Paris, France, the fashion capital of the world, hosted the 2016 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show. Presenting six different themed sections including Road Ahead, Mountain Romance, Pink Nation, Secret Angel, Dark Angel and Bright Night Angel, the show captivated viewers across Fairfield’s campus on Dec. 5.
Senior Nicole Lambi set the scene for the Fashion Show’s debut; a moment, as she explained, she was anxiously anticipating.
“My roommates and I grabbed popcorn and huddled around the TV for the full 60 minutes, mesmerized by each and every Angel. But where was Candice Swanepoel? Although we missed our number one Angel, we absolutely loved the layout of the show,” said Lambi.
The show opened with fiery lingerie that sported representations of countries across the globe. Despite angel Elsa Hosk’s Chinese dragon ensemble and angel Kendall Jenner’s flame-flowing tail, angel Alessandra Ambrosio received the greatest applause from audience members for her striking yellow-winged and one-piece teal ensemble.
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Out of all the models, angel Jasmine Tookes garnered the most attention for her $3 million bra. According to USA Today, the Bright Night Fantasy Bra is emerald and diamond encrusted, holding over 9,000 gems, and was designed by Eddie Borgo. These shimmering pieces made for an eye-catching display. Sophomore Juliana Oliaro, whose sister Kristyn Pradas spray tanned the angels before they took the runway, commented on the beauty of the different sparkling pieces.
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“My favorite part of the show was when the angels wore the clothing line that had glitter and feathers because it really made their faces glow,” said Oliaro.
Another force to be reckoned with is angel Adriana Lima. Lima took the runway for her 17th time as a Victoria’s Secret model. Freshman Olivia Baril sees Lima as an inspiration.
“I really liked when they did the feature on Adriana Lima during the show because her career is so incredibly iconic and she is truly amazing at what she does,” said Baril.
Although the show received generally positive feedback, there were moments when the show lacked these majestic qualities. Returning angel Gigi Hadid came face-to-face with any model’s worst nightmare: a wardrobe malfunction. During the Secret Angel segment, one of the black straps of her laced ensemble that swept beneath her bra came detached. However, Hadid’s confidence and professionalism carried her through the rest of the performance flawlessly.
Not only was there a wardrobe malfunction, but students also voiced negative opinions toward the physical appearances of the models themselves. Known to be tall and thin, the models, Nicole Porter ‘19 claimed, set “unrealistic” body images for women. Sophomore Fiona Morrison expressed the same sentiment.
“I think the Victoria Secret Fashion Show can be fun to watch, but it has unrealistic expectations for women and there are a lot of self-esteem issues that arise from it,” said Morrison. “I get that it can be entertaining, but I think that it impacts people more than they know. It’s not the models’ fault that their body shape is what it is, but I think it’s wrong that it’s the only body type that was celebrated during the show.”
Another challenge that took precedent during the show pertained to model, Irina Shayk. According to Cosmopolitan, Shayk took the runway in her second trimester of pregnancy. Not allowing these circumstances to stop her, Shayk modeled two looks during the show.
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Keeping aflame the positive energy, musicians Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars and The Weeknd took to the runway to accompany the models. Gaga stepped onto the runway first in a sheer, black gown with red embellishments, accompanied by her signature platform heels. Gaga’s first performance featured “Million Reasons,” followed by “A-YO” and “John Wayne,” and did not disappoint Fairfield students.
“My favorite part of the show was Lady Gaga because she is straight-up fierce,” said Porter. “She is so confident and that quality really came across through her performances.”
Lambi not only commented on Gaga’s stellar performance, but she also discussed Bruno Mars’ stunning finale.
“I think Lady Gaga absolutely killed it; and I had no idea she could dance like that,” said Lambi. “Bruno Mars finished with a bang and I’m already looking forward to next year’s show.”
Complementary to Lambi’s impression, Oliaro also commented on the extravagance of the finale. During the finale, all of the models walked the runway one last time before next year’s Victoria’s Secret Fashion show.
Oliaro added, “I love the ending because all the models come on stage together to celebrate their hard work and accomplishments.”
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