Inspired by all things vintage, glamorous and stylin', pin-up models are the classic rosie cheeked, red lipped dolls with luscious hair and beauty to boot – straight out of the '40s and '50s.
Often going hand-in-hand with hot/rat rods, classic cars and bikes, these babes are the cherry on top of the rockabilly culture.
Hosted at the Hamilton Hotel in March, the second annual Rods & Rockabilly Festival will be bringing back a pin-up pageant that was oh-so popular last year.
This year the festival is privileged to have special guest photographers Mitzi & Co. Photography from San Dimas, California attending. Mitzi is a renowned pin-up photographer with 11 years of experience. As part of the festival she will be taking a limited number of bookings for the day as well as running photo shoots with the dolls from the pin-up competition.
With ladies from all over Queensland competing in the event, judges will have a hard time picking a lovely lass to crown from these gals:
Bettie Butcher
A model, teacher, pageant coordinator and mentor, Bettie is known as one of the pioneer tattooed pin-up models in Australia, with ink by national and international artists. Her trademarks are her curvy va va voom figure, versatile style, a love of working on and showing her classic VW Beetle “Evelyn” and bubbly persona.Post by Bettie Butcher.
Miss Anna D’Amour
A 23-year-old teacher from Toowoomba, Miss Anna D' Amour is a greaser gal at heart and loves learning everything about cars and motors! Being a second generation hot rodder she got into pin-up from seeing all the beautiful girls dressed in circle skirts and vintage dresses when she was younger.
© KTB PhotographyFrancie Flathead
A petrol-head pin-up from the Gold Coast with a passion for hot rods, rockabilly and kustom kulture, Francie is a tomboy at heart who spends as much time in a greasy garage working on her cars as she does styling her hair in victory rolls for a night out. Passionate about pin-up, Francie believes it allows women of all shapes and sizes to exude confidence and feel beautiful, inside and out.
© Vestige PhotographyMiss Angela Misfit
Miss Angela Misfit started getting into pin-up photography only recently. “I started on this journey at the end of 2013, due to escaping a very violent relationship and almost becoming a statistic of domestic violence. By exploring pin-up photography and entering competitions I have started to rebuild my self esteem and confidence, which was extremely battered at the end of 2013. This year I am looking forward to setting new challenges for myself and this competition is one of them, as I have never competed in a pageant of this size.”
© KTB PhotographyJade Foxx
Jade Foxx (formally Belle Amour) is a vintage vixen who's not quite XXX! She has a love for mid-century dresses and cars, but as a modern girl she also loves her tattoos. Entering the kustom kulture scene just three years ago, Jade aspires to do as much as pin-up modelling as she can!
© All About Pout PhotographyDiamond Dubbellyou
They say diamonds are a girl’s best friend… An aspiring pin-up from the northside of Brisbane, Diamond is a loud, curvy and giggle pot. This triple threat tease attends burlesque classes which coincidently introduced her to the pin-up world. “Who wouldn’t want to be a part of a community where woman of all shapes and sizes are accepted, appreciated and embraced with the most supportive, welcoming and loving arms.”
© Offbeat ImageryBella Trouble
A tattooed pin-up gal with a passion for old school cars, baking and Disney, Bella is also a foster carer for the Animal Welfare League. Recently catching the travel bug from a trip to Japan for the 2014 Mooneyes car show, Bella now has plans to visit America and many more countries with her cars (and style).
© Phil Kustom PhotographyMerie Margherita
Merie Margherita hails from the sunny Gold Coast where she studies business, and is the proud mother of a little boy. With a love of horse riding, Merie also enjoys the other kind of horse power and loves both motorcycles and classic cars. “Harley and Chevrolet all the way!” this babe says.
© KTB PhotographyNight Temptress
Originally from Perth, Night Temptress moved to Brisbane nine years ago. “Ever since I was little I have loved vintage. The beautiful women, handsome men and of course the fantastic gowns. But what I love the most is the reminder of how far women have come in society. We are no longer extensions of our husbands and fathers wishes but are considered women in our own right with the ability to make our own choices. What I adore the most about pin-up is the lines and curves that a perfectly fitting outfit gives me, it makes me feel so confident and knowing I can wear them and be considered an independent woman gives me the drive to take on the world.”
© Rule Of Thirds PhotographyRosetta Sterling
Upon entering the world of pin-up and burlesque, Rosetta Sterling knew she’d found her place. Being surrounded by beautiful women with class and confidence, helped her find her own confidence and she has not looked back. The friendships gained have changed her whole outlook and given her the boost she needed to become who she wants to be. A dainty dynamo with some serious determination, Rosetta's a solo burlesque performer who's next goal is to win a tiara!
© Say Cheesecake PhotographyMiss Diamond Divine
All class, with a dash of ass, Miss Diamond Divine is a tomboy turned pin-up who has her elbows up to grease in the shed as often as she's dressed up in her finest. From Toowoomba, this sassy lass has overcome chronic pain, depression and anxiety after a car accident in 2011, and is using her somewhat tiny platform to help erase the stigma attached to mental illness. You go girl!
Goldie Bardot
Although fairly new to the pin-up scene, Goldie has been living as a girl born in the wrong era for the majority of her life. She adores the classic elegance and cheeky charm that the pin-up girl represents. Surviving from a few incredibly challenging years being diagnosed with multiple chronic illness, she has daily struggles and will do for the rest of her life. Most recently she has been diagnosed with Lupus, an autoimmune disorder where her body attacks itself, and she is still recovering from 2 crushed vertebrae after finding out she has early onset osteoporosis. Although there are many hard days, being part of a the pin-up and rockabilly culture, and surrounding herself with people who share a love of something that she's passionate about helps Goldie to push through the tough days. Pin-up has given her a new found appreciation for the things that she is in control of and the choices she does get to make. Nothing can bring this beauty down!
© Nylon Riot PhotographyPenelope Parfait
This neo-traditional pin-up gal began her performance career in the world of musical theatre and perfected her authentic retro style starring in the lead roles of some of the greatest '50s style shows – 'Grease', 'Little Shop Of Horrors' and 'Bye Bye Birdie'. This lifelong lover of rockabilly and vintage culture sang and studied her way to a degree in education and theatre at Griffith University and performs daily at the front of the classroom. On a school day she's as sweet and tough as boiled candy, teaching high school students in button-downs and twin sets. But when the school bell rings, she likes to glam it up.
© Say Cheesecake PhotographyThe Rods & Rockabilly Festival is on 21 March at the Hamilton Hotel, with the Rockabilly Ball taking place upstairs in the H Lounge at night.
