Van Smith is the artist behind John Water's diva actress Divine's costumes and hairstyles. He created Divine's iconic look for the film Pink Flamingos that consisted of a receding hairline, white clown make-up, and eyebrows as well as eye make-up extending to the back of the forehead. She was supposed to be a mix of Jane Mansfield and Clarabell the Clown (from the Howdy Doody show, a 1950's children's television program). In the 1998 documentary "Divine Trash" Van Smith claims that he raised Divine's Hairline because he wanted her face -like a blank canvas- to have more space to apply make-up. Around the time Divine's look was introduced drag queens were just female impersonators with a conservative look. Divine's revolutionary look changed appeal for decades to come, drag queens continue to emulate Divine today.
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| Female Troubles (1974) |
Van Smith created Divine's look for John Water's Film Female Troubles a film about cults and brainwashing where Divine plays Dawn Davenport a feeble-minded house wife that becomes involved in various crimes with the surreal ideas imposed by two facist hairdressers Donald & Donna Dasher (Mary Vivian Pierce & David Lochary) that beauty is crime
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| Divine's see-thru gown tailored for the 300 lb actress |
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| Female Troubles (1974) |
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| Edith Massey's catsuit from Female Troubles |
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| Female Troubles (1974) |
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Mink Stole and David Lochary as Connie and Raymond Marble in Pink Flamingos (1972) |
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| Pink Flamingos (1972) |
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| Jean Hill Desperate Living |
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| Mary Vivian Pierce Female Troubles (1974) |
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| Female Troubles (1974) |
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| Melanie Griffith Cecil B. Demented (2000) |
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| Cecil B. Demented (2000) |
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| Cecil B. Demented (2000) Other works include: Desperate Living (1977) Polyester (1981) Hairspray (1988) Cry Baby (1990) Serial Mom (1994) Pecker (1998) Cecil B Demented (2000) A Dirty Shame (2004) |
-Amanda Jacques
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