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Curiocity: Claire Sinclair Kicks Off Bettie Page At MOA

From the popular TV series "Mad Men" to the latest Hollywood fashion trends, retro is back in a big way -- and it'll soon be coming to a runway near you.

Having just popped up at the Mall of America, Bettie Page, aka: Queen of Pinups, is the latest shop to offer women of all sizes the chance to dress like the glamorous gals of the 1950s.

Bettie Page will host a fashion show on Saturday at the Mall of America to officially welcome the ladies of Minnesota to its fresh look and super fun fashions. Leading the way is Bettie Page's spokes model, Claire Sinclair -- who not only has appeared on E! Channel's "Holly's World" but was named the 2011 Playboy Playmate of the Year.

Sinclair said she's thrilled to be the face of Bettie Page and even more excited to come to Minnesota for the first time.

"I'm dying to go to Minnesota because I love your accents," she said. "They're beautiful. It's like 'Meen-ee-sotah,' I love it."

Sinclair became the clothing line's spokes model after being discovered, more or less, in a burlesque show in Las Vegas called Crazy Horse Paris. The owner and designer of Bettie Page just so happened to stop in for a show and after seeing Sinclair, they knew she had "the look" they were searching for.

"My act in Crazy Horse, I was dressed in 1950s attire and had a 1950s hairstyle and they kind of thought, you know this girl would be a good thing for our brand, she kind of matches what's going on," Sinclair said.

For her, the offer was the chance of a lifetime. Not only was she already a huge fan of the clothing, but after sealing the deal, she got one of everything in the line.

"My whole closet is like jam-packed with Bettie Page stuff. It's awesome," she said.

Claire Sinclair
(credit: Bettie Page)

The collection features several lines, like Beach Bash, which is catered to 1950s beachwear and Tatyana, named after the designer, which gives a modern spin on classic retro looks.

Sinclair said the best thing about Bettie Page is that any woman really can wear the fashions.

"Honestly, it really compliments everyone's figure," Sinclair said. "The material that Tatyana chose to use is almost like Spanx, it's comfortable and it really shows your figure. I've seen it on every body type and I've never seen anyone who can't rock a Bettie dress and that's just me honestly speaking. Everyone looks so good in it."

The collection definitely emphasizes curves, giving everyone that sexy hourglass shape, she said.

In between modeling some of the best Bettie looks, Sinclair stays extremely busy with her other duties, as the 2011 Playboy Playmate of the Year.

She said that experience has truly changed her life.

"It's opened a world of opportunities to me," she said. "Every day I'm dealing with a new project that would have never been open to me if it weren't for Playboy. I'm traveling a lot. I feel I'm never home anymore. They keep me very busy."

Being a part of the Playboy world is like being in an extended family, Sinclair said -- one that takes a bit to get used to but is irreplaceable.

"At first, it's overwhelming, it's crazy and you don't understand what it all means. You can't take in the fact that you're actually at the mansion," she said. "Then it really becomes like a family. It's the same people every week that hangs out together, eats together, it's very much like a family. They're my second family. Hef is like my second father."

Claire Sinclair will help celebrate the grand opening of Bettie Page -- and sign autographs -- at 1 p.m. on Saturday at Mall of America Rotunda. For more information, click here.

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