Though she might be better known for her marriage to rocker Marilyn Manson and her ubiquitous appearance on best-dressed lists, Dita von Teese has been a driving force in the revival of highbrow burlesque. Good Morning America's Amanda Christine Miller, intrigued by von Teese's accomplished personal branding, decided to ask the style icon how she did it.
Says von Teese, "I think that the most important thing—and the point that a lot of people miss—is they're trying so hard to follow a formula, and to fit in to what's the right thing, and you can see it everywhere. They see success. They say, 'That's how you become successful.' But, to me, I always looked at it a different way. I wanted to fill a void, I wanted to be different. That was going to be the secret to my success. And I looked at the people that I think are very, very successful throughout history, and they all had something different, that was maybe a little bit risqué, and they were very individual. And those are the people that stand the test of time. Not just ordinary beauty, or trying to fit in. You have to have something more. And I was always willing to take a chance and believe in what I did."
Your Marketing Inspiration: Von Teese began with an unusual product, carefully cultivated her brand and has enjoyed tremendous success. "I've been performing burlesque since 1991, and it certainly wasn't chic and popular then," she says. "But it is now, because I believed in it."
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by Oliver Feakins
