Not all mothers wear capes, some wear wings
Photos by Lauren & Amrit, Words by AnaMaria
Not all mothers wear capes. Some wear wings.
The call time for the Angels was 8 a.m. We staggered in at 10, on the heels of daycare drop-off, and entered a crowded room full of inspiring people: many draped in glam and pink striped robes, the names Ashley, Paloma, Adut, and Irina embroidered on their left shoulders. We’re here because many of the models are mothers, and Jasmine Tookes was rumored (now confirmed) to be opening the show while nine months pregnant. Legend.
It’s boring to ask models about their appearance. We wanted to talk about modeling and mothering — and we spoke to both moms and non-moms about what that means. Our philosophy is that everybody mothers in some way, and we wanted to open up the conversation to reflect that.
As we watched the show from our formula-covered couches and last-season Aritzia sweatpants, ogling these gorgeous women in their gorgeous lingerie, knowing that Gigi Hadid was packing lunches in the morning before walking the runway, we were reminded that while the experience of motherhood looks different for everyone, one thing is consistent: the tenacity of mothers, who always get shit done.
Below, BTS footage and musings from an A+ catwalk. Irina Shayk spent postpartum wearing Riccardo Tisci’s Givenchy at the farmer’s market, Lila Moss thinks you should send your mother a bouquet, and Adut Akech is temporarily lifting her daughter’s no-screen-time rule. She can exclusively watch Ms. Rachel and/or mommy walk the Victoria’s Secret fashion show.
Quote missing for the inimitable Jasmine Tookes, MIA due to a deserved nap in the green room. Her doula was with her.
ASHLEY GRAHAM
“This morning, mothering was sneaking out of the house before [the kids] woke up.”
On a motherhood secret she’d like to reveal: through a cackle “It's going to be okay.”
On being an Angel: “I love that angels come in all shapes and sizes now. That’s the most exciting thing about being with VS: they've got my size and I'm also able to work with an iconic brand that's been around, dare I say, centuries? That sounds so old. VS, how old are you, girl?”
"I love that angels come in all shapes and sizes now. That’s the most exciting thing about being with VS: they've got my size and I'm also able to work with an iconic brand that's been around, dare I say, centuries? That sounds so old. VS, how old are you, girl?"
PALOMA ELSESSER
“Mothering is strength, mothering is brave, mothering is a lot of responsibility.”
On being an Angel: “I love that I never thought that I would be an angel. I didn’t see women who looked like me on the runway. When people ask me, ‘was this always your dream?’ there wasn’t even space for me to dream about this. How was I supposed to know that this might be my reality? I get to be in a position where young women see this and think, ‘oh this could be my reality.’ That is the most important and special part for me.”
On what she would tell her younger self: “You're going to have a life beyond your wildest dreams.”
On how we can support mothers: “Mothers need to be centered and seen as such. It's a duty, it's a job, and we have to remember that in all of our affairs. If you are my friend, and you are a mom or you’re pregnant: you are my queen and I am your servant.”
"Mothers need to be centered and seen as such. It's a duty, it's a job, and we have to remember that in all of our affairs. If you are my friend, and you are a mom or you’re pregnant: you are my queen and I am your servant."
IRINA SHAYK
“Mothering is the most amazing thing in the world, and the hardest thing in the world. It’s both.”
On her parenting style: “I’m a little crazy mom. My daughter always says: mom, you're crazy, and my friends think you're weird, but it's good to be weird. I’m a little kookoo. Be yourself. Be who you are.”
On how long her postpartum period lasted: “Five days. I fit back in my Givenchy Riccardo Tisci skirt size 2 and went to the farmers market to shop for fruits.”
On her daughter watching her walk the runway: “My daughter is way too young to watch the show but before I left this morning, my daughter said: you're going to be the most kind and beautiful inside and out, that's all that matters.”
"I’m a little crazy mom. My daughter always says: mom, you're crazy, and my friends think you're weird, but it's good to be weird. I’m a little kookoo. Be yourself. Be who you are."
