Immodesty Blaize
All about Immodesty
We are so excited to introduce our readers to Miss Immodesty Blaize, burlesque performer, showgirl instructor, and featured guest of television shows such as Britain’s Next Top Model and Faking It. We’ve been a fan of Immodesty’s since spotting her on Top Model; where not only did she look amazing in fabulous lingerie, but she also managed to turn a pack of gawky model-wannabees into coquettish, cheeky showgirls (apart from Georgina!)
While at heart a burlesque performer, Immodesty has taken some time away from the West End to help other women discover their inner burlesque, pairing up with lingerie label Madame V to launch their new Showtime collection. The launch will include a series of workshops called Live, Love and Seduce, the first delivered by Miss Blaize, where she will instruct women every required element for a perfect showgirl performance. Covering everything from basic presentation, expression and even posture, the workshops aim to help women embrace and express their own sensuality. It’s a fantastic idea and we think it would make a killer girl’s night out. The launch event is in London in November, and workshops will be scheduled afterwards internationally. All information about the workshops will be posted to Madame V’s website.
We chatted with Immodesty about her start in burlesque, what “burlesque” really is, and all about the amazing lingerie she gets to wear every day.
For the uninitiated, can you describe burlesque for our readers, and tell us about how you came to be a burlesque performer?
Burlesque means literally ‘to parody’. Simply put, it is a form of ironic cabaret, which is to say it is very tongue in cheek. It is also
a genre known for having a strong erotic undertow. It started in London in the 1860s, but it was the Minsky Brothers in ‘30s New York who truly put the glamorous striptease in burlesque, which gave rise to legends such as Gypsy Rose Lee, Lili St.Cyr, and Dixie Evans who is still going strong today.
For me, becoming a burlesque showgirl was a natural progression. As well as being reared on old Busby Berkley musicals and camp old Hollywood classics, as a teenager I became a huge fan of pin-up queen Betty Page and through her I discovered the legendary burlesque star Tempest Storm. I, myself had blossomed into a classic hourglass shape which I have to say was not popular at the time – it was all super-waifs and heroin chic…so images of women like Tempest Storm with their beautiful powerful womanliness really spoke to me and I knew I wanted to make the most of my curves in the same way!
What does your work involve day-to-day? Are you primarily working on the stage in London, or behind the camera? What is your favourite part of your job?
Well, last year I was performing 7 shows a week for my West End showwhich was gruelling, and took a lot of discipline! But this year I
have taken on more varied projects, so I have been headlining at some spectacular one-off events and parties, as well as taking on some great TV projects. So no two days are ever the same. One day I could be with my wardrobe team putting together designs for new costumes and props, the next I could be packing up my feathers and flying to Europe ready for a big performance that night. The next day I could be on my way to a TV studio to coach an actress, or I could be in hair and make-up waiting to go in front of the camera myself. But one thing that does happen most days is a punishing session with my personal trainer to keep that waist nice and tight! To be honest I like pretty much everything I have to do in my job, although I work constantly and I never really get time off, or a break which is the only downside I guess. I suppose if I had to choose then the best part would always be actually performing, as it’s when I get to show the results of the hard work, and when I feel most in control.
Your television appearances on Britain’s Next Top Model, the upcoming Faking It, plus your upcoming workshops with Madame V all involve you training novices in the art of burlesque. How do you find instructing in “the art of tease”? What are some of the struggles you’ve encountered when teaching burlesque to a beginner?
Well understandably its going to be most difficult for me if I have a novice who has no dance or movement skills, for obvious reasons! Also if a lady has low confidence or self esteem, then there are more hurdles to overcome and I take time to guide her sensitively. It takes a lot of work to make something look easy, so occasionally people mistakenly think they will be magically transformed into a fully fledged performer in a few hours! But whenever I have taught novices and professionals alike, they have always felt inspired to work hard at it, and I have watched some incredible transformations. Above all, it’s a fun learning experience, I have always shared plenty of giggles!
You create your own performances, and work with a great deal of women to bring burlesque to the stage and screen – is this “new” burlesque an example of women reclaiming their own sexuality?
Not really, I think women have been reclaiming their sexuality for quite some time before the burlesque revival! I think my performances have an undeniable erotic content, but they are also pieces of very elaborate theatre, and they are conceived with as much detail of theme, costume, prop, music and set, as one would a theatricalpresentation. So for me there’s a lot involved. I think in this way, women are attracted to the glamour and opulence as well as the erotic content. I think they like the humour too, it’s cheeky, it’s teasing, it’s clever. I wonder if somehow it feels accessible to more women therefore, than with other forms of erotic entertainment.
Now on to the lingerie! Your amazing costumes are an essential part of your burlesque performances – do you have a particular designer for your stage costumes? Who are some of your favourite lingerie and corsetiere designers?
All my costumes are bespoke. I design them all myself, and commission them especially. I swear by Miss Katie for corsetry, as my corsets have to be very hard wearing to last for so many performances. She does a great shape, and I can get down to a 20 inch waist from a normal size of 27 inches. I also have special fastenings integrated into all costume elements so that everything can be removed as elegantly and gracefully as possible – absolutely no fumbling allowed…and STRICTLY no Velcro either, yuk! I use Buttress and Snatch for all my bespoke underwear, and I use Madame V for all my off-the-peg underwear. I source vintage stockings from flea markets and vintage fairs.
We love the burlesque style because it looks amazing on women of so many sizes – do you think part of burlesque’s popularity is because of this celebration of a woman’s curves?
Partly, yes, although I’d say there’s no right or wrong body shape for burlesque. Certainly the classic old bombshell look of Mae West and Marilyn Monroe was full of curves, and then the legendary performer Lili St.Cyr was tall and lithe with legs up to her armpits! So I think really it promotes the idea of character and individuality. It encourages women to find their own alter-ego! In addition, I think we are at a point where people are getting bored of grungy reality shows, and they want live entertainment; theatre, fantasy, and proper old music again. I also think women and men alike are loving the chance to take time to dress up. Certainly I’ve noticed more women enhancing their silhouettes by wearing foundation-wear again, so suspender belts, girdles, basques, retro-shaped bullet bras are around…great!
We have to ask – what’s your bra size? What sort of lingerie do you wear every day when you’re not performing
36D or E. I wear Madame V for day wear. They have such luxurious fabrics, and the knickers are well designed so that you’ll never see the dreaded VPL! They also have a fabulous range of foundation wear, with pretty 50s style slips, beautiful suspender belts, and classic waist cinchers. The robes are to die for! It’s just all really cleverly designed so that not only is it practical for daytime under clothes, its also stunning when you take your clothes off at the end of the day…and I certainly wear some of the pieces as outer wear they look so good!
What essentials would you recommend for a woman who wants to try out the burlesque look herself?
I don’t think there is one ‘burlesque look’, since burlesque is a form of entertainment rather than a fashion style. It spans 150 years,
so it has lived through fashions as diverse as the corseted Victorian, the fringed flapper, and the 50s pinup. However I would always
recommend that the ladies experience the joys of a good pair of nipple tassels!
As burlesque continues to grow in popularity, what’s next for you? Will we be seeing more Immodesty on television after Faking It this Christmas?
Well I have some fantastic projects in the pipeline, and apart from live performances and TV, I will be hosting Madame V’s Live, Love and Seduce workshop series, in particular the Showtime workshop, in which I will be giving practical tuition with which ladies can discover their inner showgirl! You will also be able to see me in action with a variety of new fabulous costumes and Madame V products in my next public show The Immodest Tease Show (T.I.T.S) on November 21st and 22nd. Details of shows, workshops and TV can be found on www.immodestyblaize.com
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