In case you (somehow) missed it, the Victoria’s Secret show took place last night. One model who made her triumphant return was Candice Swanepoel. The 30-year-old model walked the runway just five months after giving birth to her second son, Ariel, back in June.
‘[Motherhood] has just changed everything for me,’ Swanepoel told ELLE UK backstage. ‘I appreciate things I would have overlooked before. I mean, just sitting and getting glammed on is such a nice experience, I would never say, ‘Are we done?’ now!’
Behati Prinsloo, who Candice considers her closest ‘sister’ at the show, also made her come back after a three-year break. The 30-year-old missed the last two shows – she gave birth to her two daughters with Adam Levine, Dusty Rose and Gio Grace, now 2 years old and 7 months, respectively.
Both models shared their triumphs on Instagram this week.
‘I love what @behatiprinsloo said today I’d like to elaborate… I’m so excited to feel strong again after having my two babies,’ Swanepoel wrote in a lengthy note on Instagram stories.
‘It’s definitely a process feeling ‘normal’ again. Our bodies become a vessel and it’s a mind-blowing process making a human being. I’m far from perfect and every mother should give themselves time to recover and not have to focus on what they look like. It’s about how you FEEL that is important. You are important.’
‘A lot of the time we feel guilty to go do things we used to,’ she continued. ‘We forget to look after ourselves sometimes…great thing is it’s my job to look presentable or I would probably not look in the mirror.’
This year, the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show moved back to its birthplace of New York, which was the ideal for new-mum Swanepoel.
‘I can’t tell you how happy I am that it’s here,’ she told ELLE UK. ‘It’s so nice to be at home and not have to travel, because it really adds to the stress.’
Candice also explained that to calm any pre-show anxiety she simply tries to breathe and ‘think about nice moments and past VS moments.’
‘Being backstage is quite an intense experience in itself, so I just try to take it all in and not freak out!’ the Angel said.
This year, 60 models walked the catwalk, including Winne Harlow and 14 other newcomers, and so naturally the runway veteran imparted some pearls of wisdom, giving the girls some much needed motherly love.
‘Make sure you’re comfortable with the shoes,’ Candice told them. ‘As a model, it’s your job to deal with whatever shoes you’re given, but this is not the show to be doing that. Even last night I was not comfortable with my shoes and the most important thing is your walk.’