LILA MOSS
“Motherhood is unconditional love, mothering is special.”
On how to center the mother: “Call them every day and buy them flowers and make them feel loved.”
On what she’s learned from her own mom: “To be grounded and humble and nice to everyone. And to have fun.”
"Motherhood is unconditional love, mothering is special"
ADUT AKECH
“Mothering is having all the patience in the world.”
On a motherhood secret she’d like to reveal: “Not really a secret but I would say that you should have zero expectations because it's going to be a rollercoaster and you're gonna be surprised and shocked along the way. I don't think it's something that anyone can prepare you for. You can get advice but does that advice always apply? I don't know. So don't have expectations. Go with the flow.”
On what surprised her most about motherhood: “I always go back to how much patience you have to have. I thought I was a patient person before but now, I don't think I am as patient as I thought I was! With every little thing, you have to be patient and you have to give yourself grace because whether you're doing it for the 1st time or 6th time, it doesn't matter how many kids you have, it always feels like the first time. In the beginning, I wasn't giving myself enough grace. Looking back, I wish I did, and that's something I would do differently.”
On her daughter watching the show: "She's going to watch tonight. She doesn't really do screen time. Aside from Ms. Rachel, this is the other time she gets to see screen time.”
"She's going to watch tonight. She doesn't really do screen time. Aside from Ms. Rachel, this is the other time she gets to see screen time."
DOUTZEN KROES
“Mothering is the most empowering thing there is. It's taught me so much. They're like real mirrors and they keep you humble.”
On having teenagers: “My children are becoming teenagers now. Someone told me the other day: teenagers are not more difficult, they just have a more difficult time. I see it from a very different perspective now and I'm like aww, you're going through so much. Come here! I'm giving them love instead of fighting it.”
On her kids watching her walk the runway: “I talked to my kids before I decided I was going to do this. My son is almost 15 and I thought it could also be embarrassing, but he was very proud. He thinks it's very cool. My daughter is 11 and she gets all the things that are in my goodie bag.”
On being an Angel: “VS has opened so many doors for me. It has given me the opportunity to be a full time mom, to make the choice to work less, and I really, really appreciate that. Being an Angel made that happen.”
ALEX CONSANI
“Mother is leading.”
On how we can center the mother: “Stop stigmatizing the things that it takes to be a mother, stop stigmatizing breastfeeding, stop taxing all of the baby products that are needed to be a mom in 2025!”
On how we can support moms: “Give them love, give them support, be a babysitter. Period. You could always use a babysitter.”
On what they've learned from their own mom: “Love. And learn to love. If you don't understand your child or you don't understand how they think, learn. Educate yourself. Leading with love is the most important thing as a mom, especially for a child like me. It's important to let them know that it's okay to be different and love them. They'll be successful in their own right if they have that basic understanding.”
"Love. And learn to love. If you don't understand your child or you don't understand how they think, learn. Educate yourself. Leading with love is the most important thing as a mom, especially for a child like me. It's important to let them know that it's okay to be different and love them. They'll be successful in their own right if they have that basic understanding."
LILY ALDRIDGE
“Mothering is wonderful.”
On what surprised her about motherhood and postpartum: “Everything. It should be looked at as evolution. You're constantly evolving and that's a beautiful thing.”
On being an Angel: “I love everything. I love the camaraderie between all my friends. There are so many moms here and we gush about our children the whole time.”
BEHATI PRINSLOO
“Mothering is hard and fun.”
On a motherhood secret she’d like to reveal: “I don't think there's any secrets. Maybe one for me is: taking the opportunity to look through life through their eyes again, be a child and enjoy the simple things in life..” way
On her son watching her walk the runway: “[I want him to know] that I had the best time and that I felt confident and beautiful. Mommy was having fun.”
On being an Angel: “I love the sisterhood, I love that it's been so many years and seeing the girls backstage still makes me so happy. We’re not together all the time but having that bonding and all those experiences together is really special.”
