You'll Never Guess What Stella Maxwell Does With Her Runway Lingerie After the Victoria's Secret Show

Updated on 12/3/2018 at 10:20 PM

Courtesy of Victoria's Secret

Stella Maxwell still feels the same energy and excitement that she did when she walked in her first Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, but 2018 marked her fifth. "Every time I do it, it kind of feels like the first time," Stella told me when I visited her at her first fitting, days before she took the runway. "I always appreciate that every outfit is styled and chosen for each specific girl. I always feel like my pieces suit me. [The VS team knows] 'Oh, Stella would love that!' and 'That would look good on her body,'" she told me as we admired the peach, rose-gold-painted wings that Parisian artisan Janaïna Milheiro crafted for her from scratch.

Janaïna actually thinks they might be her favorite wing design ever, even though this year alone, she's making 11 pairs. As soon as Stella laid eyes on them, I can attest to the fact that she literally lit up the room. I watched as Janaïna fiddled with the feathers surrounding the heart-shaped wire on Stella's back, and I talked to her about how she dreams up these incredible masterpieces. Ahead, get a behind-the-scenes glimpse of a Victoria's Secret fitting from start to finish, find out how Stella is unwinding with pizza and friends right this moment, and learn what she does with her lingerie post-runway.

Stella's Reaction to Seeing Her 2018 Wings For the First Time? Major

"Obviously, these wings are incredible. I think they are my favorite wings I've ever been given for the show. I'm really excited and can't wait to see them on the runway." — Stella Maxwell

Stella's 2018 Wings Might Be Janaïna's Favorite of All Time

"This year is my fourth year making wings for Victoria's Secret. I started in 2014, and each year I'm making more wings. [Victoria's Secret] found me at a show in Paris, and when I heard I was confirmed, I was super happy. I'm not doing a wing for anyone unless it's for Victoria's Secret. This year, I'm making 11. I actually really like Stella's, and I think this is one of my favorite designs." — Janaïna Milheiro

Janaïna's Wings Allow Her to Express Herself

"Victoria's Secret's technical constraints oblige me to work and create in a very certain way. Of course, the themes and the moods they are bringing is inspiring and lead me to different ideas, shapes, and colors — directions that I probably wouldn't follow. But [the VS team] is confident in me. They trust me, so they give me real freedom. They ask me to design the wings, and they might give me some moods or silhouettes as inspiration, but then they say, 'OK, now you take care of it.' So I really have a large path to express myself." — JM

Karlie Kloss's 2017 Wings Are the Heaviest Janaïna's Ever Designed

"[The heaviest wings I have ever designed] were Karlie Kloss's from last year. They were a mix of brass and feathers, and the brassing made my wings heavy. Usually, they are really light. Like Stella's this year, even if they look big, they're actually pretty light. The girls even forget that the wings are on their backs." — JM

Stella Gifted Her 2017 Runway Lingerie to Friends and Family

"Last year in China, I wore punk-themed panties, and funnily enough, when I went into the store one day, I saw the exact underwear that I wore in the show. So I got 10 of them and gave them to everyone as Christmas presents; that way, they could all wear some of my outfit. It's cute for your friends because, you know, they saw you in the outfit, and they are all like, 'OMG, that's the outfit you wore!'" — SM

Stella Has a Specific Pre-Show and Post-Show Routine

"Pre-show game for me would be some meditation in the morning, just to be calm and centered and feel grounded. Post-show, I think I'm just going to enjoy it with friends — have some pizza and just relax, have fun." — SM