Meeting Candice Swanepoel, spotting Timothée Chalamet: Inside the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show

From chatting with Angels, trading makeup tips with reality TV stars and spotting celebrities in the front row, there was plenty to take in.

LOS ANGELES, Calif. — It’s Sunday night, and I’m in a packed room with Timothée Chalamet, Nicole Kidman and Kris Jenner, cheering on Kylie Jenner as she models a bra worth $50 million. It can only mean one thing: the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show is back, baby. While the models — sorry, Angels — at last night’s show made it look easy, in reality the event was a 12-hour whirlwind that started (for me, at least) with a 5:30 a.m. alarm for a 7 a.m. backstage call, followed by a stretch on the star-studded pink carpet and, finally, a dazzling catwalk show with lots of wings, lots of sequins and lots of skin. Here’s what I saw behind the scenes. 

In the presence of literal Angels 

Though the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, a once-a-year spectacle that features top models and top-charting musicians walking down a runway in lingerie, wouldn’t start until later in the afternoon, I was at Sony Pictures Studios at 7 a.m. to chat with this year’s roster of Angels while they got their hair and makeup done. The soundstage was filled with more than 60 models, mobs of creators and influencers contending for each model’s attention — and a crew of coordinators trying their best to guide us through the congested, chaotic space. 

It takes a village to make a model runway-ready. Whether it was a hairstylist working on her blowout or a makeup artist prepping her skin, each model had a team getting her dolled up. All the girls wore the brand’s famed pink-and-white striped robes, each customized with their names embroidered in black cursive handwriting. I saw models like Alex Consani, Paloma Elsesser and Irina Shayk scrolling through their phones. Some of the ladies politely declined to speak with reporters until they were further along with their makeup. (I get it!) 

But Christina Nadin, a rookie, was willing to chat. In addition to this being Nadin’s first time walking the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, she’s also only the second Filipina to ever do it. Nadin put in the work for her debut.

“I’ve been doing walking classes with a Filipino coach in the Philippines on Zoom. He’s like a Miss Universe pageant walker,” she told me. (Worth noting: There’s a 15-hour time difference between Manila and Los Angeles.) 

Liu Wen, meanwhile, was marking her 10th appearance at the show. Her Victoria’s Secret veteran status hasn’t fazed her. “I always be myself, so I’m very grateful that I’m here,” Wen told me. “When you want to be somebody, an Angel, you just have to be ready for it. [Work] hard, love your job and appreciate what you have.” 

Just a few minutes before I was ushered off the soundstage, a real miracle occurred: OG Angel Candice Swanepoel — someone I constantly reblogged on Tumblr during my college fangirl days — agreed to chat. 

Swanepoel was putting on a face mask and apologized for looking “scary” (never!) as we started speaking. Before long, we were bonding about our shared love of “sad girl” music. 

“I go through moods,” Swanepoel told me. When she wants to chill out, she’ll put on Dermot Kennedy or Bon Iver — “kind of like indie sad girl music.” But “when I need beast mode, I’ll go into teen angst like Prodigy, The Blaze,” she added. “And if I need to feel sexy, it’ll be like Rihanna, Tove Lo.” (One particular favorite: Tove Lo’s “Talking Body.”) 

The pink carpet was a ‘Love Island’ fan’s dream 

Four hours, a quick nap and half a Grey’s Anatomy episode later, I returned for the Victoria’s Secret pink carpet. Fans were gathered behind the walkway in a designated section, where they screamed, cried and snapped a bunch of photos of their favorite stars. Megan Thee Stallion, who performed during the show, was one of the first to walk the carpet — and I can genuinely say there was an audible gasp around me when she appeared, wearing a slinky, sequined pink gown.

Another notable arrival: Lisa Rinna, who was there to support her daughter, model Amelia Gray, wore an over-the-top Elias Matso x Erik Charlotte corseted gown. But it was her massive feathered headpiece — which apparently whacked an influencer in the face — that had everyone talking. 

While the murmurs that Nicole Kidman — who did attend the show — might be gracing the pink carpet turned out to be unfounded, I got the next best thing: A bevy of Love Island girlies turned up right before the carpet shut down. Trinity Tatum, Aniya Harvey, Kayda Bosse and Melanie Moreno — affectionately referred to as Season 8’s Core Four — came strutting down the walkway one by one. 

When Moreno, my favorite Islander, approached my section of the pink carpet, I jumped at the chance to speak to her. We both love makeup, which is why I consulted her on how to achieve the perfect smoky eye.

“You need to find a really pigmented black and a good black eyeliner,” Moreno told me, adding that we need to bring smoky eyes back. We moved on to talking about a product I know she loves: blush. “Come to my house, you’re going to see how many blushes I have. I find new blushes every day.” 

Pop stars fan-girl too

I hustled from the pink carpet to my seat just in time for the lights to dim and the curtains to close. 

The Hadids were in the house. Bella Hadid opened the show with the most ethereal floral wings before floating down the runway in a sheer, Pleats Please-coded white minidress with matching wings. Big sister Gigi’s sequined metallic wings shimmered with every step. But it was seeing her massive, crystal-embellished white wings up close that left me speechless. 

It was also such a joy to see mega artists fan-girling too. After finishing their performances, Tate McRae and Megan Thee Stallion stood off-stage together, reacting to the show, just like the rest of us. 

Timothée Chalamet and Dylan Sprouse were in ‘wife guy’ mode

Everyone around me erupted in the loudest cheers when Barbara Palvin, who is six weeks postpartum, strutted down the runway with the biggest smile on her face. Her husband, actor Dylan Sprouse, was the ultimate hype man, and the entire room was smitten by his big show of support. The crowd cheered even louder when we saw how hyped Sprouse was to see his wife in action. 

At one point during the show, the woman next to me pulled out her phone and zoomed in real close to a section of the front row directly across from us. I spotted Law Roach and Kris Jenner, but wasn’t totally sure who the dude with sunglasses and wavy brown hair was sitting next to her. Until it dawned on me: It was Timothée Chalamet. But why, I wondered, was Chalamet even there? Enter: Kylie Jenner.

When Jenner — who, if this happens to be your first day on Planet Earth, is Chalamet’s longtime girlfriend — appeared at the end of the runway, the crowd gasped before breaking into applause. Not only did we not expect to see Jenner at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, but we also didn’t expect her to be wearing the $50 million fantasy bra. Jenner looked to be having the time of her life in her diamond-encrusted bra — sorry, haters — and you know what? That made two of us.