Aurora Dawn

If you’re flabbergasted at how a VS model can make so little when there are day gigs out there that pay more than what they make per day under a VS contract, guess what—you’re not alone. A lot of VS angels who left the company felt the exact same way, even back in the 2000's and early 2010's. Angels like Gisele, Miranda, Doutzen, and Karlie left because of the time-to-money issue; they could get way better pay for far fewer number of hours elsewhere. Miranda had even publicly stated that VS required a minimum X number of days working for them under a contract with Y salary, and that this ended up being a very heavy commitment for her, given the opportunities elsewhere. Karlie and Doutzen both left because they had gigs that could pay better for far less work. Nobody in their right mind is going to reveal their exact salary, so the salary ballpark for the angel contract is a guestimate at best, but rumors have certainly persisted and circulated over the years. At its height, the angel contract was a multi-million dollar deal, with some pegging it at around 4-5 million (the high estimate) for Gisele. By the next generation of angels the salary had already began dwindling down, with Miranda’s contract reported to be in the 1 million range. Since then, we all know that the number of angels has exploded from 4-5 at a time to now 15+, that the star power of the models has also gone down, combined with the financial issues. The current angel contract is said to sit in the six figures. 100K is an entry number that has frequently circulated in the rumor mill as the starting/low-end value. https://www.vogue.co.uk/article/victorias-secret-angels-underpaid-doutzen-kroes-karlie-kloss I do imagine that the number goes up with time with having worked with the company more. Plus, there is the fact that even when the New Angels signed up, the models weren’t on equal footing to start out. Some had worked with the company for years already like Lais and Elsa, while others like Kate G and Jac were more or less ignored and quickly lost their contracts. With a low of 100k or even a higher contract closer to 1 million, I’d still say that a salary like that isn’t that great or impressive for 2019. In this day and age, even a good Youtube vlogger or influencer can easily make hundreds of thousands, with a lot of them easily going into the millions per year. Hell, I have relatives who are nobodies working in the medical field making 300-500k annually. I completely agree with @Fashionfreak1. For 2019, VS is a solid goal if you’re a nobody in modeling, a downgrade if you’re an A-list or an established model, and just so-so for those with potential like Taylor or Grace. Like them or not, the current A-List models in terms of bankability are the social media and the nepo girls. I don’t think Kendall Jenner is traditional model material or even beautiful, nor do I think that she would ever fit with VS or be able to sell well for them, but she has current endorsements with Adidas, Calvin Klein, Estee Lauder, Proactiv, etc…, and the millions generated from those mega contracts is more than all of the VS contract salaries combined.

I definitely disagree that high fashion doesn’t have impact on commercial success. My friend works for a modeling agency and says that runway or print work with HF are absolute core goals that even fledgling models need to aim for. Runways (which belong to the domain of HF) are a fundamental part of any elite modeling portfolio. And a good number of fashion models get their foot in the door by landing spots in non/low-paying runways, which in turn can get them noticed or give them exposure to other things that can lead to even more success or money. It’s a fact that VS itself often assesses a model’s prior work before choosing who gets to work with them. Some angels like Karlie, Jac, or regular models like Liu Wen made waves on the HF runway first, which in turn flagged VS’s attention. The relationship between commercial and HF is neither mutually exclusive nor just a one-way street, one can influence the other and vice versa. I wouldn’t categorize Kendall, Gigi, Bella, or Kaia as commercial models that have gone into HF. They are social media and nepo models. Kaia’s career has barely started (she’s currently an underage 17-year old), but from all the signs out there, she’s the next big in the modeling world. It’ll only be a matter of time before the money starts rolling in. While it’s easy to say that HF models might never make it big, the same can hold true (if not more so) for a model working under the commercial route. In fact, there are countless everyday-looking “commercial models” out there who struggle to keep their career going after a few gigs with Hanes, some household product, or whatever work they did for a 30-second forgettable TV ad. The commercial path can actually produce an even larger and more depressing pool of nobodys. (Think of all those faces you have seen in TV ads, everyday products, etc..—those are "commercial models"). Signing a VS contract might get an angel $100K and exposure, but you can’t deny that increasingly there’s a taint in being associated with VS. They are dealing with some serious problems in terms of both the branding/image and the finances. Anybody who’s been following investments and their stock prices knows they are knee-deep in yellow/red flag territory.

