SHE'S GOT A SECRET
NY Post - By SERENA FRENCH
November 16, 2006 --
VICTORIA'S Secret will put its breast foot forward tonight - for the first time in Hollywood. The lingerie maker moved its annual supermodel runway show from New York to Los Angeles' Kodak Theatre, the home of the Oscars. It films today and will air on CBS Dec. 5.
Mr. SexyBack, Justin Timberlake, will be performing and a parade of VS lovelies will be winging their way down the catwalk, including Gisele Bundchen, Karolina Kurkova, Angela Lindvall and Adriana Lima.
At the ripe old age of 25, Lima is already a Victoria's Secret veteran. "After I started working with them, everything changed. I started walking down the street and suddenly people will turn around and say 'Look! The Victoria's Secret model.' I couldn't believe it."
When Victoria's Secret has a new bra, they treat it like a movie launch, with a publicity campaign and appearances on Leno and Letterman. Past extravaganzas include putting on a runway show during the Cannes Film Festival. "We feel that we're very Hollywood and high fashion and L.A is Tinseltown, the perfect place for all that glamour," says show executive producer Monica Mitro.
Demand for tickets is traditionally high, with even VIPs working all the angles to get an invitation. A slew of celebrities, including athletes such as Derek Jeter, are expected front row to make, er, orders.
"I have to say that I, personally, can't go out much anymore," jokes Mitro, "because I can't even make eye contact with people. People I haven't heard from in a year, I'm getting e-mails: 'Hey friend!'"
She also has offers for volunteer help. "All these guys are like, 'Do you need any dressers backstage? People to put sheen on their skin?'"
So high-profile is the show that some top models flew in on their own dime for the castings. Show producers will see 100 women in their underwear. Victoria's Secret cannot use a regular fashion model, or "the skinny girls, like the trend has been in runway shows," says Mitro. "We need voluptuous. Ninety-five percent of our customers are women, so they want to see real women."
Lima is one of those girls. Out of the 27 models in the show, the Brazilian bombshell is one of the few stars - along with Bundchen - who has a contract with Victoria's Secret.
Seeing her standing in a bra and panties getting fitted two weeks ago by the wing man, one can see all the reasons why. But coming from a body-conscious culture doesn't make her feel any more comfortable strutting half-naked. "I'm very shy. This is my work. It's like being an actor. If you watch a movie and see two actors killing each other, that doesn't mean they kill people."
The best part of doing the show for her? "First, to wear wings. I loooove! It's like my little girl's fantasy. I'm still a kid in a way, in my heart. I have an opportunity to live that fantasy."
Her second favorite thing is the people she gets to meet. "I love the opportunity I have to meet all the celebrities and actors that I see on TV and I watch. And suddenly they are in front of me and I can't believe! This year I will be very happy to meet Justin Timberlake. I have always been his biggest fan. I hope I will get the opportunity to meet him. It's going to be a long line."
As for the clothes, there will be 72 outfits with sections called Coquettish Fetish, Highland and the all-white finale, Glacial Goddess. Kurkova will wear a corset made of silver. "If you have 72 outfits, bra, panty, bra panty, it gets ridiculous," Mitro says. "So we have to make it tasteful and beautiful, but yet push it into fantasy to make it a show." There's also a section called Come Fly with Me, an ode to 1950s air hostesses. Says Mitro, "I think more people would fly if stewardesses dressed like that."
credit goes to boomer on TFS
I like the angels from these days, more though selita should be actually oluchi... *in my opinion
