The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show began in 1995, but only took in 2001, after someone realized, “Hey, I bet people at home would watch girls walk around in their underwear on TV!” No kidding.
And thus, we have the annual VSFS, an hour long panties-and-sequins extravaganza that draws in name celebrities, surprisingly big music acts and the world’s most beautiful woman adorned in only their bras. Looking for deep meaning and cultural evolution in the ceremony is moot—the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show knows exactly what it is and it owns it, in all its ridiculous, scantily-clad glory.
For those who missed this year’s ceremony (or want to reminisce over the quickie runway show), here are the five most important highlights to ensure your water cooler talk is up to snuff:
1. Geek Fan Service
The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show is one of the rare TV specials that can lure in both male and female audiences. Fashionable ladies and men can dig the extravagant fashion choices while the shlubbiest of gents…well, the show certainly doesn’t skimp on the female anatomy. But it was particularly odd to see the designers pandering to the geek crowd—a demographic that probably tuned in to the show anyway (take that as you will). The opening walk featured the bombshell models, cleavage ablaze, working the latest and greatest from the superhero department—complete with capes, frill and action words (Ka-pow!). Apparently, cosplay just became “in.”
2. The Alternative Model Careers
Models get a bad rap, but this year’s show went out of its way to highlight everything the beautiful women of the VSFS would have been doing if they weren’t strutting their stuff on the runway. “I wanted to be a doctor…an astronaut…a marine biologist…” If that rings a bit deperssing, don’t fret—it came with an equally bittersweet, positive message. “I’m sure there are lots of girls who want to be angels who will be someday.” The science community will not be stealing away all the women who look great in feather bras, in case you were worried.
3. The Random Celebrity Cameos
The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show is known for wrangling some familiar faces to fill its front row seats, affording the TV cameraman choice cutaways during the broadcast moments—but this year’s were especially surreal. This isn’t a dig at any of these people, but there’s something particularly entertaining about the biggest celebs in the room being Beyonce (there for her hubby/performer Jay-Z), Orlando Bloom, Michael Bay (duh), John Mayer, Stephen Dorff (or Immortals…) and Cuba Gooding Jr. The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show isn’t commanding A-List stars, but it is hosting people who I enjoy knowing are watching the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show.
4. Maroon 5 Loves Models
You probably realize that the brunt of the VSFS is gorgeous women (Miranda, Erin, Lindsay, Behat) working their physical magic on the latest and greatest in woman’s underpants, but until tonight, you may not have known (at least I didn’t) that the event is also a the Christmas-equivalent from Maroon 5’s Adam Levine. In the short time he spent on stage, the pop rock bandleader was head over heels excited to display his own moves on the brightly lit stage. He rocked out with his shark tattoo out while slow-motion kissing a handful of models. It was like watching a lion pin a staggering zebra in the plains of the Serengeti—Levine went in for the kill whenever possible, in order to complete the Circle of Life.
5. ’90s Flashback
Sure, Kanye and Jay-Z made appearances at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show. But their rendition of “N*ggas in Paris,” a fine song off the Watch the Throne album, was as lively as a pair of Target underwear. This is the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show and simple can’t be tolerated.
Enter Nicki Minaj, who not only brought the thunder with a performance of “Superbase,” but seemed to inspire the final wave of clothing items—a baffling, colorful array of garments quite that may have been pulled from the set of Saved by the Bell. One lady walked out with a disco ball for a butt, and for the first time during the show, I noticed what they were wearing. Success!
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