Runway Debut and Record-Setting Bra
Kylie Jenner, 29, made her Victoria’s Secret runway debut on Sunday (18 October) evening in a $50 million Fantasy Bra that served as the show’s centrepiece. The diamond-and-gold lingerie piece was covered in 4,410 natural diamonds, with a 75.54-carat radiant-cut Fancy Vivid yellow diamond at its centre. According to Vogue, the bra took ‘15 craftspeople more than 1,000 hours to make’ and is the most expensive Fantasy Bra ever to grace the Victoria’s Secret runway, costing $50 million to create.
Jenner paired the bra with a sheer mini skirt over teeny silver underpants, clear heels and a huge pair of wings in angelic white. Her boyfriend, Timothée Chalamet, watched from the audience with a huge smile and burst into applause while seated beside Jenner’s mother, Kris. The spectacle established Jenner as the focus of one of fashion’s most heavily promoted runway presentations and introduced her to the Victoria’s Secret showcase as a model rather than a front-row celebrity.
Adrianne Curry’s Livestream Criticism
Adrianne Curry, 44, the inaugural winner of America’s Next Top Model, was less than impressed with the decision to give Jenner the $50-million ‘mega’ bra. Curry argued that Jenner did not have ‘a model’s body’ and questioned why she had been selected to wear a piece she believed was intended for a leading Victoria’s Secret Angel. She shared her criticism during a livestream:
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<p>“Everything is a f***ing virtue signal or ‘who's the biggest influencer’,” she said.</p>
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<p>“I'm sorry, nothing against Kylie Jenner, [but] you're not a f***ing model. You don't have a model's body. I don't know why they put her in the mega bra. That's for the belle of the ball. That is for the top Victoria's Secret Angel. That is like winning homecoming queen, and they just give it to Jenner.”</p>
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<p>Curry, who worked with the likes of Ed Hardy, Von Dutch and Marie Claire during her career, then branded Victoria’s Secret ‘a joke’. Her intervention contrasted sharply with the enthusiastic reception in the audience and with Jenner’s own celebratory response to being chosen for the show.</p>Jenner’s Instagram Response
Jenner has yet to respond to Curry’s criticism. In an Instagram post after her runway appearance, however, she shared a photograph of herself wearing the diamond-and-gold Fantasy Bra and declared it the ‘best day ever’. Her post presented the experience as a significant personal milestone, while the reported absence of a response left Curry’s criticism unanswered.
Jacob & Co’s Design Challenge
The record-setting piece of lingerie was designed by luxury jewellery house Jacob & Co. Founder Jacob Arabo explained the difficulty involved in translating a complex design to the body:
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<p>'even with exact measurements, what looks good on paper doesn’t always work the same way on the body'</p>
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<p>He added:</p>
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<p>“Every curve, every diamond, and every piece of gold had to be carefully placed so the bra would be both beautiful and comfortable.”</p>
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<p>That construction process helps explain why the $50 million Fantasy Bra was more than a celebrity styling choice. Its value and visual impact depended on the precise placement of thousands of diamonds, the central Fancy Vivid yellow diamond and the gold elements around Jenner’s body.</p>Adam Selman’s Casting Rationale
Victoria’s Secret creative director Adam Selman told Vogue why the company selected Jenner to model the record-priced piece. He presented the decision as an extension of the show’s identity as large-scale entertainment and as a pairing designed to reach beyond the traditional runway audience:
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<p>“Kylie really extends beyond fashion, beyond culture, beyond TV, beyond one singular thing. “That’s the exact same thing that we do. Like, the show is so big, it’s true entertainment, and I think that she is a great catalyst for that.”</p>
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<p>He continued:</p>
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<p>“I think it’s an interesting pairing that we’re giving the fans: we’re giving them what they want with this amazing Fantasy Bra, and we’re going to put it on an unexpected talent who has a massive following and massive cultural impact.“I think it’s fun. I think it’s really joyful, and I think that it’s fun to celebrate in a different way that people aren’t going to expect.”</p>
</blockquote>Why This Matters
The selection debate places two perspectives on the Fantasy Bra in direct contrast. Curry connected the piece to status within Victoria’s Secret, arguing that it should have gone to a top Angel and comparing the presentation to crowning a homecoming queen. Selman emphasized the scale of the show, Jenner’s reach beyond fashion and her ability to bring a large audience to the presentation. Both arguments centred on the same moment: the most expensive Fantasy Bra in Victoria’s Secret history, worn by a celebrity making her runway debut.
Curry’s perspective was informed by her own modelling experience. As the first winner of America’s Next Top Model, she had worked with Ed Hardy, Von Dutch and Marie Claire before turning to television. Arabo’s account of the design process added a technical dimension, showing how the casting was also a showcase for Jacob & Co’s craftsmanship and the precise engineering of the bra around Jenner’s figure.
Jenner’s position remained markedly different. Her ‘best day ever’ Instagram post emphasized excitement, while Selman defended the casting through entertainment value, cultural reach and audience appeal. With no response from Jenner to Curry’s criticism reported, the disagreement over whether the Fantasy Bra’s prestige should have gone to a top Victoria’s Secret Angel remains unresolved.
Frequently Asked Questions
<h3>How much did Kylie Jenner’s Fantasy Bra cost?</h3>
<p>The reported creation cost was $50 million, making it the most expensive Fantasy Bra ever shown on the Victoria’s Secret runway. It featured 4,410 natural diamonds and a central 75.54-carat radiant-cut Fancy Vivid yellow diamond.</p>
<h3>Why did Victoria’s Secret select Kylie Jenner to model the Fantasy Bra?</h3>
<p>Victoria’s Secret creative director Adam Selman told Vogue that Jenner’s influence extends beyond fashion, culture and television. He described her massive following and cultural impact as reasons to pair her with the show’s extraordinary centerpiece, describing the choice as joyful, unexpected and true to the scale of Victoria’s Secret as entertainment.</p>
<h3>Has Kylie Jenner responded to Adrianne Curry’s criticism?</h3>
<p>Jenner has yet to respond. During a livestream, Curry questioned the casting, said Jenner was not a model and branded Victoria’s Secret ‘a joke’.</p>
