On a crisp autumn day in New York
City, a group of breathtakingly beautiful women gathered in front of 1100
people on Park Avenue. Together, they walked millions of dollars worth of
lingerie down a glittering catwalk. Here, we take an exclusive
behind-the-scenes look at the spectacle that is the Victoria’s Secret Fashion
Show.
A hall mark of teenage-boy fantasy and
fashion industry extravagance, the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show brings
together some of the world’s most talented models, musicians, and designers for
an evening of Disney-calibre entertainment – but with a lot more skin.
Comprising 69 looks, 31 sets of angel wings, and a $12 million budget, last
year’s show, which took place at the Park Avenue Armory in New York City, was
the lingerie behemoth’s biggest extravaganza to date.
On November 9, 1100 guests made their
way down the pink carpet and, after having their Balenciaga and Alexander Wang
bags sniff-checked by security dogs (appropriately attired in pink
patent-leather collars, descended on the Armory in clouds of perfume and
glinting sequins. Attendees, including singer Debbie Harry and hip-uop mugul
Russell Simmons, were shown to their seats by male models clad in tight black
T-shirts, before the spectacle, which featured performances by Kanye West,
Maroon 5, and Nicki Minaj with a surprise cameo from Jay-Z, began.
Beyoncé turned out to support her
husband, while recent father Orlando Bloom showed up to give his wife, Miranda
Kerr, a standing ovation from the front row. Model Tyson Beckford was also in
the audience, cheering on his Australian girlfriend and Victoria’s Secret
newcomer, Shanina Shaik, who he’d helped prep for the show with a gruelling
regimen of squats, Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine escorted girlfriend Anne
Vyalitsyna down the runway while performing his hit “Moves Like Jagger”,
stopping to plant a kiss on the model’s cheek.
Rife with A-list power couples and
watched by 10 million TV viewers, the show is a career-making coup for the models
that walk it. Shaik told The Cut, “My ultimate job booking was walking the
Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show. Now, I’d love to shoot with them. That’s how
I’ll know I’ve made it.” Model Karlie Kloss seconded the sentiment: “I feel
like I’m living a dream. It’s pretty cool.”
Barely these lingerie meets over the
tip costuming. The show featured six different themese: Ballet; Super Angels;
Angel Aquatic; flamenco-inspired Passion; old New Orleans-inflected “I Put A
Spell On You”; and candy raver-esque Club Pink. These highlighter-bright tutus
were for the latter category, which also featured a performance by an
orange-bustiered Nicki Minaj.
Miranda
Kerr wears the coveted $2.5 million dismond- and pearl-studded Fantasy Treasure
bra, paired with wings weighty enough to make walking the runway a challenge.
