In front of Mercette Palace, the crowd was overwhelming, far more lively than during London Fashion Week. However, fashion enthusiasts made up only a small fraction of the audience. The majority consisted of movie fans, book lovers, and celebrity followers because countless stars had already graced the red carpet.
This year's Victoria's Secret annual show was far more extravagant and bustling than ever. Celebrities and socialites from both Britain and America seemed to treat it as a queen's banquet, eagerly flocking to attend.
Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston, Liam Neeson and his family, Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman, David Beckham and his wife…
As one of the most prestigious guests, Duke arrived relatively late but walked quickly, almost trailing behind Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman as they entered the interview area.
Prompted by Nicole Kidman's glance, Tom Cruise generously ceded the interview spot to Duke and waited for him at the entrance of Mercette Palace.
"The official announcement by Victoria's Secret states that the designs for this show were inspired by Tolkien's works. What is your view on this?"
Fleet Street reporters surrounded Duke so tightly that not even a drop of water could escape.
"Sorry, I'm not very knowledgeable about fashion," Duke replied, even though he wasn't fond of these Fleet Street journalists. However, he knew how to answer tactfully. "Tolkien was a great writer, and his works are absolutely extraordinary. His detailed descriptions of the costumes of various unique races in Middle-earth can indeed inspire a lot of creativity."
A globally renowned American director praising a British author so highly was music to Fleet Street's ears. Someone immediately followed up, asking, "Director Rosenberg, what do you think of Mr. Tolkien?"
"He was a great writer, the father of modern fantasy literature. He didn't just revolutionize literature; he also influenced the development of the film industry. Many of Hollywood's greatest epic films bear the marks of his literary works. Now, having the opportunity to produce The Lord of the Rings trilogy myself feels like a tremendous honor..."
Duke seamlessly shifted the topic to his films, unabashedly promoting himself. At the same time, he made sure to leverage Tolkien's stature for maximum effect.
After finishing the interview, Duke left the interview area and walked to the entrance of Mercette Palace, finding Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman still waiting for him.
"Congratulations, Tom."
"It should be 'congratulations to us!'" Tom Cruise, holding Nicole Kidman's arm, walked alongside Duke. "Our collaboration has once again been a huge success!"
"Indeed." Duke continued walking without pausing.
They were referring to Mission: Impossible 2. The film had essentially completed its global theatrical run, grossing a cumulative worldwide box office of $558.9 million. Not only did it set the highest box office record of Tom Cruise's career, but it also elevated him to the pinnacle of Hollywood's top commercial stars.
The film's massive success naturally delighted Duke. After all, he enjoyed one-third of the film's profit share. Given his current status and position, he had the power to oversee the entire production process and no longer had to fear distribution companies playing tricks.
He was no longer a novice director or an outsider investor clueless about the industry's rules.
As they continued discussing topics ranging from The Lord of the Rings to Mission: Impossible 2, they entered the grand hall of Mercette Palace. Their seats were all in the front row. Perhaps to emphasize their close relationship, Tom Cruise had deliberately swapped seats with Elijah Wood and others to sit next to Duke.
During the conversation, Nicole Kidman seemed somewhat melancholy compared to the exuberant Tom Cruise.
"Nicole, though I'm not skilled in creating artistic films,"
After chatting with her for a few moments, Duke roughly understood the reason for her mood. Given his current amicable relations with the Cruise-Kidman couple, he offered a few comforting words. "I believe The Others is an outstanding film, and your performance deserves recognition."
"Unfortunately..." Nicole Kidman shook her head.
Tom Cruise immediately consoled her by gently holding her hand. "Honey, don't lose heart. Opportunities will always come."
"Nicole, Tom is absolutely right. Your acting has improved tremendously."
For some reason, Duke felt this couple was moving in a direction opposite to what he had known in his past life. "If you encounter the right role, you'll surely shine."
If Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman didn't divorce, and without the sympathy factor, could Nicole Kidman still win the Oscar for Best Actress? No one could say for sure.
However, the negative impact on box office performance was already evident.
The Others was arguably Nicole Kidman's most commercially successful work in the past. Duke vaguely recalled that it grossed over $100 million at the North American box office. Yet the same film, released last year, earned less than $50 million domestically, highlighting her lack of appeal in the North American market.
Although the film would likely turn a profit due to its extremely low budget and decent overseas box office performance, her investment return rate was abysmally low compared to her massive reputation and exorbitant pay.
