"That was the happiest thirty minutes of my life," beamed the man sitting behind me as the 2016 Victoria's Secret show came to an end in Paris. From the whoops, cheers and laughter which had erupted throughout the purple-lit Grand Palais, it was clear he wasn't the only one who had immensely enjoyed watching 51 of the world's top models take to the glitter-strewn catwalk in an undeniably upbeat celebration of, well, underwear.
As the show began, a voice boomed out over a tannoy to announce that we were "in the home of the fashion show and lingerie." Indeed, the Grand Palais, the magnificent glass-construct sandwiched between the Seine and the Champs Elysee, is more often the home of Chanel's fashion shows which take place there four times a year. But the high-octane offering from the American underwear brand, which reportedly enjoyed revenues of $7.2 billion in 2014/15, was surely like no other fashion show the venue had hosted before.
Lady Gaga, wearing bespoke pieces by Parisian designer Azzedine Alaia, The Weeknd and Bruno Mars gave spectacular performances to accompany the show's six themed sections; Road Ahead, Mountain Romance, Pink Nation, Secret Angel, Dark Angel and Bright Night Angel. As newcomer models and Victoria's Secret 'Angels' alike, each having met the exacting standards of casting director John Pfeiffer, walked the catwalk, they blew kisses, made love and peace signs and waved excitedly, a masterclass in audience participation.
And what of the clothes? Well, there was more of them than you might think. This year's trend for over-the knee boots was well-represented with Kendall Jenner showcasing an red suede pair embroidered with a swirling yellow and turquoise pattern. Elaborate capes splashed with searingly colourful prints or made from delicate, romantic lace acted as dramatic props for the models to swoosh as they posed for the cameras capturing the spectacle for the television show which will be broadcast to some 800 million people in 190 countries around the world over the coming weeks.
Even the most skeptical of attendees couldn't help but marvel at the couture-level workmanship of many of the items. Cropped blouses and jackets in the Mountain Romance section were meticulously embroidered with typically Bavarian florals, the wings became ever-more astounding as the show went on whether they were 7ft wisps of trailing chiffon or leather latticed sculptures.
The dazzling bling and razzmatazz of the final section included the$3million Fantasy bra, worn by Jasmine Tookes and created by jeweller Eddie Borgo using 9000 precious stones, taking 700 hours to create and weighing in at more than 450 carats. It's little wonder that the show's programme dedicated nearly four pages of credits to the designers, costumiers, atelier workers and hand embroiderers who work painstakingly on the collection.