Getting Sticky With: Jasmine Tookes

Jasmine Tookes opening the Victoria Secret fashion show, nine months pregnant, was one of those seismic, I-remember-where-I-was-when-I-saw-this moments. In her ornamental, intricately crafted wings and netted body suit, she walked down the runway like a modern-day Venus de Milo. A woman—an absolutely gorgeous woman—in full bloom. The look excited onlookers in the fashion world and beyond, sending an important message to women everywhere: Motherhood is beautiful and pregnancy, well, it’s sexy as f*ck.

But what was that moment like for Jasmine? Between trying not to cry happy tears and hoping her water wouldn’t break—she gave birth only 12 days later—Jasmine handled it like a consummate pro. Below she talks about bringing her doula along for the VS show; what it’s like balancing a newborn, a toddler, and a top modeling career; vegging out with the Real Housewives; and the power of manifestation.

Photos by Paris Mumpower. Words by Emily Barasch.

That time she broke the Internet 

Opening the show nine months pregnant was so magical. I had tears as I started walking down the runway. It started dark, and then once the lights came on, I was like: Please don't cry. Please don't cry. Please don't cry. I held it in. It was just so magical, and then having this little guy in my belly was so special. I loved it. 

I never thought I would open a Victoria's Secret Fashion Show let alone open it while pregnant. I was very close to my due date. I gave birth 12 days later, which was crazy. The way the show was put on was beautiful. I had a really great outfit, so I felt good in that and really confident. I was just hoping that my water wasn't gonna break the whole time I was walking. 

I had a doula on set with me. She kept me very calm, made sure that any time that I was feeling off at all, like, she reassured me that everything was okay, and that it was gonna be such a special moment.  I took all the precautions to make sure that I was really safe and healthy. I don't know how I made it down the runway in those heels, but I did a couple of practice runs.

Everyone at the Victoria's Secret team just made me feel so comfortable, and Adam [Selman] also just made me feel so special and supported. I still cannot even believe that it happened. My mom, my husband, and my sister were there. It was a really special moment. One day when my kids watch me on the runway, I hope that they're like: Dang, mom was kinda cute. I hope that they feel as happy and as joyful as I felt walking down the runway. 

It was just so magical. I think it's just such a beautiful moment that I'll remember forever, that my family will remember forever, and it's also really cool that my son Matteo will be able to look back and tell his friends, like, hey, that was me on the runway. 

Made a list + checked it twice

Everyone knows in the Victoria's Secret universe that my dream and goal was to become a Victoria's Secret Angel. And I remember when I was in high school, or even younger, I had pictures of all of the Angels in my binder. I had them on my wall. I was like a crazy fan girl. 

I remember watching the shows and thinking, I need to do that. I don't care. I don't wanna do anything else. I wanna be a Victoria's Secret Angel. Some of the girls that I worked with at Victoria's Secret, I’ve asked, "Oh, what did you wanna do though [before modeling]?" And they’ll say: "Oh, I wanted to be a doctor. What did you wanna do?" I'm like, "This is what I wanted to do." Thank God it worked out. 

I write things that I want to [accomplish]. They actually showed this in the Victoria's Secret show one year. There was this piece of pink paper that I wrote when I was maybe 13 years old, and it had all the things that I wanted to achieve and cross off and Victoria's Secret was one of them. It was such a sweet moment.

Honestly, I thought all the angels were all so incredible. I loved Gisele Bündchen. Still to this day. Adriana Lima, every time I see her I think: I didn't even think that we would ever cross paths or be in the same room or or do shoots together. And fun fact, my first Victoria's Secret shoot was with Adriana Lima, and I almost passed out. I was like: What is this? This is crazy. 

Literally, magic

Honestly, my whole childhood felt magical. I really loved my childhood with my grandma and my mom. We are all so close. My mom had me when she was super young, and she was almost like my sister growing up, so it was special to share all these moments together, and still we share so many incredible moments together. 

(Editor’s note: Jasmine’s mom, Cary Robinson herself a celebrity stylist, was on hand to help watch the kiddies. But when the photographer asked for her to jump in, she was game—making our shoot extra special.)

We just had so much fun when I was younger, and I loved playing outside. I lived five minutes from Disneyland, so that was just a normal Saturday, which was pretty awesome to be able to go out, hear the fireworks outside of my window every night before going to bed. 

Manifesting motherhood

I always wanted to be a mom. It was something that I dreamed of. I'm the kind of girl who always had their Pinterest board made of their wedding or the Pinterest board made of what my family's gonna be like when I'm older. I dreamt it all. And all my friends say, "Wow, Jasmine, you really put the words out there of what you want and manifested, and it just works out." But I am very grateful.  

I think being a new mom has changed the way that I approach jobs or the way that I strategize: Am I gonna travel this month? Am I not gonna travel this month? Because I feel like all the moments are so precious, and you never want to miss that first moment, the first step or the first word. And, you know, there is obviously FaceTime but there's nothing , as nice as just being there in the moment. 

On a perfect day, I ask my daughter, "What do you wanna do today?" She usually will say she wants to go to the trampoline park because she loves going there. So I try to get there before anyone else is there. And then going out for ice cream, frozen yogurt. Mia loves that. Then just maybe going to the park, spending time at home. Mia really just loves my full attention. So if I'm focused on her and doing whatever she wants to do, build a tower, put bows in her hair, whatever it may be, that makes her the happiest. 

What’s a girl mom to do?

You know what's funny is that when I found out I was having a boy, I was like: Wait, I'm not a boy mom. This is so weird, because I'm so girly and feminine. I even try to dress my daughter in dresses, but she's such a tomboy. So of course I'm like, great, I get the tomboy girl. So I was like, What am I gonna do with a boy? So I asked all my friends that had boys, and they said, You'll love it. It's a different feeling. It's a different kind of connection that you have versus with your daughter. I can tell you it’s so true, because me and my daughter, we're so close and connected, and she's just an angel. 

But Mateo, my boy, there's just something really special about the way that he looks at me, and I just hope that I can raise a really strong gentleman. I think seeing the way that my husband treats me, I only hope that he finds a wife and treats her the same way. That would be a dream of mine. 

Jasmine’s time

Oh my goodness. The things I could do in 24 kid-free hours. I'm sleeping the whole time. Let me tell you. Even while I'm here on set today, my husband was like, "Oh my gosh, I'm just laying in bed. No one's here. This is so nice." I'm like, "Yeah, I'm so jealous of you right now." So sleep would be my answer. And just binge-watch reality TV or something. 

I love Housewives. I like them all. But I started as an O.C. girl, because I'm from Orange County, so could relate to where they were going and restaurants. I really love Beverly Hills. 

I used to love New York so much and then they changed the cast. 

Sticky songs, sticky other stuff 

We are listening to “It's a Small World” on repeat. When I take her to school. When I pick her up from school. She sings it all the time and she loves it. I hear it in my sleep. You know when they do the Spotify Wrapped? All of my Spotify Wrapped is, like, “It's a Small World” or “Banana Phone.”  I've lost all my Bad Bunny, all my nice music. It's all kid’s music. 

And don’t even get me started on blowouts… I usually have multiple options of clothes in the diaper bag, and this one time I did not bring anything. It also got on me, so we were both just in the car looking really dirty. I now make sure I always bring, like, three spare pairs of clothing for myself and the baby.  So that was really fun to drive home smelling wonderfully and covered in you know what.