It’s the most glamorous and sexy event on the
fashion calendar. A select group of the world’s most
beautiful models strut down the catwalk in exquisite
lingerie and dazzling costumes. With huge wings,
shimmering skirts, filigree bejewelled body armor,
sparkling corsets, cuffs, delicate necklaces, rings
and earrings – the worlds of lingerie, couture and
jewelry come together to create an awe-inspiring
fantasy of a fashion show.
The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show is the definitive
event i n the f usion o f f ashion a nd l ingerie, a nd
essential to the fantasy is the inclusion of Swarovski
crystal. ‘They create another layer, another
dimension of sparkle, shine and fantasy,’ says Todd
Thomas, designer for the Victoria’s Secret Fashion
Shows. ‘It helps us achieve a luminescent, dazzling
effect we couldn’t achieve with any other material.’
Swarovski has sponsored the Fashion Show since
2005, and provides crystals to adorn lingerie, props,
wings and jewelry worn by the Angels – Victoria’s
Secret’s select group of the world’s most glamorous
models. The company has also sponsored
designers for the show and has loaned Swarovski
Runway Rocks pieces (specially commissioned
couture jewelry pieces created by international
designers) to be used in the show. The idea to
work with Swarovski on the Fashion Show, says
Thomas, came from ‘the need and desire to use the
best materials in the pieces we make’.
Swarovski has sponsored Jenny Manik Mercian, a
couture designer from Australia, to produce pieces
for the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show for six years.
‘We’ve had a great relationship, they’ve sponsored
me along the way and let me go crazy with the
pieces,’ she says. ‘The crystals are so beautiful and
they definitely enhance the Angels. When they walk
down the catwalk you hear gasps from the audience.
Every time someone sees a crystal product they are
just mesmerized with the stones and it enhances
the way women feel knowing that the crystals are
shining and everyone’s looking at them. It’s definitely
an eye-catcher.’ In the 2010 Show, Swarovski also
suppor ted designers Yasemen Hussain and
Georgia Harding with crystals for their creations and
have commissioned a pair of crystal boots from
shoe designer Giuseppe Zanotti so the Angels
could sparkle from head to toe.
The collaboration has also led to the design of a
number of commercial pieces over the years, withthe brands working together to use
crystals on the lingerie for limited
editions, ‘special’ and ‘fashion’ lines and
even swimwear, but not in direct
correlation to the runway. After the 2009
Fashion Show Victoria’s Secret sold a
limited-edition kimono robe identical to
the ones worn by the Angels backstage.
It was a huge success and inspired the
idea of creating a limited-edition item
with Swarovski Elements which was
featured on the runway last year and
then produced commercially – bringing
the glamor of the catwalk into the lives of
Victoria’s Secret fans everywhere.
Indian Pink AB crystals were featured on
the Miraculous bra and panty set and
on a glistening Magical Firework Wing
as well being used on pieces in the
Heavenly Bodies segment of the show.
A commercially produced version of
the Miraculous bra, panty, garter and
stockings featuring the Indian Pink AB
crystals will go on sale, and the stones
will also be used on charms and the
holiday special-edition bot tle for
Victoria’s Secret’s Bombshell fragrance.
‘Pink is the color of Victoria’s Secret and
Swarovski is the premium leader
in glamorous stones,’ says Sharleen
Ernster Lazear, senior vice president
of lingerie and swimwear design at
Victoria’s Secret. ‘It was natural for us
to work with Swarovski on a pink
stone. Using Swarovski stones on
lingerie is modern glamor.’
The collaboration between these two
naturally sexy brands looks set to
continue in the future with fur ther
products being planned. ‘We look
forward to working even closer in the
next couple of years and not just for the
fashion show,’ says Reinhard Mackinger,
executive vice president for Swarovski
North America. ‘Both brands stand for
creativity and complement each other in
the creation of new products as well as
lending a cer tain sexiness to the
customer. Both are very sexy products.’
As Thomas puts it: ‘What a winning
combination... sparkle and Angels.