Model and actress Hari Nef (Gossip Girl, You, Transparent) is no stranger to fronting a major fashion campaign, but it isn't every day that she gets to star in one alongside her family. Arriving ahead of Mother's Day on Sunday, May 8 to serve as a reminder to order those flowers, Nef and her mom are just one of the many mother/daughter combinations to front the new Victoria's Secret campaign, out today.
Appearing alongside Brooke Shields and her daughter Grier, Chanel Iman and daughters Cali and Cassie, Lais Ribeiro and her son Alexandre, as well as Paloma Elsesser and her mom and grandmother, the American lingerie brand's latest brings together some the industry's most iconic faces and their families for a heartwarming set of visuals.
As part of the Mother's Day campaign, Nef opens up about lessons she's learned from her mom and the special nature of that maternal bond. "My mother taught me discipline, to summon strength during hard times and dark hours," Nef tells PAPER. "She taught me to go, go, go — and I think in time, I've taught her to slow down a little."
Nef goes on to highlight how the relationship has evolved over the years. "Parents raise their kids, but kids continue to grow," she says. "It's not always easy for children to understand their parents, nor is it easy for parents to understand their children. However, I have found that love is so much more important than understanding and now we share both."
Emphasizing that "professional victories mean nothing to me without loved ones to share them with," she also underscores the significance of being able to share "the person I love most in the world."
Nef and the intergenerational cast's inclusion in Victoria's Secret's new campaign comes as part of the brand's latest efforts to diversify and be more inclusive. Earlier this year, Sofía Jirau made history as the brand's first model with Down Syndrome. "Victoria's Secret defines sexy, sensual and feminine for America and the world," Nef says. "Beyond that, Victoria’s Secret also supports and celebrates a women, for her intimacy in all its forms."
Photos courtesy of Victoria's Secret