There's no flies on those Victoria's Secret models. Spotting the enormous financial potential in having an outrageous body and a public persona (men of all ages concur that the VS Angels are perhaps what Google was invented for), Bar Refaeli is the latest lingerie model to reveal she is launching her own line of underwear.
The Israeli model - and ex girlfriend of Leonardo Dicaprio - will unveil her label Under.me in the UK in time for Valentines day. "The philosophy is that underwear should complement your body, not steal the show," she told Women's Wear Daily , "It was appealing to me to do a line of underwear from the fabric I like with the basic, comfy design I always look for, as well as underwear that can actually be delivered to your door."
Last May, fellow ex Victoria's Secret girl, Gisele Bündchen, also diversified into the lingerie market designing a line for Brazilian label, Hope. Her first ad for the line was banned in Brazil amid accusations that it was sexist and reinforced "an erroneous stereotype of women as sex objects."
In the ad, Bundchen is clad in knickers, a bra and high heels, in an effort to distract her husband when she delivers bad news - about damaging the car, exceeding her credit limit, and her mother coming to live with them. Of course, both girls will have ultimately been inspired by the huge global success of another ex-Angel, Elle Macpherson, whose 'Intimites' lingerie line recently celebrated 10 years at the top of the business.
Speaking to The Telegraph last year, Elle revealed that the idea to launch her line came after working for big brands like Sports Illustrated and Victoria's Secret for so many years, and recognising that working for a business in which she did not have a profit share was not attractive. It was "an understanding that to create my future, I needed something more tangible than compliments on the way I looked".
Although no one can accuse Gisele's career of being on the slide (the 31-year-old mother has already been confirmed as the face of three major luxury brands this season), or for that matter Refaeli's, who at 26 is still in her prime and very much in-demand; it seems that lingerie is fast becoming a savvy model's plan B.