I would agree with this, if we’re talking about 10+ years or so ago. But the relationship between HF and commercial is much more complicated today. Having a stronghold in HF will often lead to high-paying commercial work. Think of the likes of Kendall, Gigi, Bella, Karlie, Cara, Irina, Joan, and Kaia —each of whom could crush any current VS angel (and probably all of them combined) in terms of financial power. HF and commercial are not necessarily completely unconnected to each other. Today, HF lends a kind of prestige and power that opens doors to the commercial big bucks. It’s true that HF models aren’t showcased in the way that VS models are groomed, but then again HF operates on a completely different method; they don’t concern themselves with grooming models at all. 100-year+ fashion houses like Chanel, Louis Vuitton, or Gucci don’t depend on any one single model to sell their luxury items, which will sell billions on their own. There’s a reason why the biggest names in the modeling industry will line up to walk for HF for free or next to nothing. HF is about the designs and the designer, whereas VS is more bound to its models. Having a VS contract from the Golden Era was like striking gold when the pay was in the millions and the models were superstars, but since then, there undoubtedly has been a decline. VS models do still get stability and exposure, but the 100k salary or whatever that it has dwindled down to means that there are other routes to modeling and financial success. At this point, having a VS contract seems to offer middling stability. But given that the brand is sinking fast and how alarmingly their operating income has been shrinking, combined with the fact that they have made so many missteps in the past decade, there seems to be a growing stigma associated with VS for its increasingly low-quality, teen-bopper, and sometimes kind of tacky products and image. Whether they can turn this ship around will be interesting to see in the coming years.

The only two models working for VS right now that can generate significant buzz in the modeling world outside of VS is Taylor and Grace. I personally love Taylor; her face reminds me of a modern Audrey Hepburn and she has a very down-to-earth personality. Grace reminds me of Jessica Biel, and has a very solid HF career, and VS would be smart to sign her up. Barbara has a very strong fan base, but her curvy body means that she will probably have mixed success outside of VS. High Fashion still likes their models very (disturbingly) thin, but the Babs can still make successful inroads by selling her very striking face and appealing to a different body aesthetic. I'm not a fan of Alexina, but I don't hate her either. Yes, her personality can be a bit much, but in her printwork, I can see how she could be a good seller for VS. The amount of hate comments that she gets is kind of nauseating. You would've thought she killed somebody's momma, instead of just accepting a VS contract. I'll be kinda sad if Bee leaves before getting a Fantasy Bra, but it looks like both her and Candice are inching towards the ledge. I agree that Candice's career lost steam, but then again she never really had the refined facial definition to move it really big outside of VS. Most of the New Angels don't either. Over the last 5 years, VS has been very reluctant to cut Angels, which makes the lineup far less selective and prestigious than it used to be. I think it was a huge mistake to take on a whole bunch of them at once, starting with the New Angels and now with this generation. They had a better formula in the years before when they paced themselves, choosing and grooming a few at a time every so often and axing as necessary. But VS seems to want its Angels selected in generations now.

I always thought a true red lipstick was her best color, but damn, she rocked that hot pink lip just as well if not better. It goes so well with her skin tone. I just love all the behind the scenes with her team. So cool to see her working with Patrick Ta again. He is talented and has worked with so many celebrities, and he makes Adri look so sexy.

She said she's heading to Vegas after a call from her agent, so it's definitely for work. I was hoping to see her at some more of the NY fashion week events. Darn. But now that she's Vegas-bound, I hope she does Instagram stories about whatever it is.

Right. By bad. I was mixing the Instagram stories with Grace Lee and the Puma one. They are both cool makeup artists to work with. Grace Lee knows how to work the red lip for Adriana. Erin Parsons has a really chill personality, does interesting eye makeup, and her hand can be recognized (the tattoos). I hope Adriana hangs out longer at the NYFW, attends more events, and shows us more behind-the-scenes.

