This distinction becomes clear when she describes the rare occasions she performs for predominantly male audiences.
“I was like, Oh, wow, I forgot about this … we’ll shift into sexy for men, you know,” she recalled of a recent performance at a Hong Kong private members’ club.
The energy shift reminded her of her early days in strip clubs in the 1990s — a different kind of performance entirely.
The art of reinvention.
At 53, Von Teese continues to evolve her artistry, recently incorporating magic into her shows. Her new production, coming to Australia next year, flips traditional magic tropes on their head.
“We’ve seen the male magician doing this to the show girl, but have we seen a woman doing this to the show boy?” she asked, describing her approach to reimagining classic illusions.
This constant reinvention has been key to her longevity. Rather than accepting the industry’s ageist expectations, she’s challenged them head-on.
“I feel like it’s kind of my job to be up there going, here I am at 50. I’m wearing a g-string and pasties. Don’t be afraid,” she said.
For all the fantasy she creates on stage, Von Teese’s personal life has long been characterised by control, not chaos. At 18, when she began stripping, she was already financially independent. She tells the story matter-of-factly: working from age 12, paying for her own schoolbooks, managing her own credit cards.
So, when family questioned her choices, she met it with logic: If you don’t support me, you also don’t get to object.