Victoria's Secret Night

As Irene sat in the limousine heading to the Victoria's Secret Night venue, wearing a minimalist black velvet gown, she leaned in toward Britney, who was dressed in a pink miniskirt adorned with crystals. Britney asked in disbelief, "Shelly arranged everything, right? We're really invited to tour the backstage, and we won't get kicked out, will we?"

After all, neither of them had experienced anything like this before, and since he hadn't revealed the specific itinerary for the night, she truly wondered how Shelly had pulled it off.

"That's right," Irene confirmed, her tone calm. "We were invited. The promotional angle is 'Hollywood's most promising new director and pop music's rising star explore the forefront of fashion.' Shelly and the Victoria's Secret PR team have already coordinated; we'll have a segment touring the backstage, and our accompanying photographer will record it as behind-the-scenes footage for our upcoming exposure."

This narrative was seamless; it elevated their status while bringing crossover buzz to the Victoria's Secret show—a win-win.

At exactly six o'clock in the afternoon, the limousine arrived on time at the Lexington Avenue Armory in New York, the venue for the Victoria's Secret show.

At this time, the sky outside was growing dim. Since it wasn't yet time for official entry, only a few scattered fans of the models were standing outside, sitting and chatting casually.

Back then, Victoria's Secret models were far from the prestige they would later enjoy. The most famous model, Gisele Bündchen, was still just a super-rookie in the modeling world. Although she had gained the favor of many top designers and brands and had appeared on the covers of major fashion magazines, she was still some distance away from the title of the world's number one.

Yet, it was this very Victoria's Secret Night where Gisele was given the "opener" position for the entire show. Through this television program broadcast across the United States, millions of viewers would recognize Gisele Bündchen for the first time, causing her popularity to skyrocket and eventually leading her to become the world's top supermodel.

Irene shook her head slightly. Because the era was so long ago, she had never actually seen this show, so she was very much looking forward to everything tonight.

The two sat in the car for a little longer, and only when Shelly arrived with the relevant staff did they open the door and step out.

There were no cheers from fans, nor the flashing of camera lights; they walked quietly toward the backstage of Victoria's Secret Night.

Before officially entering, Irene caught a glimpse of the camera lens already open, with a staff member standing at the entrance.

That staff member approached with a microphone, hoping to conduct a brief interview.

Britney, of course, agreed. Following the established script, she said excitedly, "I'm so happy! Receiving an invitation from Victoria's Secret feels like a dream! I can't believe we get to go backstage later to watch the models change in real-time!"

Irene also added, "This is not just a feast of fashion, but a top-tier visual art. I am honored to witness it, and I look forward to drawing inspiration from it."

After the brief interview concluded, the doors in front of them opened, and they stepped into the show venue. Guided by their agent, Shelly, and the relevant staff, they soon saw that legendary, busy, and glamorous backstage.

It was much like what Irene had seen on the internet in her past life: supermodels who had just finished their hair and makeup were everywhere. They walked with haste and serious expressions, creating a breeze as they passed by, while those gorgeous lingerie pieces and massive angel wings were left casually on both sides of the path, making it easy for them to change outfits at any time.

Irene and Britney scanned everything with curiosity. The models were relaxing before taking the stage, and staff members were constantly checking the styling. After all, this was the first show to be broadcast across the United States, and a faint sense of tension permeated the air.

Britney went up to hug and take photos with several models she knew, while Irene chatted with the relevant stylists and hair artists about the sources of inspiration. The accompanying photographer faithfully recorded it all.

These scenes would soon be edited into behind-the-scenes footage for a videotape, to be shared with everyone across the United States who loved fashion.

As for how to positively guide the online discussion and further deepen the public image of Britney and Irene being "favored by the fashion world," that was Chen Shiyu's first challenge.

Before this, he had already secured the first round of sponsorship and built a small team of fewer than ten people specifically to post online. This was their first campaign, and he would certainly not let his boss down.

At 7:00 PM, inside the dazzling show venue, the air was filled with expectant chatter. Irene and Britney sat in the front row near the center of the stage. This position itself was a symbol of status; sitting nearby were well-known musicians, actors, and business tycoons.

Irene could even clearly see the expression on the face of Anna Wintour. Although they hadn't officially greeted each other yet, Irene wouldn't let that movie go, and she figured there would be plenty of opportunities for interaction in the future.

Although it was said that the film had faced a boycott from Anna Wintour's side when it was released, the other party had never said a bad word about the movie in public, so such claims were likely a promotional tactic specifically put out by the film studio.

After all, having officially made two movies, Irene was, if not a master, at least well-versed in the ways of Hollywood.

The lights suddenly went out, and the entire venue plunged into darkness and silence.

Immediately, a spotlight hit the start of the runway, where Gisele Bündchen stood.

Passionate music erupted, and accompanied by the gasps and applause of the audience, she stepped forward.

Her stride was wide and powerful, completely different from the currently popular cat-walk or overly swaying postures. Every step felt like it was treading on the pulse of the world, filled with a healthy, almost aggressive confidence.

Even though she was wearing lingerie, she looked like a female warrior in golden armor. Her eyes were deep, focused, and carried a hint of cold scrutiny, as if telling the whole world, "I am not here to please you; I am here to conquer you." This posture, unlike any other supermodel, was like a bomb that shook the hearts of the audience.

What a remarkable subversion, Irene thought to herself. Only by being there in person could one feel the heart-stirring nature of this moment. It was no wonder Gisele Bündchen could rapidly grow into the world's top supermodel based on this runway walk; this gait was truly world-class.

Britney, beside her, didn't notice the difference in Gisele; she focused all her attention on the gorgeous lingerie. Her body swayed gently with the music, her eyes following every model, occasionally letting out exclamations: "Oh my god, her wings are so beautiful!", "This lingerie design is so bold, is it really not just erotic lingerie?", "This one is nice, I like it."

When one theme finished and they were between segments, Britney leaned over and said excitedly in her ear, "Victoria's Secret lives up to the name; the effect is just incredible. I've got my eye on several pieces—do you like any? I'll buy them for you."

Irene nodded. "There are other themes coming up. No rush, let's keep watching."