Underpant merchants Victoria’s Secret are clever at carving out free publicity — their catwalk shows featuring glitter cannons and Giselle poured into a light up bra always snare headlines. After all, what self respecting news outlet can resist the lure of video footage of Heidi Klum talking about wearing a “horse harness”?

In Australia the parade never got much more than a slide show and a late night slot on Channel Nine. Enter Miranda Kerr. In suspenders.

Our Miranda, along with some other slightly less famous Australian models, meant that the media had an angle — an “Aussie avalanche”, as The Oz put it. The news that Kerr wore a “powder-blue bra and knickers ” made page 3 across the papers, which meant that Victoria’s Secret managed to out-tart Baz Luhrmann in the free publicity stakes and we were treated to headlines like The Newcastle Herald‘s ‘Much Ado About Undies’.

Our models’ catwalk success is no secret The Australian, 17/11/08 Page 3:

It was an Aussie avalanche at the Victoria’s Secret lingerie show in Miami yesterday when Miranda Kerr led a trio of Australian models down the catwalk. Gunnedah-born Kerr was joined by Melbourne’s Abbey Lee Kershaw and Sarah Stephens from NSW in the flamboyant fashion event at Miami’s Fontainebleau Hotel, kicked off with a performance by US pop singer Usher. Supermodels Heidi Klum, Doutzen Kroes and Karolina Kurkova were among the other beauties in the sexy extravaganza, which featured a myriad lingerie looks including a powder-blue bra and knickers set accessorised with oversize butterfly worn by Kerr.

Here’s a selection of Kerr related headlines from the week:

Kerr struts in curlers at lingerie showcase Daily Telegraph, 17/11/08 Page 3

Blingy bra overshadows Miranda, Daily Telegraph, Sydney Confidential, Page 21

Miranda not yet ready for marriage Courier Mail, 17/11/08, Qconfidential, Page 38

Victoria’s Secret fantasy is a gem of a bra, Canberra Times, 17/11/08, Page 8

S-xy glamour returns on wings of a goddess, Gold Coast Bulletin, 17/11/08, Page 15

Winging it, Herald Sun, 17/11/08 Page 3

Miranda rolls up with Secret, Herald Sun, 17/11/08 Page 64

Much ado about undies, Newcastle Herald, 17/11/08, Page 3