Brooklyn Pin Up School Is Wild About Bettie Page!

We first caught wind of the cool goings –on at the Brooklyn Pin Up School when the New York Post ran this article that mentions Bettie Page. I followed up with co-owners Anna Patin, who also owns the photography studio Lucy La Riot, and Renee DiDio, owner of the vintage clothing shop SlapBack, to find out how the school was born and to get an idea of Bettie’s influence on them and their students. Read on to get their take on the enduring appeal of pinup and its Queen.

Tori: How did the Brooklyn Pin Up School come to be? What was the inspiration?

Renee: The inspiration, I think, was kind of the same for both of us, right? I mean, basically for me it was the girls coming in everyday to the store and saying, “Oh I love your hair” or “I love your makeup, can you show me how to do it?”

Anna: For me, at the studio it was the same thing. I do all the hair and makeup so the girls always want to know how did you do this, or what products did you use. And also we both dress this way all the time and do our hair and makeup in this style so I think they see us too, on Instagram and whatnot, and want to know more.

Renee: And then Anna came into the shop one day after we had known each other for awhile, and said you know, I’m thinking about starting this school, what do you think, are you in? And I said I’m in, yeah, let’s do it. And I think it came together pretty quickly too.

Anna: Yeah, it’s really taken off a lot, which is great.

Tori: In what ways has Bettie Page been an inspiration to you and Renee? What is it that you love about her?

Anna: I shoot all of the pinup stuff at the studio and so, of course, that was the first inspiration from seeing her imagery, particularly her fetish work, and how it was so scandalous for the time, and she was really the pinup that did it all cross-genres. She also sewed some of her outfits and I totally relate to that as I make a lot of the things for the studio, and probably Renee you too, fashion-wise…

Renee: Bettie Page is one of the most recognizable pinups, so even if you aren’t into this subculture or you’re not into vintage or pinup or rockabilly or whatever that may be, you know, you see a girl that has the Bettie bangs, and that is a big statement with the pinup crowd. They know exactly who she is, and I think she is so inspirational for a few reasons, and for me it’s also that she wasn’t your conventional pinup.

Anna: Yeah, that’s one of the best things about her.

Renee: A lot of people talk about Bettie Page as being a pinup, but you know in a lot of her photographs she’s got a suntan, she’s on the beach, you know, she was girl next door but she wasn’t the girl next door.

Anna: I was just going to say that–she did all genres from fetish to cutesy which was rare too.

Renee: A lot of girls didn’t do that, and couldn’t do that, she was so versatile. I think that’s the biggest thing for me about her, is that she could be anybody she wanted to be at any given day.

Anna: Which I think is the best thing about pinup in general too. At the studio I get all the girls that, you know, some want to be the glamorous housewife, some want to be the more kinky dominatrix, and some want to be just something in the middle. Bettie did it all.

Renee: And there was really no one else who did that, I mean, I can’t name one.

Anna: Everybody at pinup school classes loves Bettie too, when we go around the room and have everyone say who their favorite pinup is, I would say at least 3/4 of the room says that Bettie is their favorite.

Tori: What are your thoughts on why pinup is so popular today, and what do women get out of it?

Renee: I mean, pinup has always been popular for me, to me…

Anna: Well yeah, we’re different from the usual…

Renee: I would say over the years I have kind of honed my style into one specific style, but I think for the masses right now pinup is becoming more and more popular, and I hate to say it, but it’s because of TV. When you have shows like PanAm, MadMen…

Anna: The new Astronaut’s Wive’s Club…

Renee: Yeah, you know, you have people who are at home or people in the suburbs who don’t normally see this, and then they say, “Holy shit, look how put together these girls are,” and it’s also a very fun style as well, and I think that that really pulls them in. And once they’re pulled in and they’re trying on the clothing, forget it, it’s a done deal, because the clothing looks good on everybody and it just fits every body type perfectly.

Anna: I agree, and that’s what I love about pinup, it works for everybody. Every ethnicity, every body type, piercings or no piercings, different hair colors, whatever it may be. Everyone looks good in this style, the clothes are always flattering, the makeup is always flattering. And I also think it’s just such a put together look and I think that’s why people gravitate to it.

Renee: Agreed. And there are girls who walk down the street and they’re trying to stand out, right, they’re trying to stand out by what they’re wearing, but with pinup you’re standing out, but it is in such a classy way, and I’ve never heard you know, that’s ridiculous. They look at me and say, “You look so pretty.”

Anna: Yeah, I always get words like fancy and “You look so nice and dressed up.” I never get anything that’s negative towards the way we dress or style ourselves.

Renee: You’re looked at as being different, but in a good way. And I think that translates to the girls when they’re walking down the street and they think, oh I can be different but still look good, and still look my age, and this is also an age-less style which is great.

Anna: Totally. And it’s all about personality and tailoring the look to what your style is.

Tori: What have you observed about Bettie’s influence on the women you work with and other women in your circles?

Anna: I think we touched a little on that with the visual aspects…

Renee: Yeah, visually it’s the hair. I think one out of three girls has Bettie bangs.

Anna: (laughs) …or is thinking about cutting them, or has the clip in bangs.

Renee: And I also think Bettie is known for the leopard print. A lot of girls will come to me for a bathing suit and they want leopard or they want cheetah print. They want to emulate her, and I don’t know any girl in this subculture that doesn’t own a leopard print something.

Anna: Totally. Sweater, swimsuit, skirt, dress… Yeah, I have all of those! And all the girls I get at the studio for shoots, everybody wants to be Bettie Page. So many girls come in thinking they want to do something cutesy and then once they’re at the studio they change their minds and say, “Yeah, actually I want to pose with the lion tamer whip.”  Bettie really empowers girls. I’ve seen it with my clients and she’s so timeless that her influence on this subculture and this community will, I’m sure, continue to grow even further.