STORIES BY MELISSA HECKSCHER>STAFF WRITER

Victoria's Secret CEO Sharen Turney doesn't expect many women to add the $4.5 million "Very Sexy Fantasy Bra" to their Christmas wish lists.

It's just one of dozens of over-the-top lingerie items to be showcased in the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, airing tonight on CBS, Channel 2. And even though most people won't want to buy it, they'll likely remember the name.

"The fashion show is really great for brand building," Turney said. "When you think about being able to bring fashion, entertainment and supermodels all together, there's a success factor there."

It's no run-of-the-mill runway show. The internationally televised event, now in its seventh year, cost $10 million to produce and took more than 600 people to pull off.

It was shot Nov. 16 at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, and, besides the perfectly choreographed procession of supermodels, features musical performances from the newly reunited Spice Girls, Seal (who sings a duet with his wife, supermodel Heidi Klum), and Black Eyed Peas frontman will.i.am.

Will.i.am was a last-minute replacement for hip-hop star Kanye West, who withdrew from the event following the death of his mother.

"We try not to make it one long commercial (for Victoria's Secret)," Turney said. "The entertainment this year is phenomenal."

Of course, most people would argue it's the scantily clad women who attract the most attention. Last year's show drew more than 10 million viewers and was No. 1 in its time slot.

Interestingly enough, despite the obvious sex appeal of half-naked supermodels, Turney said women are the show's biggest fans.

"This show is absolutely for women," she said. "Lingerie is a personal thing that is underneath, that gives you that little specialness. A woman can be in jeans and a grubby T-shirt, but you know what? She's got on that little sexy bra and that little sexy underwear - and that's her secret."

Sure, a grubby T-shirt may hide that little sexy bra and jeans may hide that little sexy underwear - but nothing's going to cover up those wings.

That's right. In keeping with Victoria's Secret's ethereal theme, many of the models will be wearing wings as high as lamp posts and diamond-studded lingerie that no sensible woman would wear outside a bank vault.

The "Very Sexy Holiday Fantasy Bra Gift Set," for instance, includes a push-up bra, thong, garter, cuff bracelet and hair clip and contains a total of 9,000 diamonds, emeralds, rubies and yellow sapphires. It took about 880 hours of labor to make and was, at its base, designed from a bra and panty set that anyone could buy from the catalog.

"All of the (costumes) are based on the products that we do carry in the store," Turney said.

"They're just embellished."

That means you can walk into your nearest Victoria's Secret shop and buy an "Angel" bra, no problem.

Just don't expect the wings.

---

Melissa Heckscher (310) 540-5511, Ext.329 melissa.heckscher@ dailybreeze.com

---

>preview

VICTORIA'S SECRET FASHION SHOW
>When: 10 pm Tuesday
>Where: CBS (Channel 2). 

---

CLICK HERE FOR 'SECRETS OF A VICTORIA'S MODEL: AN INTERVIEW WITH SUPERMODEL MARISA MILLER