It’s many an aspiring fashion model’s dream to be one of the hand selected girls that gets to be on the illustrious team of Victoria’s secret models. From having the right look, from dieting correctly ahead of the show (models are advised from eating solids prior to shows to keep abs nice and lean) and of course having the state of mind that gets you noticed by the Victoria’s secret casting agents.

That said getting to be one of the hand selected girls might just might be the easy part given the rigors of what is actually involved when show time actually arrives.

According to organizers this year’s annual showing is set to cost $12 million (ouch), has taken a full year in the planning, has required the efforts of a mini army of designers, embroiderers, prop makers, technicians, musicians and of course the hand selected models.

According to Victoria’s Secret creative designer, Sophia Neophitou-Apostolou here are some of the things that one can expect:

translucent aquatic wings, a ‘Degas-inspired’ ballet scene with fragile dancers in repose, $2.5million Fantasy Treasure bra, and of course the show stopper will be the Passion Play Fan Wings, seven years in the making.

The wings are said to be plated with 23 carat gold and embellished with 105 000 (only) Swarovski crystals. The prop designed and made by Manik Mercian weighs no less than 30 pounds- no small feat for Alessandra Ambrosio (who has been asked to model the prop) gingerly strut her thing with something that lavish and ostentatious (and heavy) to mind…

below images sourced au.ibtimes.com

Reflected Alessandra Ambrossio at her fitting:

abc: “It’s really heavy,” Ambrosio said after a team of four unharnessed her. “When I first put it on, I almost fell back, that’s how heavy it was. You really have to put a lot of strength toward your shoulders to be able to hold that. But it’s incredible. You can’t say no to an outfit like that. Those wings are unbelievable.”

But of course where there is a will there’s a way. Counters Alessandra Ambrosio:

“I never work out my back, I never work out my arms,” Ambrosio said. “But I guess this week I’m going to have to lift some weights to be able to wear those wings on the runway.”

It is said that this year’s collection will fall into 6 themes: Ballet, Super Angels, Passion Play, Angels Aquatic, I Put a Spell on You, and Club Pink.

Of course not everyone is pleased with the upcoming show, reflects one commentator:

I watched my first Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show in 2003,I was thrilled to see tall,healthy looking girls with curves in all the right places strutting their stuff, fast