The Victoria's Secret Angels' first ever shows ๐
That heel-clad power stomp, that purposeful sway of the hips, the smiling whilst walking (we'll never understand how they manage to do that so easily): it's all become second nature to the Victoria's Secret Angels. But let's not forget that, like anything in life, there has to be a first.
We look back to the now-seasoned Angels' first ever shows, back when it was all Bambi legs, baby faces and nerves. From Adriana Lima's debut in 1999, to Candice Swanepoel's fresh-faced backstage moment aged 19, we look back at the Angels first EVER VS shows...
YouTubeAdriana Lima
The show: 1999
Age 18Speaking about her first show, Adriana said: โWhat I remember is that I got in early. I was the first one there and the first thing I did was hair. They had very long, stick-straight hair for the show that year.
"It was Karen Mulder, Laetitia Casta, Stephanie Seymourโall the biggest girlsโand it was a big thing for me [to do the show]. I really wanted to be a part of it and it was like a dream come true for me to do itโone Iโm still living now!โ she told Vogue.
Getty ImagesAlessandra Ambrosio
The show: 2000
Age 19โWhen I first did my show in 2000, I remember that all the outfits were very, very small! There were barely any wings, compared to what you see nowโthey had tiny little gold wings," Alessandra told Vogue of her first show. "It was cute, but now the outfits are so much more elaborate; theyโre bigger and bolder and more exciting. There were also way more top models back then and all my muses were there.โ
Getty ImagesCandice Swanepoel
The show: 2007
Age 19The South African model strutted onto the catwalk for the first time in 2007 wearing a winter chic outfit. Candice doesn't look like a first-timer here, does she?!
Getty ImagesCandice Swanepoel
Bonus pic! Before makeup for her 2007 debut, you could tell how young the baby-faced model was.
Getty ImagesBehati Prinsloo
The show: 2007
Age 18Behati debuted the same year as her fellow South African Candice, wearing a 'girl scout' ensemble for her first look of the show.
Getty ImagesTaylor Hill
The show: 2014
Age: 18First auditioning for the show at 16 years of age, Taylor finally stepped on to the famous catwalk two years later in 2014 before becoming a fully fledged Angel in 2015.
Getty ImagesElsa Hosk
The show: 2011
Age 23Swedish Elsa made her debut in 2011 walking in the VS PINK segment which she has covered multiple campaigns for since.
Getty ImagesSara Sampaio
The show: 2013
Age: 22It was third time lucky for Portuguese beauty Sara who secured her spot on the catwalk in 2013 after two unsuccessful auditions.
Getty ImagesRomee Strijd
The show: 2014
Age: 19Chosen as one of the VS newcomers in 2014, Romee was praised by the show's execs for always smiling.
Rex FeaturesLily Aldridge
The show: 2009
Age: 24A VS veteran, Lily has walked the pink runway eight times.
Getty ImagesStella Maxwell
The show: 2014
Age: 24British-New Zealand model Stella explained that she was very nervous before her first VS audition in 2014, saying "I just knew I had a limited amount of time to just give my energy and show them what I have to offer.โ Well she must have done something right...
Getty ImagesJasmine Tookes
The show: 2012
Age: 19Four years after her VS debut, Jasmine was chosen to wear a $3 million fantasy bra at the 2016 show.
Getty ImagesMartha Hunt
The show: 2013
Age: 24While Martha has walked for over 180 shows fashion shows, she described the VS show as the only one "that matters". Here she is at her debut in 2013.
Getty ImagesJosephine Skriver
The show: 2011
Age: 18Having walked four times for VS since, Danish model Josephine is now no stranger to the catwalk. She stepped out for the first time wearing this adorable ensemble.
Getty ImagesLais Ribeiro
The show: 2010
Age 20After appearing in adverts for the American lingerie brand, Lais made her debut for VS in 2010 and has walked every year since.
