Photo: Getty Images
T
he usual suspects hang out backstage before Alexander Wang’s show—Natasha Poly, Liu Wen, Joan Smalls, Karmen Pedaru, Ruby Aldridge—but this time, there’s a new face in the mix: Gisele Bündchen. “I think Alexander is a wonderful designer—I’ve always loved his clothes,” says Bündchen, as a Redken hairstylist readies her tresses. “And he couldn’t be a nicer guy, so I’m happy to be here, supporting him—you always want to do things for people who are nice.” Bündchen says being in Wang’s show almost feels like homecoming: “It’s great to be walking with girls I walked with 10 or 15 years ago. It’s just like a reunion! We have Shalom [Harlow], Frankie [Rayder], Carmen [Kass]—it’s so fun to see everyone again.” Besides old friends, Bündchen also welcomes the adrenaline rush. “You get that sensation of ‘ahhhh!’ when you haven’t done a show in awhile,” she says, adding with a laugh, “I don’t know if I’ll make it because I have these really tall boots. It’s a challenge to walk in them, and it’s a pretty long runway!” But what about all those Victoria’s Secret shows—and the Givenchy show she walked in last season? “These boots aren’t anything like what I wore for those!” insists Bündchen. “I wear flat shoes all the time now, so it’s a lot harder for me to walk in super-high heels.” Harlow, another surprise model at Wang’s show, shares Bündchen’s nervous excitement. “My outfit is quietly sinister—there’s a lot of leather!” she exclaims. “But I’m happy to be here. Alexander has a great sense of theatrics, on top of an incredible amount of talent and charm. I love how the show is set up, and I’m just excited to be part of it and to feel that drama again.”