20 Hours With Gabi Moura At Her First Victoria's Secret Fashion Show

Gabi Moura has been manifesting walking in the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show forever (she even dressed as a VS Angel last Halloween). She just didn’t think it would ever actually happen. She got the first call in September, right in the middle of New York Fashion Week. Her manager told the LA-based content creator that she had to rearrange her travel plans to stay in New York City a bit longer — she was officially invited to audition for the show.

“I was like, ‘Even if I don’t get it, them thinking that I could potentially be a model for them is enough. I’m good with that,’” she tells Elite Daily.

With over 11 million TikTok followers, the 21-year-old had previously worked with the brand, posting videos about VS and VS Pink. But becoming a part of the iconic fashion show felt like an impossible dream. “I got the official call that I was cast on Sept. 25, so about 20 days before the show,” she says. “I couldn’t believe it. I started crying. It was the craziest day of my life for sure.”

She dedicated the next two and a half weeks to prep — practicing her walk, cooking her favorite healthy meals, and moving her body. Soon enough, she was back in New York — this time, to model. Below, Moura shares her day prepping for her first-ever VS Fashion Show, her wildest celebrity interactions, and how she celebrated post-show.

Rise & Shine

5:30 a.m.: I couldn't sleep the night before, so I started the day really tired, anxious, and excited. I woke up at around 5:30 a.m., and I called my mom because I needed to have at least a 30-minute call with her, so she could calm me down.

6 a.m.: After getting off the phone, I showered and made sure I smelled good. I put all my Victoria's Secret Body Splash on because I wanted to bring the vibes. I did my skin care, while listening to Bad Bunny to make me feel confident.

8 a.m.: Call time was 8 a.m., and when I got there, it seemed like everyone was already there. Walking into the glam room, I've actually never seen anything like it. The space was so big with so many vanities, and all of the models were sitting down, getting their makeup done.

8:30 a.m.: We got started on my makeup, and I was shaking already. Luckily, we had a dress rehearsal the day before. Without that, I probably would’ve had a panic attack. After the makeup, we went to hair.

11:30 a.m.: We all had lunch together — they had a whole selection of food. So we all ate. I took plenty of breaks throughout the morning to practice my walk some more with my friend, Daniella [Halfon]. We knew we were going to walk together, so we would literally go to the bathroom practicing our walk.

Cat’s Out of the Bag

12:10 p.m.: I posted my first TikTok about the show — a clip of me getting ready — during our lunch break. Before that, pretty much no one knew I was walking. When I got the call, they told me how confidential it was — not even my friends from Brazil or LA knew. I thought they’d announce five days before the show, but things change all the time. Honestly, I loved announcing it the day of the the show because you know how social media is — people are always giving opinions and commenting, and sometimes that affects you. This way, it was less pressure for me. After I posted, every time I would look at my phone, there would be 400 more mentions on TikTok.

12:45 p.m.: In the changing room, I got to meet a lot of the other models. Candice [Swanepoel] was the sweetest — we started speaking in Portuguese together. Bella Hadid was also really sweet. She actually complimented me, like, "Oh my God, you look so good." I was like, “Ah!” I had actually brought Orebella [her perfume] with me — I love how it’s kind of like an oil as well, so it gives you the glow — but I didn't even think that Bella was going to be walking. So when she was changing next to me, I was like, "Girl, smell this," and I gave her my wrist. She was like, "Oh my God, this smells so good on you. Can I make a video of you applying your perfume?" So she made a video of me applying. Barbara Palvin was super nice too.

Even when I was talking to the models, they were saying how nervous they were. So I was like, “Oh, we are actually all in the same boat here. It doesn't matter if they did this one, two, or 10 times before.” That made me feel so much calmer.

1:15 p.m.: After lunch, we did another dress rehearsal, which made me feel so much better. I was like, OK, now I feel the vibe, and I’m walking in heels, so I feel a little bit more confident. But even when I saw the videos of the rehearsal, I didn't really like what I was doing. I was like, "Oh, that kind of sucks." I can be very hard on myself.

2:15 p.m.: We went back to touch up makeup and hair after the rehearsal. It was very back-to-back, and we didn't really have time to chill because it was always like, "Oh my God, fix the makeup, fix this.”

It’s Officially Showtime

7 p.m.: The show started at 7, and while we were on standby backstage, Daniella and I were both hyping each other up so much. We were looking at each other and just dancing, while all the biggest models walked, and Madison Beer performed. Daniella was just such a safe person for me to walk with, and I'm so happy because we had fun on the runway. We were talking before and decided, “This is actually our biggest dream. Let's just have fun with it.”

7:15 p.m.: When they said, "Go, go," my heart was already beating super fast, but I didn't black out. I remember everything. I remember being like, "This is my moment. I just want to have fun with it." The song “THIS IS FOR (Extended)” was a vibe. In the rehearsals, I didn't really send kisses because I wasn't really feeling comfortable enough. But surprisingly, on the actual runway, I was just like, "Kisses, everyone.” I knew this moment was going to last probably less than a minute, and I wanted to make it worth it.

7:16 p.m.: Walking off stage, I was jumping and screaming. I started cursing in Portuguese and literally freaking out. Right after, I called my mom and she was crying, too. I knew we’d have to go back on stage to do the final walk with all the Pink models, so I was like, "Mom, don't cry. If you cry, I'm going to cry." The tears were coming.

7:20 p.m.: We closed off the Pink segment with all the models. We were all just jumping and screaming, "We did it, we did it!” It was so fun. Right after the Pink segment, Daniella and I were walking backstage, and Gigi Hadid was right next to us. She came up to us and said how we killed our walk. And I was like, "Gigi Hadid is saying that. I don’t care what anyone else thinks.”

Time to Chill & Debrief

9 p.m.:After the show, I headed back to my hotel and posted another TikTok, freaking out about the whole night. I needed to take a shower right away because I had so much body glitter and body oil on.

I got to see some people’s reactions online, too. My boyfriend, Josh [Richards], was so excited — almost more excited than me. He streamed his reaction to when I was walking because he couldn't come to New York, and it was the sweetest thing ever. He knew how anxious I was, and he was just hyping me up so much after, and it was so sweet. Brianna [LaPaglia] also posted. She was freaking out when I first told her three days before the show. That was just really sweet seeing people posting their reactions because I wasn't expecting it.

10 p.m.: Three of my best friends in New York came to my hotel, and we went down to dinner in our pajamas. I just wanted to chill and talk about everything. That was all I needed.

12:40 a.m.: My friends stayed to help me pack, but once they left, I couldn’t fall asleep. I had to leave the hotel at 5 a.m for my flight. But I just lay in bed for an hour because I was so excited and had so much adrenaline rushing through my body. So I couldn't fall asleep — I wasn’t even able to nap before leaving for the airport, but I’m planning on sleeping for 13 hours tonight.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.