Leaving a job is always an emotional experience. Often, you’re leaving behind a close group of friends as well as a routine that you’ve known for perhaps years.
So when you love the job it’s even harder, which is why it’s not surprising that Adriana Lima broke down in tears on her last day as a Victoria’s Secret Angel yesterday (November 8).
After being an Angel for 19 years, the 37-year-old model announced that yesterday would be her last time walking the runway.
Posting to her Instagram page just hours before the catwalk, Adriana posted an emotional tribute to Victoria’s Secret by sharing a montage of her career highlights.
She thanked the brand for her incredible career, which according to Harper’s Bazaar began in 1999 and has meant she has walked a total of 18 shows – missing one year only when she was pregnant with her first child .
She wrote:
Dear Victoria, Thank you for showing me the world, sharing your secrets, and most importantly not just giving me wings but teaching me to fly. And all the [love] to the best fans in the [world]! Love, Adriana
You know that saying, ‘my friends look like Victoria secret models and I look like a Victoria sponge cake’? Yep, that’s how I’m feeling right now because of that montage. Thanks, Adriana.
The post was viewed by more than four million of her followers, who immediately began offering messages of love and support for the model.
Some thanked her for her years as the longest reigning Angel, applauding her for being the ‘best Angel EVER’ and saying she was the ‘best there ever has been and will ever be’. Others begged her to stay, saying Victoria’s Secret wouldn’t be the same without her and that she will be missed by many.
The model took to the catwalk in a pale blue underwear set covered by a sequinned silver top, topped off by her statement feathery wings and a matching pair of feathered heels.
According to the Daily Mail, as Adriana reached the end of the runway she paused for a moment, took a deep breath and bowed her head towards the ground.
She could then be seen trying to hold back her tears, crossing her hands across her chest and thanking the crowd for their support. She also thanked Victoria’s Secret for her time working there.
The news came after fellow model Georgia Fowler let slip to Grazia that this year might be Adriana’s last on the runway.
She said:
It will be her last year this year I think, but she’s done it for so many years and continues to look amazing on the catwalk and up against the younger girls.
Although many still believed she would walk the catwalk once more, as after fellow Angel Alessandra Ambrosio hung up her wings last year, the Brazilian model stated that she was aiming for the 20-year milestone.
Regardless, no one can deny that Adriana has had an incredible career as an Angel, opening a total of five shows and missing only one since she started.
What do you reckon she’ll be doing in her retirement? I can’t imagine she’ll be content with just putting her feet up with a cuppa at 37, so I’m sure we’ll see her again soon.
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A Broadcast Journalism Masters graduate who went on to achieve an NCTJ level 3 Diploma in Journalism, Lucy has done stints at ITV, BBC Inside Out and Key 103. While working as a journalist for UNILAD, Lucy has reported on breaking news stories while also writing features about mental health, cervical screening awareness, and Little Mix (who she is unapologetically obsessed with).