New girl crush alert. New girl crush alert. New girl crush alert.

Meet Veronica Varlow. She is a dee-lish combination of pulp film vixen, pin-up girl, and femme fatale. She has a 1950’s-inspired clothing website Danger Dame, designed to bring out the inner Bettie Page in every woman, and also performs burlesque at various hot spots around New York City. She’s multi-talented, multi-tasking and entrances her audiences with spellbinding glamour.

Come meet her, you’ll fall under spell too…

Describe yourself in 5 words, Miss V…
Brave, imaginative, sensual, magic, adventurer!

You’re a multi-talented, multi-tasking lady o’ fabulousness – what is it you do exactly and how do you find time to juggle it all?
I guess the best answer to that question is I do the things that I absolutely love to do in life. I find time to juggle it all because I decided to get rid of the stuff I hated in my life – namely working in a cubicle for 50 hours a week. That freed up A LOT of time.

You are renown for your foxy burlesque routines – how did you discover burlesque, or did it discover you?
My friends brought me to see a show at the Slipper Room when I first moved to New York City. I was absolutely intrigued by the women on stage because they were all different shapes and sizes and ages – being bold and strutting their stuff on stage on their terms. That night I realized that beauty comes in many forms and that confidence is the most sexy thing there is.

Do you have a ritual to get you amped up before a performance?
You mean besides sacrificing virgins?

I love how you describe the act of burlesque as weaving a spell on the audience – do you believe in magick?
Absolutely. And if you come to one of my performances, I’ll make you believe in magick, too….. *wink*

I’m a curvy girl, love the idea of burlesque, yet I’m a li’l bit scared – can anyone do it? Can you divulge any of YOUR old gypsy love magic for us minxes who want to rock our inner-showgirl please Miss V? What must-have traits would we need?

YES. Anyone can do it. Hell, everyone SHOULD do it. The woman who first inspired me to do burlesque was Dirty Martini who is a gorgeous curvy girl. The first night I saw burlesque – she was performing. She was so utterly sensual and had such a commanding presence. When I watched her from the audience, I wanted what she had – true confidence in her body and her self. She blew my mind with her sensuality and how she carried herself. Beauty comes in all different, gorgeous packages! The only must have trait is wanting to do it! Confidence will come, style will come and choreography will come. But you have to push yourself right onto to that stage to start to make a dream happen.

Your online boutique is called Danger Dame – love it! – is there a ‘typical’ Danger Dame girl?
Girl, there is nothing typical about a Danger Dame! We have to be covert! Undercover! Deadly! The one thing all of us have in common is that we include “World Domination” on our To Do Lists.

Who are your style icons?
Marlene Dietrich is one of my all time heros. She was able to effortlessly pull both classic glamour in glittering gowns and dresses to gender-bending with top hats and men’s suits with grace and style. She was a fashion trailblazer! But personally, my style icons have to be more than just a pretty look – the real reason I love Marlene is because of her sassy style of speaking her mind and letting everybody know! During WWII, the Nazis wanted her to return to Germany to be their ultimate star and she turned them down because she despised what they stood for. She became an American citizen and helped raise more war bonds for the US than any other star to help stand up for people’s rights. Now that’s a true style icon!

What five tunes would be on a Miss V soundtrack to life?
1. Like a Bad Girl Should by The Cramps (Because I’m a little bit bad….*wink*)
2. Harlem Nocturne by Sam “The Man” Taylor (The first song I ever performed burlesque to)
3. New Orleans Stomp by Louis Armstrong (in a former life I haunted that fabulous city – I know it)
4. Rawhide by the Dead Kennedys (It’s a song that comes up in Burke and I’s film Revolver in the script and is in the trailer and it always makes me smile.)
5. I Put a Spell on You by Screamin’ Jay Hawkins (…because you’re mine…..)

What makes you jump in the air happy?
When life takes me on unexpected amazing adventures! It’s been doing that alot lately and I approve! The last time I actually jumped in the air happy was three weeks ago when we were touring in Sydney, Australia – the day was amazing – we explored all over Darling Harbour, at the last second decided to take a ferry to the beach, had a dinner on the boardwalk as the sunset, then rode the ferry back watching the lights dance on the water as we pulled up next to the Sydney Opera House. And then we heard music – and ended up sneaking into a Massive Attack concert that was happening outside. Listening to the music, being under the stars, in front of the Sydney Opera House, on the harbour – I couldn’t believe this was my life. And yes…I actually jumped up in the air happy.

What’s your biggest life lesson?
NEVER be afraid to do what your heart tells you to do. It is always right. Live your dreams and don’t be afraid of what others think. That’s the biggest lesson I learned.

What’s your secret to success?
I think about if the 8 year old me would be proud of what I’m doing. If the answer is yes, I’m on the right road to success in my eyes…..

The Sassy List…what’s your favourite:
book: The Master and Margarita
movie: Why, MY movie – Revolver!
shop: Agent Provocateur
city: New Orleans has been seducing me lately, but my love affair with NYC is long-standing.
hangout: Shanghai Mermaid
website: www.dangerdame.com – Yes, bbs!
make-up brand: Purple Lab

Go visit her and her gorgeousness – www.dangerdame.com