‘They want the body and they want the hair’: Inside the Victoria’s Secret effect

THEY rule the catwalk for Victoria’s Secret. And Gigi Hadid and co. are having a huge influence on Australian beauty trends.

Gigi Hadid’s Victoria’s Secret-worthy hair is in-demand.

BRAS, knickers, angel wings and a six-figure payday ... Victoria’s Secret is a huge empire.

The models have a collective annual income of more than $50 million, according to Forbes, and their influence — on and off the catwalk — isn’t just contained to driving sales of push-up bras and G-strings.

Demand for volume-boosting “Victoria’s Secret hair” has more than doubled in the lead up to next month’s runway show, according to leading Australian beauty experts.

Victoria’s Secret waves! Australian women want Gigi Hadid’s mane.

Victoria’s Secret angel Adriana Lima.

“It booms for us — Victoria’s Secret is a big one,” said Stephanie Mason, owner of Showpony hair extensions.

“When they (customers) are going to get their hair done, they’re like, ‘I want Victoria’s Secret hair.’”

Mason said demand for extensions to achieve VS-standard waves “definitely doubles ... at least”.

“They’re all wearing extensions in that show, they’ve got to have that volume,” Mason said, of Gigi Hadid and co.

“The only way to really achieve that is to have extensions in. And that big, soft wave ... that’s the kind of look they always ask for at this time of year.”

Long locks. Adriana Lima, Elsa Hosk, Alessandra Ambrosio and Taylor Hill at last year’s Victoria’s Secret show in Paris.

“We actually get people sending in photos (of Hadid), asking, what colour was this model wearing? How can I get it? Gigi is a big one in the hair industry.”

So what does it take to get hair like a Victoria’s Secret model?

Well, as many as 40 to 80 strands of hair extensions, according to head stylist Jacky Chan, of top Chadstone-based salon Oscar Oscar.

“Times it by two to a normal head of hair,” Chan said.

Taylor Hill shows off her signature long, lush locks on the Victoria’s Secret runway.

He said his salons were inundated with enquiries from women trying to replicate Victoria’s Secret-style manes around this time of year — after the castings and in the lead up to next month’s runway show.

“You do get influence from that — ‘how do I set my hair to be a bit bigger?’ It’s quite sexy and glamorous, at the same time,” Chan said.

“They want the body and they want the hair. It has become more relaxed and softer over the years.”

Victoria’s Secret is staging its 2017 runway show in China next month, after it was held in Paris last year.

“Angels” including Adriana Lima, Alessandra Ambrosio, Candice Swanepoel, Lily Aldridge, and Taylor Hill are confirmed to be appearing, alongside models including Gigi and Bella Hadid, Georgia Fowler and Nadine Leopold.