looked… budget. And then she was at some event a few weeks wearing Gaultier, and she looked busted too.

So these are new photos of Dita doing a promotional stop in Florida for her contract with “My Cointreau Travel Essentials”. She gets paid to wear pretty clothes and drink! I love that. I also LOVE this dress. She looks poured into it, and the dress itself is so shiny and immaculate. Like it’s some kind of silk-rubber hybrid. It’s awesome. Look at the way it hugs Dita’s curves! Amazing.

In a recent interview, Dita said that more people were getting into burlesque because:

“I think it’s because they like to see an alternative kind of beauty. I’m not tan, I’m not blonde, I don’t look right in a bikini. Running on the beach in a bikini isn’t really my thing. I’m never going to be on the cover of the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue, let’s put it that way.”

[Via Metro]

She doesn’t look right in bikini? The hell? Her body is great. Maybe she’s talking about her pale skin, and how her whole vibe is “glamour” not “beachy fun times”. Besides, it’s more fun seeing her fully clothed.

Photos courtesy of WENN.

Last night, there was a gala held at the Museum of Contemporary Art – the gala was for “An Artist’s Life Manifesto” directed by Marina Abramovic. In previous years, MOCA galas tend to get a good turnout, but this year wasn’t that great, so I’m just including some of the bigger names in this post. Here’s our headlining lady, Dita Von Teese in what I think might be Vivienne Westwood (update: it’s Gaultier, thanks!). I absolutely hate it! Dita has been having some bad public appearances recently, which pisses me off. I used to love everything in her closet. This dress just looks like an Etch n’ Sketch vomited on her.

I think this dress looks very pretty on Nicole – very flattering, beautiful color. But I don’t like what’s going on from the neck up. Too orange, too many bangs.

Minnie Driver. Er… I hate this dress. It looks like really fug wallpaper from the 1970s. The material is whack – it looks so stiff and shiny.

Gwen Stefani can pull off looks that other girls can’t. Is this one of them? Eh. Her hair is mess, and her posture is throwing everything off.

Is Kiki Dunst pregnant? That’s the question she wants us to be asking, because there’s no other reason to wear this sack dress.

Photos courtesy of WENN.

Y’all know I love some Dita Von Teese. Y’all know I’ll support her, whatever she does. So I’m supporting Dita’s appearance in Melbourne, Australia over the weekend for Lavazza Derby Day 2011. I’m supporting but I’m not enthusing. Because I expect greatness, every single time. And Dita usually delivers something great, but I’m just not feeling it here.

Obviously, the hat is appropriate. She’s at an event where hats will be worn, and Dita comes close to rocking this Philip Treacy-designed red hat/headpiece/fascinator thing. Apparently, Dita and Treacy are friends, and he designed this piece especially for her. But the dress – which is Dita’s own design, for her Dita Von Teese Muse line, is not anything special. In fact, it looks slightly cheap. And while I’m usually a fan of Dita’s matchy-matchy style (she always perfectly coordinates her dress to her shoes to her bag), I’m finding the red all-over thing to be overkill. Instead of the red satin Lounboutins, she should have worn black shoes or leopard print shoes, and had a hat that wasn’t all-over red. Overall, the effect is very cheap, right? To read more about Dita in Melbourne, go here.

By the way, considering Dita plays dress-up every single day, what does she do for Halloween? Dita posted the photo below on her WhoSay page with the message, “This is me last year on Halloween. I’ve gone ‘normal’ every year for 4yrs.” OMG.

Photos courtesy of WENN.

I think it was last week that there were some new Dita Von Teese photos that we didn’t have access to. I was really disappointed, because in those photos, she was wearing one of the most magnificent red dresses I’ve ever seen in my life. Go here to see those photos – I think the dress is Dior. I want it. I want this dress too, the black one in these photos. Dita was in Milan to launch “My Cointreau Travel Essentials.” I don’t know… luggage? Alcohol? Both? Something like that. Just look at the dress! Look at the posing too.

The dress is Herve L. Leroux. It’s fantastic! It might be slightly boring on another woman, but look at how Dita works it. Some of you say that Dita isn’t actually that pretty – I disagree. I think she has a pretty face, but the way she carries herself and styles herself, she becomes beautiful. You know my favorite part? I love her hairstyle in these photos. My hair would never be able to take and/or sustain those curls. I want to be reincarnated as Dita.

Speaking of what a lucky bitch she is, I’m throwing in a photo of Dita during Paris Fashion Week, where she did an event with her hot boyfriend Louis-Marie de Castelbajac. Sigh… so pretty.

Photos courtesy of Fame.

God, I just love everything Dita Von Teese wears. It’s not even that I think her clothes would look good on me. I just want her body, her face, her closet, I want to be able to put looks together like Dita. Even when she goes out of her way to match, it never comes across as too-matchy. These are new photos of Dita at a screening of God Save My Shoes, a “documentary is about the relationship between women and their shoes.” This is what Dita wore to the screening – perfect. I’m guessing the suit is Christian Dior – it’s giving me Dior vibes. The red is magnificent, the cut is gorgeous, and I love how she’s covered up and still so, so sexy.

