Dita Von Teese (born September 28, 1972 in Rochester, MI) is an American burlesque artist, model and actress. Her mother was a manicurist and her father was a machinist. Von Teese is well known for her fascination with 1940s cinema and classic retro style. This began at a young age and was fostered by her mother, who would buy clothes for her daughter to dress up in. Her mother was a fan of old, Golden-era Hollywood films, and it was from her that Von Teese developed a fascination with the actresses of that day