The annual Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show will be taking place in Shanghai, China, Monday evening, and broadcast on November 28.
The fashion show is considered one of the most prestigious gigs a model can land. Gaining your “Angel wings” — intricately designed pairs of wings given to the most highly regarded models in the show — is a whole other privilege.
Jan Planit, who used to head up top modeling agency IMG and now runs Planit Model Management, once told the New York Post: “There are very few special things you can achieve as a model. Getting your Angel wings is the ultimate.”
The iconic shows are famed for their dramatic, colorful, and skimpy outfits, as well as their impressive lineup of entertainment. This year’s musical guests include Harry Styles, Miguel, and Leslie Odom Jr.
Last year, 51 top models made the final cut for the show, just 14 of whom were designated “Victoria’s Secret Angels” — brand ambassadors who travel the world promoting Victoria’s Secret year-round. Best friends Gigi Hadid and Kendall Jenner became the most recent models to earn their wings on stage at the 2016 show.
While being in the show or getting wings are honors in themselves, the money doesn’t hurt either. Nine of the models who appeared in the 2016 show appeared on Forbes’ list of the world’s 20 highest-paid models in 2016.
Scroll down to see the highest-paid Victoria’s Secret models from last year’s show, ranking in ascending order by their 2016 earnings, according to Forbes.
*The earnings are an estimate based on income from all modeling contracts, both from Victoria Secret as well as other companies.
9. Taylor Hill — $ 4 million.
Getty/ Dimitrios Kambouris
Taylor Hill, the 21-year-old “girl next door from Colorado” and Vogue cover star, became the face of Topshop’s AW16 campaign in July 2016. Since then her Instagram follower base has doubled — she now has 9.2 million followers of her @taylor_hill account.
Hill walked her first VS show in 2014 and became an Angel a year later.
8. Jasmines Tookes — $ 4 million.
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty
Californian Jasmine Tookes is one of three women of color — out of all VS models — to make Forbes’ highest-earning list in 2016.
The 26 year old gained her wings in 2015, after first walking a Victoria’s Secret show in 2012.
7. Lily Aldridge — $ 4 million.
Getty/ Jamie McCarthy
LA-born Lily Aldridge walked her first Victoria’s Secret show in 2009, and became an Angel the following year. The 32 year old’s favorite place in the world is her hometown of Nashville, Tennessee, according to her VS profile. Her Instagram has 5.1 million followers.
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