Designers to the burlesque stars: Jacques Azagury and Immodesty Blaize

For many outside the world of burlesque, Immodesty Blaize might be a barely known name, but for those who love their tease, she’s a superstar. Best described as statuesque, Ms Blaize (who married her Monaco-born boyfriend in 2014) harked back to the days of the voluptuous movie star, as you can see from our shot of her with her favourite couturier, Jaques Azagury, she very much evokes the smouldering sexuality of Sophia Loren and Bollywood star Samantha Ruth Prabhu.

Immodesty usually arrives on stage in a steel boned corset and nipple tassels and her entrance music is often Prokofiev's Peter And The Wolf - dramatic, big and bold, very much like the burlesque performer herself. While Dita von Teeze has a giant martini glass, Immodesty Blaize is known for  straddling a six foot telephone! And when her backing sound comes from a complete big band, you know that you’re in for an amazing experience when you attend one of her shows.

This British-born burlesque star offers a grown up experience of the art of striptease and while she might not be the most side-splitting funny performer, her speciality is a sensual, grown-up but also intelligent delivery of burlesque that really satisfies many of the senses.

So it’s no surprise that she declares herself for Azagury, or as she put it herself, “I love Azagury …for when I have a red carpet event. Jacques Azagury made many of Princess Diana’s gowns, and he cuts beautiful silhouettes for a woman’s curves.”

Jacques Azagury - a couturier for curves and swerves

So who is Azagury? He’s a specialist in evening wear in particular, educated at the London College of Fashion and St. Martins School of Art. He opened his Knightsbridge showroom in 1987 and since then he’s been a red carpet favourite, as Immodesty makes clear. His reinvention of Princess Diana as a mature women was trail-blazing and Azagury always blends high art with very sexy couture in a way that has led to him being the first choice not only of Immodesty, but also Helen Mirren, Kelly Brook, Mylene Klass and Davina McCall to name but a few.

Of course his couture is out of most of our price ranges, but when you’re looking to recreate the look the place to start with Azagury is always that silhouette. His line, which blends curves with accent lines always accentuates femininity. Look at the diagonal strap on Immodesty’s dress, which draws the eye down to the bust … many designers would have left that out, but the big glamorous bow makes it a feature and the overall impression is a celebration of curves and cleavage.

This sexy impression can only be created with a long-line steel boned corset, and we’d recommend a perfect burlesque foundation for the Azagury look is our red lace burlesque corset with sweetheart neckline and suspender straps to give the ultimate sensual vibe. A clip-in hair piece will give you Immodesty’s stunning blonde streak, and lots of backcombing is necessary for that amazing bouffant hairdo. Long gloves, seamed stockings and a sexy pout complete the look and will stop traffic wherever you go!