Supermodel does her final runway act at Victoria’s Secret show as Romee Strijd drips crystals and the Hadid girls pull off a sister act
An emotional Adriana Lima bowed her head in thanks and crossed her hands over her heart as she made her 18th and final runway walk in the annual holiday Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, her long white feather “angel wings” gently blowing as the crowd cheered.
A tribute video played Thursday during taping of the extravaganza, declaring Lima “the greatest angel of all time” while Fatboy Slim’s Praise You played. The Struts, Shawn Mendes, The Chainsmokers, Rita Ora, Bebe Rexha, Kelsea Ballerini and Halsey performed on the runway at a downtown Manhattan venue as 60 models strutted, including sisters Bella and Gigi Hadid, Kendall Jenner and Winnie Harlow.
Ora briefly walked hand-in-hand with one of the angels during her performance and a stage hand later fetched a piece of her gold jewellery that fell to the runway. Mendes was dressed in black and slung his acoustic guitar on his back as he sang while Gigi Hadid managed a huge parachute-like set of floral wings that caught the air like a massive windsock. He sang Lost in Japan.
Jenner took to the runway in a black and silver bikini look and a set of stiff black feathers adorned with glitzy stars. For another round on the catwalk, she donned a tiny plaid kilt skirt with a mismatched plaid train and bra as she smiled. Harlow, a newcomer to the show, walked in sparkly silver with pink feather adornment.
Backstage before the show, the 37-year-old Lima, a mother of two, and other models lounged in short black robes bedazzled with gold stars. They spoke to journalists while sitting at makeup stations and lounging on couches.
“I thought over the years I would get more relaxed,” the blue-eyed Brazilian beauty told AP as stylists worked on her long dark hair. “No, I still get nervous, just like at my first Victoria’s Secret show.”
Another angel mom, 30-year-old Namibian blonde Behati Prinsloo, smiled wide as she primped backstage. Prinsloo, who is married to Adam Levine, has been an angel since 2009 but this was her return to the show after two years off, just eight months after the birth of their second daughter.
“It’s such an honour to just be part of it yet again after having kids,” she said. Giving birth gave her extra confidence, Prinsloo said.
“It made me work a little harder,” she said. “It made me appreciate my body so much, what it can do, create life and then, honestly, get back and do this.”
Meanwhile Victoria’s Secret Angel Romee Strijd wore the official Swarovski Look, illuminating the runway as she transformed into a sparkling shooting star, adorned in over 125,000 Swarovski crystals.
This year’s Swarovski Look, crafted by Barak, included a full bodysuit silhouette hand-beaded with over 70,000 crystals from Swarovski, resembling a star-strewn night sky. The long-sleeved bodice featured a constellation of Swarovski crystals that ran diagonally from neck to hip, creating a celestial stardust effect.The crystals that were used to embellish the bodysuit come in a palette of sparkling clear Crystal and gleaming Silver Night. Cuts consist of Flat Back Hotfix shapes, such as Star, Rhombus, Rivoli Triangle, Round and Teardrop; Sew-on Fancy Stones, including Oval, Twist Chessboard, Hexagon and Navette; Bi-cone, Round and Dome Beads; together with Star, Moon and Classic Drop Pendants.
Breaking the traditional concept of paired wings, the handmade 3D mono-wing was crafted to frame Romee as a seven-pointed silver star. With circular cutouts radiating from the centre to the outer points, each had an oversized, show-stopping chessboard crystal suspended within it. The body of the star was studded with a myriad of round flatback stones, such as Xirius, Rivoli and Chessboard. The wing, crafted by Marian Hose, also known as “Killer”, took a team of experts 150 hours to apply over 55,000 Swarovski crystals weighing a total of 20 pounds.
The show was also significant as Gigi and her little sister both made their third walk down the runway, donning lingerie and ultra-chic looks, but were without their signature wings. Gigi, 23, hit the runway in a futuristic-floral ensemble with built-in heels and a patterned parachute behind her. She completed the look with matching earrings and let her long brown locks hang in loose curls.
Later on, the model changed into all-plaid, sporting a purple brassiere and under garment, strappy thigh-high black heels, a billowing one-sleeved green cape, and a red pouch around her waist.
As for Bella, 22, she was dressed in black strappy lace under garment with a white Victoria’s Secret logo trim and a matching black lace bra. To make the look edgier, Bella wore a black crop satin bomber jacket, white mid-calf socks with black stripes, and black stilettos.
Also in attendance to support their ladies were Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine, whose wife Behati Prinsloo kept blowing him kisses, and actor Dylan Sprouse, who clapped and screamed for girlfriend Barbara Palvin.
Earlier in the day Bella, who was diagnosed with chronic Lyme disease in early 2012, exclusively told people.com that she was feeling healthier and stronger this year than she has been before.