Hot mama: Miranda Kerr parades Victoria’s Secret lingerie. Source: AFP

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Hot mama: Miranda Kerr parades Victoria’s Secret lingerie.
Source: AFP

We caught up with supermodel beauties and faces of Victoria’s Secret, Miranda Kerr and Alessandra Ambrosio, on a swimwear shoot for the brand.

Miranda Kerr walks the runway for Victoria’s Secret / AP

MIranda Kerr at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show on Nov 9, 2011. Picture:
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FASHION insiders fear lingerie brand Victoria’s Secret may lose some of its most famous models after being named in a Greenpeace investigation for using toxic chemicals.

The company, which has just opened a vast flagship branch in London, was included in the report, called Toxic Threads: The Big Fashion Stitch Up, as one of 20 lingerie brands where chemical residue was found in its clothing.

Victoria’s Secret is famous for using supermodel ‘angels’ in a televised catwalk show every year.

The most recent in New York earlier this month featured Miranda Kerr, Gisele and singer Rihanna. British star Rosie Huntington-Whiteley has also been an angel.

Kerr considers herself an ‘eco-warrior’ while Huntington-Whiteley advocates the use of organic products.

Sources say the news has ruffled Kerr, 29, who owns organic skincare brand Kora Organics.

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Rumours in the fashion industry suggest that she may turn her back on the company should it ignore Greenpeace’s campaign which calls for an end to the use of toxic chemicals in the production of lingerie.

Chemicals were removed from Victoria’s Secret range of beauty products in 2003, but they are still used to make lingerie.

According to an earlier report from Greenpeace, their use pollutes the environment through the water where the clothes are made, and is also said to be carcinogenic when it comes into contact with skin.

Greenpeace spokesman Martin Hojsik said: ‘We found high levels of phthalates in the Victoria’s Secrets garments. If that product was a toy it would not be permitted in the EU. We need to replace these chemicals with safer substitutes.

‘The textile industry is one of the biggest polluters and we are asking brands to remove these chemicals from their supply chain.’

In 2008 the company faced a number of lawsuits from women who claimed to suffer from severe rashes and scarring after wearing bras contaminated with formaldehyde.

A Victoria’s Secret spokesman said: ‘We are aware of the research but have yet to comment.’

 

 

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Layer by layer

One of the best burlesque acts of the world, Dita Von Teese, was in town. She cast a spell on the audience with her charm and pearly white skin, highlighted by a black silk saree. Ektaa Malik came back enchanted

No, we haven’t had a successful attempt in building a time machine yet. For all those who grew up on the fantasy of Back to the Future and HG Wells, time travel is still a reeling  fantasy.But Delhi almost had a taste of it, as it was graced by the most acclaimed burlesque act in the world — the Dita Von Teese. Though Burlesque is yet to be allowed in India, to have Von Teese here in India was something.

In India as the brand ambassador of Cointreau, she definitely fit the bill of controversial, in her black sheer saree. Her pearly skin shone through the translucent fabric and the dark shade added to the affect. Her hair was done in the traditional Indian juda with braids and the golden Indian motif earrings accentuated her charm. She had paired the sheer saree with a corset style blouse. And the final effect was resplendent.

As she entered the main hall of the venue for a brief appearance, a spell was cast on the audience. “Indian women look very risqué in a saree. The garment itself is very risqué. I am very glad that I chose to wear this on my India tour. I am learning to drape it. And the two — the saree and the Indian woman – epitomise what risqué can be for they live lives on their own terms,” she shared.

We also caught up with the designer duo of Shivan-Naresh, who had designed her outfit for the evening. “We started working on this project four months ago. After a lot of back and forth, we zeroed in on a bikini saree but Dita wanted to go for a more traditional look, which was surprising,” they said.

“She wanted a hint of Bollywood, some shimmer and the works. We wanted to take it a step beyond so we added our own, taking inspiration from Maharani Gayatri Devi’s style — classic and elegant.”

Choosing the fabric turned out to be just as challenging as finalising the look. All kinds of fabrics were being couriered to Dita and 120 gms of Habutai silk was chosen for the weave. “This was chosen by her and she wanted dark colours in particular as they highlight her complexion. The lace detailing was added to complimented the lingerie and burlesque feel,” added the duo, who confessed that Dita was a childhood muse for them.

“She is a designer herself and is very particular. She organises her own photoshoots as well. It was a challenge for us since her looks and image are so iconic,” the duo concluded.

For all those who came within touching distance of Von Tesse in Delhi, she is every bit the diva. While the Capital regrets not seeing the legend in action, we can hope that she follow up on her maiden visit sometime soon.

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