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Victoria’s Secret
Victoria’s Secret is known as one of the top lingerie, womenswear, and beauty brands in the world. The company was established in 1977 as a reaction to the dismal options for women’s lingerie at the time – ugly robes, boring nighties, and straight-up frumpy designs. Victoria’s Secret changed the lingerie market by providing undies that were sexy, comfortable, and luxurious.
The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show was first held and broadcast on prime time TV in 1995. It became a huge success, attracting both male and female viewers. It became a mainstay in the fashion world, growing bigger every year – the first show had a budget of $USD 120,000 ($AUD 176,000); its budget in 2011 was more than $USD 12-million ($AUD 17.6-million).
The Angels
In the early ‘90s, around the same time that the concept of ‘supermodels’ was rising in popularity, Victoria’s Secret hired famous names like Yasmeen Ghauri and Jill Goodacre to become brand ambassadors for their lingerie. Later, in 1998, the company featured top models Helena Christensen, Tyra Banks, and a few others in a commercial. VS called these women “Angels” after one of their product lines. They walked, for the first time, at the 4th annual fashion show.
The Angel lineup continues to change, with older models dropping off and younger ones coming to take their place. VS has boosted the careers of many women, such as Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Miranda Kerr, and Alessandra Ambrosio.
Models Versus Angel
Although you might think that all Victoria’s Secret models are Angels, there’s actually a very clear distinction between the two. A VS model is anyone who walks the runway or does a campaign for the brand. But out of the dozens of women who walk the annual fashion show, only a handful of them are part of the ‘exclusive’ group of brand ambassadors called the Angels.
Beyond the fashion show, Angels have other contractual obligations, such as talk shows, appearances, and more. Plus, Angels are expected to maintain certain measurements through strict diets and intense workouts, especially since their work often has them in the nude or almost naked.
Despite recent attempts to be more inclusive (like hiring their first openly transgender model just last month), most Victoria’s Secret models have the same look – tall, beautiful, and skinny. Maintaining that model figure is a must if an Angel wants to keep her contract.
With the additional expectations comes additional fame and additional pay – most of the highest paid models in the world are or were Victoria’s Secret Angels.
The Angels are also the only models on the VS runway who can be chosen to wear the Fantasy Bra, a multi-million dollar bejewelled bra that’s the crown jewel (literally) of the VS Fashion Show. Getting to wear the Fantasy Bra is a huge honour for any Angel.
The Top Victoria’s Secret Angels And Models
Gigi Hadid
Age: 24 years old
Nationality: American
VS shows walked: 3 (2015-2016, 2018)
Cara Delevingne
Age: 27 years old
Nationality: British
VS shows walked: 2 (2012-2013)
Kendall Jenner
Age: 23 years old
Nationality: American
VS shows walked: 3 (2015-2016, 2018)
Adriana Lima
Age: 38 years old
Nationality: Brazilian
VS shows walked: 19 (1999-2003, 2005-2008, 2010-2018)
Candice Swanepoel
Age: 30 years old
Nationality: South African
VS shows walked: 11 (2007-2015, 2017-2018)
Elsa Hosk
Age: 30 years old
Nationality: Swedish
VS shows walked: 8 (2011-2018)
Kelly Gale
Age: 24 years old
Nationality: Swedish-Australian
VS shows walked: 5 (2013-2014, 2016-2018)
Kelsey Merritt
Age: 22 years old
Nationality: Filipino-American
VS shows walked: 1 (2018)
Jasmine Tookes
Age: 28 years old
Nationality: American
VS shows walked: 7 (2012-2018)
Bridget Malcolm
Age: 27 years old
Nationality: Australian
VS shows walked: 2 (2015-2016)
Ming Xi
Age: 30 years old
Nationality: Chinese
VS shows walked: 6 (2013-2018)
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Erin Heatherton
Age: 30 years old
Nationality: American
VS shows walked: 6 (2008-2013)
Conclusion
Victoria’s Secret Angels are the cream of the crop – only the best of the best make it into this exclusive ‘club’. With million-dollar contracts, guaranteed worldwide exposure, and proximity to the top models in the world, becoming an Angel is any model’s biggest dream.
