The $12m bra girl

Sexy, hot, floral, royal, heavenly. These are some of the adjectives describing the Victoria's Secret annual "Fantasy Bra" creation.

It's still not known what they will officially call the latest US$10 million (S$12.4 million) bra, which will be on show when the lingerie brand's annual show hits the catwalk on Nov 13.

Coin a new term for it? Probably. For 24-year-old South African model Candice Swanepoel, who will be wrapping the jewel-encrusted bra around her busts, it would mean one thing: She has arrived.

Many models dream of this day. But only a few are chosen.

Swanepoel joins the ranks of other supermodels Gisele Bündchen, Heidi Klum, Miranda Kerr and Alessandra Ambrósio, who were all picked to walk the catwalk wearing the multi-million-dollar bra.

Swanepoel, who is No. 10 on Forbes' list of the world's top-earning models this year, has got a serious one-up over last year's Fantasy Bra model Ambrósio.

Last year's bejewelled creation was worth an impressive US$2.5 million, but Swanepoel's is worth four times more, the Los Angeles Times reported.

For Swanepoel, though, what would be more nerve-racking? Showcasing cleavage in US$10 million of jewels on national TV, or following in the footsteps of other major supermodels? We will know that next month.

"They had to mould my body to be able to make (the bra) and I was really excited," Swanepoel told People magazine.

"I tried to imagine after they'd done the mould, how would they make it, how it would look. My imagination didn't do it justice.

My favourite part is this beautiful 52-carat pearshaped ruby (which hangs from the middle of the bra). Every part of it is exquisite."

World-renowned jeweller Mouawad hand-set more than 4,200 precious stones (including rubies, diamonds and yellow sapphires) in 18-carat gold to create the royal fantasy bra and matching belt.

Gloves on

Said Swanepoel: "I've never worn anything this pricey and we have to put gloves on when we put it on. It's kind of a big ordeal. The bra comes with two bodyguards and we have to handle it with a lot of care!"

The supermodel said that although it wasn't hard for her to keep her big announcement under wraps ("I want it to be a big surprise!" she said), it will be hard to keep her cool when walking in the show.

News that she will be modelling the creation has been kept under wraps for months, so the fitting process had to be done under a veil of secrecy.

She said: "Definitely being the Fantasy Bra model is more nerve-racking... because it's a one-time thing. Walking around wearing US$10 million does seem to make me a little bit nervous."

Wearing the Fantasy Bra will no doubt take the South African up to another level.

After all, she has been on the cover of Victoria's Secret annual swim catalogue for three straight years from 2011.

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