Victoria's Secret Fashion Show Sneak Peek: 30 Pound Wings and Lots of Bling

Victoria's Secret model Alessandra Ambrosio will don 30-pound gold wings for tonight's Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. (Kenneth Haggarty for ABC News)

Later today, a bevy of barely clad beauties will strut down the runway of the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show to flashing lights, blasting music and dropping jaws.

What you won't see is the (literal) heavy lifting behind the scenes.

Last week, ABCNews.com got a peak at how the legendary lingerie fashion show (happening tonight, airing nationwide Nov. 29) comes together.

The setting: a fluorescent-lit, bra-stuffed back office on the 12th floor of Victoria's Secret's midtown Manhattan headquarters.

The star: 30-year-old Victoria's Secret Angel Alessandra Ambrosio, who was in the midst of her fashion show fitting.

Kenneth Haggarty for ABC News

Victoria's Secret model Alessandra Ambrosio... View Full Size

Kenneth Haggarty for ABC News

Victoria's Secret model Alessandra Ambrosio will don 30-pound gold wings for tonight's Victoria's Secret Fashion Show.

Victoria's Secret? Model Eats Steak Watch Video

Victoria's Secret Models Show Their Love Watch Video

Supermom Heidi Klum Watch Video

The supporting cast: a dozen designers, producers, tailors and assistants -- and one 30-pound pair of gold wings.

"It's really heavy," Ambrosio said after a team of four unharnessed her. "When I first put it on, I almost fell back, that's how heavy it was. You really have to put a lot of strength toward your shoulders to be able to hold that. But it's incredible. You can't say no to an outfit like that. Those wings are unbelievable."

Besides heft, the wings boast bling in the form of more than 100,000 Swarovski crystals. Victoria's Secret Fashion Show producer Monica Mitro called them "the most spectacular wings we've ever done."

"She was struggling to walk in them but she was like, 'If it looks good, if I look good, I'm wearing it,'" Mitro said. "She's in her underwear, she's wearing high heels, it's a bit of a precarious runway. So you really have to want something badly to wear something that heavy on national television."

Of course, to the chagrin of all of us non-Angels, some things come naturally.

"I never work out my back, I never work out my arms," Ambrosio said. "But I guess this week I'm going to have to lift some weights to be able to wear those wings on the runway."