FREYLA FERGUSON meets a young woman with a passion for the art of the pin up

WATCHING MGM films with her grandmother, particularly Elizabeth Taylor in “Cleopatra”, sparked Tina Sibraa’s love for all things pin up.

Tina (aka Miss Kitty Savage), from Rivett, has made the State finals of the Miss Pin Up Australia competition, however she had to enter in Victoria because of a lack of ACT entries.

This is the first time Tina has entered a competition of this kind, which is in search of “Australia’s most glamorous pin ups”.

There are six categories – Miss Perfect (open to every vintage glamour girl), Miss Illustrated (girls with “permanent pieces of artwork”), Miss Classic (aged over 30), Miss VaVaVoom (for the classically voluptuous) and Miss Popularity (winner of the online vote).

Tina, who will compete in the Miss Perfect category, says her pin-up idols include Sophia Loren, Elizabeth Taylor, Betty Page, Marilyn Monroe, Grace Kelly and burlesque star Loretta.

But it’s Betty Page and Sophia Loren she likes to channel when she’s striking a true pin-up pose.

“I’ve been doing [pose] workshops in Sydney,” she said. “But YouTube has been really helpful, too,” says the bubbly 29-year-old.
As well as being judged on her pin-up photos, Tina will also be judged in four ‘40s/’50s fashion sections; day wear, evening wear, swimsuit and lingerie (night wear). There will also be a section on talent.

Tina’s keeping her outfits under wraps at the moment but says she hopes her 1950s prom dress, although a little “over the top”, will have the “wow” factor.

But it’s not the fashion that she’s having trouble with, it’s working out her two-minute talent routine.

Tina, who is part of a Canberra Rollerderby team called the “Furley Griffins” and where her name Miss Kitty Savage stems from, says more than likely it’ll be her rollerderby skills that’ll be her talent.

“I’ve performed in front of a derby crowd but not on stage,” she says.

“Hopefully the adrenaline will kick in.”

Tina, who describes herself as “rockabilly”, says there isn’t a huge rockabilly scene in Canberra and it was when she looked into getting a photo-shoot by pin-up specialists Boogie Bop Dames, that she discovered the pin-up competition.

“I initially just wanted photos done with a 1950s look, and I did some research and discovered Pixie from Boogie Bop Dames in Sydney,” she said.

“Then I found out about the competition and thought ‘that sounds like fun!’.”

The Miss Pin Up Australia Victoria State final will be held in Dandenong on Sunday, November 20.