Sugar meets spice at Victoria’s Secret fashion show

Victoria’s Secret, the leading specialty retailer of lingerie and beauty products, sexified the Lexington Avenue Armory in New York City last night for the highly anticipated Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show.
This year, production company Done and Dusted wanted to infuse the holiday-themed show with just the right dose of Vickie’s signature sexiness. And with a line up featuring Gisele Bundchen, Tyra Banks, Heidi Klum, Adriana Lima, Naomi Campbell, Karolina Kurkova and Oluchi Onweagba, among others, the show surely made many little (and not-so-little) boys’ holiday wishes come true.
“This took about a year in planning”, said Monica Mitro, one of the show’s executive producers. Mitro, who has worked on the show for the past ten years, was among the many producers who searched the globe looking for the perfect team to ensure the event’s success. Even the most nominal details were labored over, right down to the feathers on the famed angel wings.
“We had the feathers flown in, specially done by a woman in Paris,” said Mitro. As for who got to wear the show-stopping wings, it sounded like there was a level of seniority involved. “We love Heidi, she’s been with us since the beginning. Heidi gets the biggest wings.”
But there doesn’t seem to be any hard feelings, Mitro added. “This is the first year where every girl loves every one of their outfits.”
The pre-show red carpet was flooded with rain and celebrities including Nicky Hilton, Russell Simmons, Pharrell Williams, Lenny Kravitz and Amerie, all of whom were willing to brave the weather to get a peek at Naomi and Gisele in their scanties. MTV Vee-jay Damien Fahey came for one, and one thing only.
“Adriana Lima!” he crowed to Fashion Wire Daily. Singer Ricky Martin didn’t dish on his favorite Angel, but did offer some advice to the censorship bureau regarding the show’s content.
“Too racy? Come on, guys, you gotta open up your mind! Its 2005!” Martin told reporters on the red carpet.
Inside, the Armory was a winter wonderland complete with a runway drenched in glitter, giant candy canes and teddy bears, massive Christmas ornaments and a rotating giant gift box. Musician Chris Botti’s flawless trumpet solo, somewhat of a calm before the storm, braced the audience for the show’s start. As the ‘Carol of the Bells’ blared, the lid of the box opened to reveal a handful of supermodels inside. Talk about the gift that keeps on giving…
Gisele was the first to emerge in the 2005 jeweled Fantasy Bra coupled with a feather-trimmed mini skirt, the first of several “Sexy Santa’s Helpers” outfits. Veteran Angels like Naomi Campbell, Angela Lindvall and Tyra Banks, who appeared in a flurry of Swarovski crystals and larger-than-life black angel wings, wore the ‘Shadow Dreams’ theme outfits.
The ‘Sexy Delicious’ looks debuted with Adriana Lima shaking her hard-candy bejeweled boy shorts to the song ‘I Want Candy’. Candy cane wings and panties with cupcake frosting embellishments also appeared, as models skipped to the music swinging giant lollipops, giving many in the audience a different kind of sugar rush.
The ‘Imperial Russian’ theme offered a brief respite from the sugary holiday looks as a tribute to Imperia Russian Vodka, who partnered with the show to create eleven looks and hosted the evening’s after party, complete with 100Ibs of and a 10,000lb ice bar. This segment showcased some of the most beautiful pieces, including a crocodile leather bolero jacket with organza puff sleeves, as well as some serious bling courtesy of Jacob the Jeweler.
Among the event’s highlights were Heidi Klum’s abs, a showstopper in their own right, considering she welcomed her second child only two months ago. Klum’s husband, singer Seal, performed ‘Crazy’ as Heidi made her runway return in a luminescent light-up bra with Swarovski beading and wings to match. Later in the show, Ricky Martin performed ‘Drop It On Me’ off his new album, ‘Life’, while lingerie-clad backup dancers dropped it - their underwear, that is - on stage.
The ‘Toy Parade’ outfits were the last to hit the catwalk. Naomi Campbell sparkled in a gold metallic robe and balconet bra with a crystallized toy trumpet, while Victoria’s Secret newcomer Selita Ebanks took the stage in what can only be described as a strategically placed gift-wrap ribbon.
Tyra Banks, who walked the Victoria’s Secret runway for the last time last night, closed the show as a sexy toy soldier bandleader in a shoulder cape with metallic tassels, and a crystal embroidered baton that she thrust into the air as her final farewell.
Banks (aka, ‘America’s Sexiest Top Model’) returned to lead all the Vickie’s Angels on one last march down the catwalk, with Jet’s ‘Are You Gonna Be My Girl’ blaring as the girls danced the show to a close. When all was said and done, the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show may be little more than a whirlwind of lace, sparkles and skin, but it has become a highly-anticipated fashion spectacle and, to its credit, the most celebrated runway show ever. By constantly pushing the sexy envelope while still maintaining a certain level of class, Victoria’s Secret, after all these years, still turns heads.
The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show will air Tuesday, December 6 on CBS and will include red carpet interviews, model profiles, and a behind-the-scenes peek of the making of the fashion show. From 10 p.m. to 11 p.m., this television special is sure to get you in the mood…the holiday mood, that is.—Agencies