Supermodel Adriana Lima Learned Her Signature Walk From a Drag Queen
Adriana Lima has a modeling career that spans nearly 23 years, but first learning how to slay the catwalk was a real drag.
“A friend of mine — he’s a Brazilian drag queen — he’s the one who taught me,” Lima told FN on Tuesday ahead of launching Schutz’s new Miami outpost.
Her first lesson: honing perfect posture.
“One foot over the other; the posture with your head; how to look toward the end of the runway,” she explained of the techniques. “The most important part is the end — [how to pose] for pictures at the end.”
Lima added that at the end of the runway models have to modify their poses depending on the type of outfit.
“When you wear heavy coats there’s a whole technique in which you can take it off — and he taught me that or I wouldn’t know,” she said.
The student is now a master.
Lima hung up her wings as a Victoria’s Secret Angel on Nov. 9 — a role she has held since 1999, making her the long-running model in the brand’s big show — and with her years of stomping down runways as well as serving as a model for Brazilian footwear brand Schutz, she has plenty of wisdom to share on walking in heels.
Though it took some coaching to develop a signature walk, learning how to handle heel heights was something she taught herself at 16 years old.
“Start with a lower heel and from there you can advance depending how comfortable you are,” Lima explained. “If you don’t have confidence in stiletto heels, you can take a wedge because it gives you height and the impression that it’s flat — or you can buy the highest heel from the store and walk around until you learn. That’s what I did.”
Wedges are a go-to shoe silhouette for Lima, who said in her native Brazil, “you will see every Brazilian girl in them at cocktail parties or the shopping mall.”
For the opening of the new Schutz flagship store in Aventura Mall, she left her wedges behind and opted for a pair of the brand’s strappy pink heels. The event also debuted her resort ’19 campaign for the brand, highlighting a collection of metallic and neon styles.
Founder-designer Alexandre Birman’s new digs in Florida’s sun-soaked city features a 1,500 square foot space with sleek, modern design and bright color-block décor. The boutique incorporates omnichannel integration for offline and online shopping.
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