Victoria's Secret has fashion show in Miami Beach

[November 17, 2008]  MIAMI BEACH, Fla. (AP) -- Victoria's Secret's angels have descended upon Miami Beach. Singer Usher kicked off the Victoria's Secret show Saturday, which featured 35 supermodels, some wearing angel wings. Models including Heidi Klum and Adriana Lima strutted down the runway at the newly renovated Fontainebleau Miami Beach during the show, which coincided with the opulent reopening of the hotel.

"The theme of the show is a return to glamour," said company CEO Sharen Turney. "Victoria's Secret is about sexy and the new sexy is glamorous for this season."

The catwalk glittered and two silver palm trees adorned the stage. Models showed 68 outfits, including the $5 million Black Diamond Fantasy Miracle Bra worn by Lima and designed by jeweler Martin Katz. It is decorated with white and black diamonds and rubies, and will be for sale in the company's catalog, Katz said.

"You could wear it as an open top," he said. "It looks like a finished top."

Lima said she was excited to be wearing it.

"I always wanted to wear the Fantasy Bra. It's the first time that Victoria's Secret makes a black diamond bra," Lima said. "A woman could definitely buy it if they love it and men too."

Themes in the show included glamorous goddesses and bold colors with geometric designs influenced from the 1920s. Professional dancers wore one-piece bathing suits for one segment and models got playful with Usher when he performed.

There were also designs from the youthful Pink collection, along with pastels, florals and a black tie theme.

Models wore gilded bras with Swarovski crystals attached. There was also a gold sculpted feather body piece that curved around the model's body. Metal sculpted laurel leaves were also worn around some of the models' necks.

Model Karolina Kurkova wore a bra and underwear in a diaphanous hand-dyed, pleated, draped gown with a leather belt and gilded feather jewelry. Meanwhile, Klum was in a cutaway evening gown of hand-printed silk, tulle and duchess satin, decorated with red roses.

Another model wore a crystal yarn, knitted catsuit with a hard leather lacquer belt and boots by Pierre Hardy.

For the Pink collection, a model wore a recycled plastic bag jacket and skirt on top of a hand-knitted bra and boy briefs.

A model also walked down the runway in a quilted, velvet body corset embellished with ostrich feathers and crystals.

It's "a celebration of sophistication and elegance ... our way to do a new take on holiday celebrations," said Todd Thomas, the costume designer.

For the finale, Klum stepped onto the catwalk in a red bra, underwear and sparkling, red wings, which were made to resemble a bow on a present.

Wing designer Martin Izquierdo made seven pairs of wings for the show. He said he turned to Greek mythology, butterflies and even designed a pair with spiderwebs on rose branches that are composed of crystals.

Miranda Kerr, who wore the wings with the multicolored butterflies, said "it adds a whole theatrical aspect" to the show.

Meanwhile, celebrities spotted on the pink carpet included P. Diddy, Russell Simmons, Michelle Trachtenberg, John Stamos, Kim and Kourtney Kardashian and Martha Stewart.

"We watch the show every year on TV, so it's really cool to see it in person," Kim Kardashian said.

Debbie Harry said she likes the big production.

"The show, it's based on lingerie, but it's about creating an event," she said. "It's just a big, wild extravaganza and I think that's what attracts me."

Ed Razek, chief marketing officer and the show's executive producer, said each year's event has to top the one before.

"It's the most watched fashion show in the world," Razek said. "You've got an obligation to do a better show every year."

The show will air on CBS at Dec. 3 at 10 p.m.

[Associated Press; By LISA ORKIN EMMANUEL]

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