Adriana Lima nonchalantly stroked the Victoria's Secret $2 million Fantasy Bra on Wednesday - which was sitting on a mannequin at Victoria's Secret in Schaumburg's Woodfield Mall - as she discussed the famous jewel-encrusted brassiere. For the Brazilian supermodel, touching the security-guarded bra was no big deal. It was the same bra she modeled in November at the 2010 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in New York. Me? I wasn't so comfortable. "Don't be scared," Lima said in her Brazilian accent, laughing. "You have the opportunity." I politely declined. And besides, I wasn't sure how it would've looked to the many fans, store employees, PR people and entourage members watching on. The Fantasy Bra, which included 60 carats of diamonds and 82 carats of sapphires and topazes, is the highest honor for a Victoria's Secret Angel. Past honorees include Marisa Miller, Gisele Bundchen, Tyra Banks, Heidi Klum and Claudia Schiffer. "Every model wants to be a Victoria's Secret Angel," Lima said. "Once you get to that level, the next step is wearing the Fantasy Bra. It's the highlight of the show." Lima had modeled*a Fantasy*Bra before (she wore a $5 million*version at the 2008 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show), but this past occasion was significant because she had a baby with husband and former NBA guard Marko Jaric only a year earlier. "This time I really had a bigger (obstacle to) climb because I'd been away over a year," Lima said. "It was a lot pressure on me body-wise. People hadn't seen me in a while. But I worked hard and I'm happy with the results." Before Wednesday's meet-and-greet, Lima had last visited the Chicago-area in August to film a holiday commercial for Victoria's Secret. The ad was directed by Michael Bay, who was in town shooting "Transformers: Dark of the Moon" at the time, and*it was filmed*at Lyric Opera of Chicago and on the LaSalle Street Bridge. What was it like working with Bay,*an action director known for being demanding at times? "He knows what he wants - let's put it that way," Lima said. "And he's very direct. For me, that's a great thing. He's working with 100 people on set and has to control so many things... it's not easy controlling everybody." Lima, who has appeared on the TV shows "Ugly Betty" and "How I Met Your Mother," said she would love to work with*Bay again. "I'd definitely love to do a movie with him or anybody," said Lima. "I'd love to be an actress. I don't have anything lined up, but I'm open."
New Vogue cover! Ah, I'm so excited!
Oh, and Forum.
She's striking.
I hope she keeps it up!