"Hi, Tom."
"Hi, David."
Before the show began, another famous couple came over to greet them.
Subsequently, Tom Cruise introduced them to Duke.
"David, this is Director Rosenberg. Duke, this is David Beckham, the famous soccer star, and his wife, Victoria Beckham, the renowned singer."
Duke shook hands with the globally famous couple. He had no interest in soccer, merely getting acquainted. He and Victoria Beckham tacitly acted as though they were meeting for the first time.
As Duke had said before, he wasn't a saint and had his own principles. He had never intended to wreck someone else's family.
His relationship with Victoria Beckham was just one of many fleeting encounters in their respective colorful pasts.
However, Duke hadn't expected Victoria Beckham to quietly slip a small note into his hand while shaking it.
Without even looking at it, Duke handed it directly to his assistant, Tina Fey, who then tossed it into the trash.
What was written on the note? Duke neither knew nor wanted to know. To him, Victoria Beckham was nothing more than a brief dalliance.
Besides, he had already arranged to spend two days touring London with Alessandra Ambrosio after the show.
This show was broadcast by Sky Television in Europe and NBC in North America and other regions. Both Magic Ring Studios and Victoria's Secret poured immense resources into the event, especially in the design of the clothing and stage, which exuded an otherworldly magical elegance, so exquisite and refined that it seemed like a masterpiece from another realm.
In ordinary runway shows, a stage designed with Lothlórien-inspired elven aesthetics might appear out of place. However, in a Victoria's Secret angel show, the angel models never stick to rigid expressions, and the runway itself always exudes a dreamlike quality.
The theme of this show was the Angel-Elf Parade. While it had no direct connections to The Lord of the Rings, the grandeur of the 1999 show immediately came to mind. As the models appeared on the runway wearing lingerie in soft green, mossy tones, and crimson hues, adorned with leaf and plant patterns, the imagery effortlessly evoked thoughts of elves.
Particularly, to emphasize the sacredness of the elves, every angel model wore a layer of semi-transparent gauze over their lingerie. This style echoed the costumes of elves depicted in the film.
Anyone familiar with Victoria's Secret shows knew that while it was a lingerie show, the angels rarely appeared in just plain underwear. Instead, various elf-related accessories and exquisitely crafted props became decorations on their bodies or in their hands.
For instance, Adriana Lima transformed into an elf handmaiden. As she stepped onto the runway, she carried an elven-crafted wooden bottle...
Such elements appeared continuously. While these features might seem out of balance in regular fashion shows, they were captivating when paired with the runway's ethereal ambiance and the angels' expressive performances, all carefully designed by Magic Ring Studios and Victoria's Secret's designers.
As for guest performers, Victoria's Secret heeded Duke's suggestion and invited the renowned Irish singer Enya. She performed a song in both English and Quenya, based on a poem praising the elves from Tolkien's works. The music, of course, was composed by Howard Shore, the film's score composer.
"Rebecca, I don't understand…"
Backstage at the runway's exit, Victoria's Secret Store President Lori Greeley watched the company's models step onto the stage one by one. She asked, puzzled, "I don't understand why we're cooperating with Duke. Even though he's the company's largest individual shareholder, he doesn't have the authority to demand this."
"He certainly doesn't have that authority," Rebecca Finn initially echoed, then explained, "But don't forget his works' influence. If The Fellowship of the Ring achieves success similar to The Matrix, its impact will be tremendous. Our elven-themed clothing and accessories..."
At this point, she glanced at Lori Greeley, who immediately understood. In that instant, Lori seemed to see even further, "And this is just one trilogy. If all three films succeed, our product sales will undoubtedly soar over the next few years."
As the two women said, Victoria's Secret was willing to collaborate with Duke because of the potential future profits!
To this end, they even made certain adjustments, accepting Duke's suggestion to have Alessandra Ambrosio, the model with the heaviest role in The Lord of the Rings, close the show.
Wearing a translucent nightgown inspired by Arwen's attire, Alessandra Ambrosio closed the runway. The delicate fabric, adorned with tiny gemstones, reflected starlight under the lights, perfectly embodying the meaning of Arwen's name—Evening Star.
This nightgown, crafted from Indian silk interwoven with diamonds, emeralds, and Ceylon sapphires, was aptly named "Evening Star"!
Victoria's Secret priced it at a staggering $8 million!
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