Alright folks, today I wanna chat about that 2016 Victoria’s Secret project I finally got around to tackling. You know, the one everybody was buzzing about years back? Yeah, that one. Felt like digging into an old hype train.
The Starting Point: Pure Curiosity
Honestly, it all began ’cause I stumbled on some dusty photos online. Remembered how huge that show was, all the wings and glitz. Felt like tryin’ something totally different, something… well, shiny. Figured I could mess around with some ideas I’d been hoarding.
Diving Headfirst into the Chaos
First step was kinda overwhelming. Just started dumpin’ visual references everywhere – Pinterest board exploded. Saved runway looks, backstage shots, even those short video clips. Noticed how many details I’d missed before. Textures everywhere, lace stacked on mesh, miles of rhinestones glued to things.
Needed something touchable. Went hunting downtown fabric markets, felt like an explorer. Dug through piles of fake feathers in awful colors – like pink & turquoise leftovers. Almost gave up until I found this bolt of pale silver mesh tucked away in a corner. Snagged it instantly. Found cheap lace too, felt almost crispy.
Then came the nightmare: Swarovski crystals. Holy cow, those little buggers cost like gold. Settled for some decent fakes after nearly choking at the price of real ones. Got rhinestones, glue-on pearls, all the sparkly bits. Wallet definitely felt lighter.
Construction Zone in My Living Room
Took over the whole darn room. Spread my silver mesh on the floor, grabbed a crappy bikini top from years ago as a base. Started pinning lace like mad onto the mesh, cutting it rough. Didn’t wanna be perfect, just wanted layers.
The real struggle? Wings. Thought wings = easy. Wrong. Tried bending thin wire into feather shapes, but kept getting kinks. Broke like three pieces before switching to thicker stuff. Covered it with a mix of white craft feathers and those cheap fluoro ones. Looked like a confused bird exploded for a while.
Then came the sparkle marathon. Used tweezers, dipped each tiny crystal in glue, stuck ’em on one by one. Took hours. Hours. Ended up watching like two whole seasons of old sitcoms, hunched over fabric with glue stuck to my fingers. Got blisters near my thumb joint from the tweezers.
The “Final” (Sort Of) Reveal
Finally managed to strap the mess together with clear elastic. Held my breath. Put it on over a bodysuit, stepped in front of a big mirror. Honestly? Looked wild. Over-the-top messy-wild. Not runway ready at all, but kinda had the chaotic shimmer vibe.
Took pictures near a bright window. The cheap crystals actually caught the light decently. The wings flopped a bit sideways, but the feathers looked… strangely ok? Like some rough angel costume. Definitely captured the overload.
What Was Left? Mess & Memory
After shoving the camera away, reality hit. Feathers clung to the carpet like they owned it. Little rhinestones scattered everywhere; found one glued to my sock two days later. Glue jar was rock solid.
So yeah, the 2016 Victoria’s Secret dream ended with a half-decent photo and a living room that looked like a craft tornado hit it. Learned a ton about patience (and the true cost of bling), felt pretty exhausted, but kinda loved getting my hands dirty chasing that flashy ghost from years ago. Would I do it cleaner next time? Maybe. But the chaotic try was half the fun.