Me too. I love what she just did on Instagram - showed us her silly side which everyone adores, appreciation for her staff, and finally some glam makeup shots! She has such a great relationship with the staff; you can tell they really love her. Adriana's so respectful of everyone, down to the driver. I also really like the Emly DiDonato/Adriana combo. The red/dramatic eye look on her and that fine wing liner looked great on her. Her Maybelline makeup artist, Grace Lee, did a good job. Woman understands that red is Adriana's color. I hope Adriana posts the close-up selfies of the gorgeous makeup and hair. She needs to show that face off.

Gosh. The eye makeup in that Maybelline Color Sensation is so on point! I've never been a fan of super dark lips, but that whole dark blue-green shade range makes her eyes look like a phenomenal peacock blue. Stunning! She has the world's most beautiful eyes.

Man, what a rollercoaster these last few weeks between the two of them with the unfollowing, breaking up, and getting back together, and now breaking up again. If it's now being reported on PEOPLE, there's a good chance it's true, since PEOPLE is a much more reliable/less gossipy news outlet than some of the others. What with him unfollowing her, I hope this is final and over. She has been on fire these last few weeks. The Puma x Maybelline, IWC, and now she's posting for Chopard. Hope this keeps up!

I was under the impression that Forbes starts out with a list of big-name models, sends out researchers to compile the information about their contracts and endorsements (from which they then make estimates about the earnings—often bad ones), and pares down the list accordingly. I didn't think that it was a process of submission on the agencies' part, although Forbes might come to interview the agencies. But there probably is some severe exaggeration going on to pump up certain models. Also, Kendall is from the same management as Adriana, and Kendall made it to the top of the list so I don't think her management forgot her. Irina had an absolute banging year in terms of editorials (lots and lots of Vogue covers) and runway work (especially Versace), but those don't typically pay the big money. Wasn't her only two major contracts/endorsements (that could run into the millions) for that year Intimissimi and Loreal? I would agree that the list remains highly problematic on so many levels, with lots of inconsistencies and strange categorizations of what counts or what doesn't, as well as some exaggeration to boost certain models. But it's still fun to look at, even there's a lot wrong.

Gisele got audited by the IRS one time because of the Forbes list, and said that she didn't get paid as much as they had estimated. The research and interviews that Forbes does are only guestimates at best, and they often end up being very wonky ones because I don't think any agency or model in their right mind would disclose the exact salary, for so many legal, disclosure, and financial reasons.

I don't think modeling agencies actually give out their models' salary numbers. Forbes has to send people in to do the research, and the list is a guestimate at best. There seems to be a lot of surprises on that list, and Adriana does seem rather low. But their cutoff dates are June 2017-June 2018, so she'll very likely jump back onto the list next year, since she had a slower first half in 2018, but picked up a slew of contracts in the second half of the year, including a huge deal with Puma. The list and methodology still looks very questionable, but that's the nature of guestimates. It really is the end of an era. VS used to produce or be associated with a good number of the highest paid models in the industry, but that sadly doesn't seem to be the case anymore. The highest paid ones are now ex-VS, a list which Adriana also joins. Increasingly, the Forbes money list is being populated by Nepotism/connection girls, models who can cross into entertainment/Hollywood/television, and social media/Instamodels. I still do think there are a few younger VS angels with a good chance of joining that list and can be groomed over the coming years (eg. Taylor Hill, Grace if they officially sign her)

She got to work with Usain Bolt today, and I am just squealing! She is standing with some really big names in the celebrity and athletic world with Puma. Getting a sport contract is huge (and also brings in big money). And it just fits her so well; I can't think of any other model who does fitness as hard as she does. So happy all this hard work is paying off for her. I saw her in a lot of the clips today, and I just love her legs, which were one of the best in VS. Such sleek legs!

I just read the disclaimer from the article, which says it only counts June 2017 to June 2018. This is probably why some of the campaigns for Puma, Schutz, and Miu Miu aren't in there because they came in the second half of this year. She did have a slower first half this year (damn you, Metin Hara). I would say that the Forbes ranking overall is still low for Adriana, since she had Maybelline, VS, Sportmax, and ABS among others. But with the cutoff dates, this means that she should do well next year, since she picked up a ton of big stuff from June to now. Puma is a really huge contract. With the cutoff dates, that means that next year should be a very good year for her, since it will have both VS and Puma, as well as Maybelline, Schutz, and others. But then again, the Forbes list is known for being questionable. I'm waiting for next year.