Living her best life is The Marchioness of Bath, HELLO!'s Social Editor at Large as she walked the pink carpet for the Victoria's Secret Fashion show, selfied with the angels backstage and exchanged phone numbers with Tyra Banks.
Take it away Emma...
I have been to countless fashion shows, but Victoria’s Secret is very different. It’s fun – the girls dance, laugh and smile, and the audience cheer them on. It’s theatrical, a big production number and a celebration of strong, powerful women. It is the crescendo of womanhood.
Back after a five-year break, the show celebrated diversity and inclusivity. There were girls of different sizes, body shapes, ethnicities and ages, from Carla Bruni to Neelam Gill. And there were the big household names – Gigi and Bella Hadid, Ashley Graham, Imaan Hammam, Eva Herzigová and Kate Moss and her daughter Lila, to name but a few.
Although it’s a super-glamorous setting – this year’s show took place at the Brooklyn Navy Yard – everyone’s talking about their kids, no one takes it for granted and everyone is grateful to be there.
© Emma ThynnI'd flown to New York as an ambassador for the brand: I’m the face of its new fragrance, Daring.
Back in April, Victoria’s Secret shot a huge campaign called The Dream at Longleat, where the angels took over the house: they shot on the roof and in the gardens. I shot a video campaign for the fragrance and got my angel wings, which was such fun. I also announced in that video that the show was coming back.
© Astrida ValigorskySo, fast-forward to last week, when I was flown out there to support the show and sit in the front row. I walked the pink carpet in a beautiful archive Victoria’s Secret piece – a silk and lace slip dress with a huge coat embellished with handmade flowers, which were being sewn on up to the last minute.
PRE-SHOW PAMPERING
I got ready backstage, along with the other girls. Behind the scenes is always fascinating.
© Emma ThynnWhile I was getting my hair and make-up done, I had a hand and foot massage. There were a lot of hands on deck – three on my hair, one on my face and another person on my feet! I chatted to Gigi – we talked about her visiting Longleat because she’s never been, and our kids, as she’s also a mum.
I also chatted to Ashley Graham, who is a good friend, and Lila Moss, whom I’ve known since she was a baby. She celebrated her 14th birthday at Longleat.
© Emma ThynnNo one ever expects a fashion show to start on time, but this one is like a well-oiled machine – although they had to pause the intro as Cardi B rushed in to take her seat, and then they started again. A trio of powerful women performed, ending with Cher singing her anthem Strong Enough, as archival imagery of her was projected on to the stage. She looked amazing and it was such an honour to see her perform.
Her dancers were dressed in different iterations of sportswear: the strongest, fittest, most talented dancers, super-diverse and unapologetically great. Tyla and Lisa of Blackpink were equally brilliant.
GETTING THEIR WINGS
Gigi Hadid was the first on the catwalk in pink wings, while Bella looked great in scarlet lingerie. Those girls have worked really hard, and they continue to.
What inspires me is when people keep working, at whatever level of success they’ve achieved, then build upon it and go further. Kate is the most beautiful and special model, a living legend, and it was wonderful for her to do the show with her daughter.
© Emma ThynnI was honoured to be sitting in the front row with TV personality La La Anthony, as well as Queen Latifah and her partner Eboni Nichols. And I was thrilled to meet Tyra Banks. After the show, my friend and manager Elaine and I raced backstage, where there was champagne and burgers.
We had a private black curtained area that made up our “rooms” – it was a bit confusing and I got lost, a lot – but I saw somebody go into Tyra’s room and say “hi”. So I went in and said: “Hi, I’m Emma.”
She had seen the video we’d shot at Longleat and said: “I thought you were giving a tour, and then I realised you live there!”
© Emma ThynnShe lives in Sydney, Australia, so we started to talk about koalas and conservation, as well as our children – her son is the same age as my youngest, Henry. We took fun pictures and swapped numbers.
I have so many memories of her, including America’s Next Top Model, which I used to watch religiously. And here I was laughing with her and chatting about our kids.
PAINTING THE TOWN RED
We spent at least an hour backstage before arriving at the afterparty at new club Crane – it was a late night.
But the next day, I was up early for a quick rooftop swim and working out in my more far regular attire of gym kit and a hoodie (I love a hoodie and collect them).
© Emma ThynnPeople glimpse me in a ball gown or glammed up for events, but that’s not my real life: it’s 5% of it. But a fun 5%, to be sure!
