Part of the excitement of the Victoria’s Secret runway show is the antics backstage. Clad in red silk Victoria’s Secret robes, the world’s most sought-after models converge for a day of primping, beauty, and sexy lingerie baring. It wouldn’t be the frenzy that it is without those girls—and the teams of experts that work feverishly to ensure that, with each strut, they’re at their very best. The Daily caught up with a handful of talent—some veterans plus one newbie—and then exposed what really goes on to produce the world’s most watched runway show.
Gisele Bundchen
Time she woke up: “Uhhh 8:00am…7:30am, actually.”
She ate: “For breakfast I had Honey Nut Cheerios and milk. When I got to the Armory, I had a banana and then for lunch I had two sandwiches with turkey and cheese and mayonnaise and an artichoke salad with peas.”
She prepared: “I had a massage. I was traveling for ten days working in Brazil, Paris, and Ibiza. I just arrived last night and had a big pain in my neck.”
Her runway mentality: “I try not to think I’m wearing lingerie. I try to pretend I’m wearing normal clothes and that I’m not really in the show.”
Her message to men: “I hope you enjoy it!”
Bidding farewell to Tyra: “I wish her all the luck in the world. I think it’s a wonderful thing that she’s moving on and doing something else because I think it’s very important to keep evolving.”
Oluchi Onweagba
Time she woke up: “I needed to rest because it’s been a crazy week for me. So I got up at 8:30am. I’m not a morning person so I needed one hour to get into the mood and I was here at 10:30am.”
She ate: “I’ve been drinking lots of fluids. I had breakfast but I’m not really hungry.”
She prepared: “With lots of sleep. I needed a lot of sleep because it’s going to be a crazy day. Of course you do the usual: body scrubs and lotions; if you have the time, you go to a spa, but I just knew I needed my eight hours of sleep.”
Her runway mentality: “For me, this is one of the shows I die to do. It’s a lot of fun; I just enjoy being here. It’s not just another show…it’s like getting a job you really want.”
Her message to men: “I just want them to enjoy the show, because it’s not just the men that enjoy it, but older women and younger women too.”
Bidding farewell to Tyra: “She’s older than me, but I remember eight years ago when I first started, I used to look in Victoria’s Secret catalogs and really want to be in the catalog. If it wasn’t for her, no other girl would’ve inspired me as much. She’s fought every step of the way to get to where she is, so I’m very proud of her. I’m sad she’s going to stop doing the show.”
Alessandra Ambrosio
Time she woke up: “7:00 in the morning.”
She ate: “Chocolate donuts and some Starbucks coffee.”
She prepared: “I went to the spa yesterday, for the first time, for five hours.”
Her runway mentality: “I try to work out and try to eat healthy, but that never works in the end. The donuts didn’t help either.”
Her message to men: “Enjoy the show, the sexiest night on television!”
Bidding farewell to Tyra: “We’re going to miss you. She’s been an amazing angel, and she’ll always be an angel to us.”
Selita (her first Victoria’s Secret show and the newest VS girl)
Time she woke up: “Oh my God, 6:30am, to do my Pilates.”
She ate: “I had a turkey wrap with Caesar salad dressing and tiramisu.”
She prepared: “Hitting the gym—two hours a day for the last month.”
Her runway mentality: “I really don’t tell myself anything. I have great people around me like Tyra, Oluchi, and Gisele, all of whom have great words. They tell me to think sexy and be calm.”
Her message to men: “You boys! You better tune in to CBS on Dec. 6! It’s going to be edible! The show is so luscious.”
Bidding farewell to Tyra: “Tyra Banks is an icon. She’s evolved and she’s broken rules and she’s become such an amazing woman. This is the ending of one chapter for her but she has so many more to open up. I look up to her and hopefully I can make her proud one day.”