As for the documentary – it looks interesting/funny. There are interviews with celebrity women and other high-profile women in all walks of life, and it’s all about women’s shoe obsessions. Here’s the trailer:

See, I think it’s interesting, but at a distance. I’m not a shoe person – I’m a purse person. If they made a documentary about purses and how there’s all of this pent-up sexual desire for the perfect purse… I would understand that. I just don’t get the shoe thing.

Photos courtesy of WENN.

And now for my continuing devotion to how Dita Von Teese dresses for casual, non-red-carpet outings. I think I like her so-called “casual-wear” more than her formal-wear. This is honestly how Dita dresses when she’s out, running errands or going to lunch. I would probably hate this whole look on anyone else – but much like Cate Blanchett, who brings an elegance to even a humble hoodie, Dita’s natural glamour (with a dash of kitsch) gives even “garden party” ensembles a little something extra.

You know what I appreciate? Dita does matchy-matchy very well. Dita’s style rule seems to be: Don’t match every single item to each other – you wear a beautiful print, and you pull different colors out of the print in your accessories, and it looks fabulous and pulled together. The green shoes, the purple-fuchsia headscarf, both mimicking the color palette of the dress without being overkill. And red lips, always and forever. Thankfully, Dita knows how to work a red lip like few others.

By the way, Dita is launching her first fragrance. She’s not going to put her name to just anything, though. She’s been working with Luxesse for months to launch a perfume and a lingerie collection simultaneously, and Dita says the scent includes, “Bulgarian rose, tiare, peony — and there’s a sexy wood.” What isn’t in the perfume? “There’s no fruity vanilla bull—t. I’m sorry, but you know what I mean? A lot of celebrity fragrances are fruit, vanilla, and I wanted something for grown-up girls.” Haha “vanilla bulls–t.” Classic.

Unfortunately, Dita had to stop wearing her previous signature scent because her hot boyfriend’s mother wore the same perfume: “My signature fragrance that I’ve been wearing since I was 14 is Quelques Fleurs, and I had to stop wearing it because my boyfriend’s mother wore it. So that was a perfect time to develop my own fragrance.” Her boyfriend? Count Louis-Marie de Castelbajac. His mom? The Marquise Catherine. Can you imagine wearing the same perfume as your dude’s mom? That’s totally wrong, right? Gross.

Oh, would you like to see Dita’s hot-ass boyfriend again? Sure! WHY NOT?

Photos courtesy of Fame & WENN.

These are some photos of Dita Von Teese and her young, hot, sexy, mouth-watering French boyfriend, Count Louis-Marie de Castelbajac. You may remember, I’ve been hot for this dude for a while (as has CB). He’s just SO PRETTY. He’s so beautiful, I barely notice Dita, and she’s one of my favorite people, so that says a lot. This is what makes me believe that Dita is truly as amazing as I think she is – she landed this lovely French aristocrat, and he walks red carpets with her and looks down at her (because he’s super-tall and he towers above her) lovingly. Sigh… why am I not Dita Von Teese? I want her life for just a week. A week spent in bed with Louis-Marie.

Anyway, these photos are from last night’s amfAR event in Paris. I’ve been looking to see who did Dita’s gown, and no one has it thus far, so if you want to yell at me and identify it, go ahead. It looks like… Michael Kors, maybe? She looks surprisingly good in this deep navy, although I do prefer her when she does a brighter color. But even in a rather plain dress, Dita still stands out because she’s styled herself beautifully – perfect makeup and hair, simple jewelry, perfect. I love her. Dita WINS.

Photos courtesy of WENN.

These are some new photos of Dita Von Teese out and about in LA yesterday. She stopped by the Vivienne Westwood boutique and picked out some pieces at Fred Segal. Can you believe that Dita walks out of the house looking like this, and she’s just out to do a spot of shopping? Amazing. Anyway, I love the look from head to toe. The world is Dita’s red carpet and I admire her commitment to always looking pulled-together and fabulous. I love her hair like this. I love the sexy red dress, which is cut beautifully. I love the black and white clutch, and I love the matchy-matchy shoes. If you’re going to do matchy-matchy, do it like this.

Meanwhile, Dita recently did an interview with the NYT’s Style Magazine. The full piece is here, and it’s totally worth a read if you want to hear about Dita’s beauty secrets. Here are some highlights:

TT: If pressed for time when doing your makeup, what are your bare essentials?
DVT: Flawless skin is the most important thing, then red lips. In exactly that order. Red lips don’t look good on blotchy, uneven skin. I use Dior Capture Totale Foundation, and a dusting of Mineralize Powder by MAC. Dior Dolce Vita is my favorite red lipstick. When in a rush, I tie my hair back and throw on a great pair of sunglasses…and voila! Don’t underestimate the cosmetic power of sunglasses. It’s worth spending a bit of money on a quality pair. I usually go for Dior or Louis Vuitton.

