12.5 million treasure chest

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12.5 million treasure chest

Our reporter has her shining moment in Victoria's Secret's bejeweled bra

Reporter Breanne L. Heldman and the gem-laden lingerie draw a crowd.

I'm in Victoria's Secret, and shoppers are pawing at my chest.
Normally, I'd call the cops. But since I'm wearing a $12.5 million bra, I figure it's par for the course.

It's Victoria's Secret's 2005 Sexy Splendor Fantasy Bra, the one Gisele Bundchen strapped on for the cover of the lingerie giant's holiday catalogue.

As accessories go, it's a total bust: The 22 rubies will look lumpy under a tank top, the 2,900 diamonds will snag on a sweater, and the 18-karat gold will never make it through airport security.

But mere mortals need not worry, anyhow: As I was told before I tried it on, the sexy sparkler was custom-made to fit Gisele's measurements.

How's that for pressure?

After a little help strapping in (I needed a helper to assist me with the metal scaffolding), I had a hard time pulling myself away from the mirror. There's something about girding your "girls" with $6.25 million each that gives your whole body a lift: It seemed that my eyes sparkled, and even my hair looked shinier.

My cups ranneth over.

Sauntering out into the store, a crowd swarmed around me. (I wore a shirt underneath for discretion's sake.)

A group of women (strangers, hardlybosom buddies) came to admire — and fondle — my cups. That's right: They actually grabbed at the bra and the 101-karat diamond that dangled from it.

For the first time, I didn't mind.

Plus, I trusted the burly security guard standing nearby to make sure no one got out of hand. (Of course, he was less worried about my safety than he was concerned that I didn't make off with the luxe lingerie.)

"It's beautiful," said Michele Kavanagh, 33, from Ireland. "If I had it, I would wear it down the street, so everyone could see it."

"Holy moly!" exclaimed Reid Obatake, 28, from Hawaii, his eyes popping out of his head.

But after only a few minutes of strutting my, er, stuff, I had to get something off my chest.

Namely, the hulking piece of metal hanging from my bod. I got tired holding it up (not surprisingly, it didn't exactly fit). It was time to say goodbye to the blingy booster.

Maybe some lucky girl will wake up on Christmas morning and find it dangling from her stocking.

My $12.5 million mams were never meant to be.


The Secret is out: Models who were rated tops

Who gets to wear the undie ice?

The Victoria's Secret "Fantasy Bra" is something of a legacy: For the past nine years, one model has been chosen annually to wear the outre undies (the naughty geniuses at VS come up with a new design every year, thanks to partnerships with jewelry houses). Here, the lucky lingerie ladies:


1996 Claudia Schiffer sported Victoria Secret's first $1 million.

1997 Tyra Banks strutted her stuff in $3 million worth, by Harry Winston.

1998 Daniela Pestova worked it in $5 million.


1999 Heidi Klum's first time out was worth $10 million.

2000 Gisele Bundchen got to wear $15 million.

2001 Heidi Klum's second: $12 million.


2002 Karolina Kurkova made it a matched pair in a $10 million panty-and-bra set.

2003 Heidi Klum gets the first three-peat in $11 million in diamonds, sapphires and amethysts.

2004 Tyra Banks, $10 million (left).



Ashley Joyner


Originally published on October 23, 2005

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