Highlights
- Kylie Jenner, 29, made her Victoria's Secret Fashion Show debut on 18 October in the new £37.6m ($50m) Fantasy Bra, the first to appear on the runway since 2018
- Jeweller Jacob & Co built it from 4,410 natural diamonds and a 75.54-carat Fancy Vivid yellow diamond, with 15 craftspeople spending more than 1,000 hours on it
- It is made entirely of gold and diamonds, with no fabric, and weighs just under 2kg
- Victoria's Secret says it chose Jenner as a "cultural powerhouse", though not everyone online was convinced
The bra in numbers
| What | The detail |
|---|---|
| Value | £37.6m ($50m), according to Vogue's valuation and IBTimes UK's conversion |
| Diamonds | 4,410 natural diamonds |
| Centre stone | 75.54-carat radiant-cut Fancy Vivid yellow diamond, reportedly worth about £16.5m ($22m) |
| Components | 3,218 individually designed pieces |
| Craftspeople | 15 at Jacob & Co |
| Time | More than 1,000 hours |
| Weight | Just under 2kg (nearly four pounds) |
A bra with no fabric
The most striking thing about it is what is missing. Its designer, Jacob Arabo, told Vogue the bra is "made entirely of gold and diamonds." There is no fabric at all. Jacob & Co said the brief began with a single question: what if there were no fabric?
The answer was a structure built from 3,218 individually designed components, inspired by the jeweller's Rare Touch collection, which uses flexible precious-metal frameworks that move with the body. Arabo said the biggest challenge was comfort, because "what looks good on paper doesn't always work the same way on the body." The team took Jenner's exact measurements and kept adjusting the piece as it was built.
He also wanted it to catch the light. The diamonds come in different shapes and sizes, including Jacob & Co's own Angel-Cut, and Arabo said the piece had to be about "the diamonds, the light, and the movement."
Why Kylie?
Victoria's Secret chief creative officer Adam Selman told Vogue Jenner "really extends beyond fashion, beyond culture, beyond TV." He described her as a "cultural powerhouse." E! News reports she is the first non-Angel to wear the Fantasy Bra on the runway. The show's big idea this year, Selman said, was "fandomonium."
The choice divided people online. Some questioned why someone who is not a model was handed the most prized piece of the night, while others cheered the surprise. Victoria's Secret kept the wearer a secret until she walked out.
Eight years, and a record
The Fantasy Bra was last worn on the runway in 2018, by Elsa Hosk. The first, the "Million Dollar Miracle" (about £750,000), worn by Claudia Schiffer in 1996, appeared only in a catalogue and on billboards. Over the years the price crept up, from Gisele Bündchen's Sexy Splendor bra in 2005 (about £9.4m) to this year's record. Elle India calculates that the new bra cost around £26m more than any before it.
The night itself
The show took place at Sony Pictures Studios in Culver City, California. Jenner wore the bra with a mini skirt, transparent heels and white feathered wings. In the audience, Timothée Chalamet, Kris Jenner and Corey Gamble cheered her on. Her sister Kendall has walked for the brand, but this was Kylie's first Victoria's Secret runway.
Gigi Hadid, Adriana Lima, Candice Swanepoel and Anok Yai also walked, and Tate McRae, Megan Thee Stallion, Megan Moroney and KATSEYE performed.
Victoria's Secret had confirmed the bra's return only three days earlier, on Thursday 15 October, announcing the partnership with Jacob & Co.
Sterling figures other than the £37.6m valuation are converted from US dollars at about $1.33 to the pound, the rate implied by IBTimes UK's conversion, and are approximate.
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