TT: I can tell that underneath the foundation and powder you have lovely skin. How do you care for it?
DVT: I have really sensitive skin, and a few allergies, so I stay on it. I recently had a bout with rosacea. I was told by a big name dermatologist, “this is your life now,” because he couldn’t figure out how to get rid of it. A million creams later, I went to a real skin doctor in Orange County. He prescribed a pill and one lotion, and boom, it was gone. The moral being: find the guy who takes your insurance.

TT: He sounds knowledgeable. Did he give you any other tips?
DVT: Yes, he said it doesn’t matter what moisturizer you use. Just make sure you put it on right after cleansing, while your skin is still damp. That way your pores can absorb it while they are still open. So choose any cream you like for the face and body. My choice is always Creme de la Mer- it’s pricey, but so worth it.

TT: Who are your favorite beauty icons?
DVT: Oh, my all time favorite is Betty Grable. Her look, her humor and most of all her spirit and sense of individuality. Just like Madonna 20 years ago. She was unlike anyone, and stayed true to herself. Modern day, I find Carmen Dell’Orefice very unique and fantastic.

TT: Has it taken time to find what works best for you?
DVT: My look has taken time to evolve. I’ve gotten to a place where I feel pretty and confident. I think that’s important for anyone. Personally, I have no reason to change it, no matter what people say or advise. I will save baring all for the person I am intimate with.

TT: Being a natural blonde, what do you use to darken your brows?
DVT: It’s easy with Just For Men hair dye. I’m kind of a do-it-yourself person as far as my hair, makeup and styling go. I’m in the process of writing a beauty book, where I do it all. It’s hard work. But nothing good comes easy.

TT: As for your incredible figure- how do you stay in shape?
DVT: I think variety is key. I prefer the competitive atmosphere of a classroom setting, like yoga or Pilates. That keeps me going. Although performing on stage is great exercise! I just haven’t been doing it as much as I’d like. It’s all the requirements and special effects I need to do a show. Many venues are not big enough or are not set up for everything. Many can’t accommodate my Opium Den, for example, which is part of my most opulent show. I won’t settle for middle of the road- I go for grand. I’m pretty particular, as you might have guessed.

[From The NYT Style Mag]

I love her. And I love that she’s all DIY beauty – that’s really cool to me, because I always thought she probably gets lots of expensive skin treatments and stuff. It’s cool that she has answers for “how do you do this?” kind of questions. And Just For Men dye on her brows! Awesome.

Photos courtesy of WENN.

Much like Lady Gaga, Katy Perry’s style influences become apparent very quickly. Katy seems to mostly jack from Betty Page and Dita Von Teese, then add a dash of Japanese cartoons. Now, I’m not really claiming that Dita Von Teese is the first person in modern fashion history to ever do this vintagey-pinup thing, but Dita does it really, really well, she’s super-committed to the look, and she’s actually a student of the 1940s-1950s fashion era, to the point where she’s likely an expert at this point. Anyway, Page Six has an interesting story about people calling Katy out on her blatant theft of Dita’s look, in general and specifically on the cover of Vanity Fair:

Imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery — but Katy Perry’s new Vanity Fair cover appears to be an almost exact copy of a 2008 Dita von Teese pose.

Perry’s provocative pose on the cover of the June issue, shot by famed photographer Annie Liebovitz and styled by the magazine’s fashion and style director Jessica Diehl, has sparked whispers that the pop star is ripping off burlesque star von Teese’s style.
Perry is also quoted in the magazine as saying: “I looked into what was out there and I didn’t see anyone like me . . . my style, my opinion.”

Yes, apart from von Teese’s almost identical pose, hair and outfit at a 2008 Wonderbra Lingerie Collection launch in London. Photos can still be seen on fan Web sites for the sultry star.

A source said: “Images in this shoot appear to be a direct homage to Dita von Teese. It is surprising that Katy claims to be such an original in the interview.”

Von Teese herself appears to take the imitation as flattery. She told us at the party she hosted at Los Feliz to launch her Cointreau cocktail: “People have always copied my style. I used to have friends who would dye their hair exactly the same shade as mine. I see it as a compliment.” Of Perry, she added: “Katy and I are friends. She comes to a lot of my shows, but she [recently] came backstage and said: ‘I am taking all of this (gesturing at her hair and costume).’ ”

This isn’t the first time Liebovitz has been accused of borrowing iconic images for inspiration. Her 2008 Vogue cover featuring LeBron James and Gisele Bundchen was said to be an homage to a World War I Army recruitment poster. Liebovitz argued she hadn’t seen the poster.

Reps for Vanity Fair and Perry didn’t get back to us. Leibovitz responded: “I’d never seen the Wonderbra ad. Katy’s is a classic pose as old as the hills.”

[From Page Six]

I went back and found the old 2008 images of Dita, and while I wouldn’t say Katy and Annie Liebovtiz jacked the entire look and style, the similarities are certainly striking, especially when you’re looking at hair, makeup and the color of the bustier.

It also sounds like Dita’s not offended – but that she wants to make sure that people know Katy is copying her. Dita is so classy. I love her so much.

Photos courtesy of WENN, VF.