Angels on Earth?: The Return of the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show

This past Tuesday, October 15th, was by no means a typical Tuesday. Would a typical Tuesday be graced by angels walking across the stage? Most likely not, which made this Tuesday so special. 

The long-awaited return of the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show finally hit the stage, ending its six-year hiatus. Although familiar faces were seen on the runway, not everything about this show was the same as previous shows. 

Considering that the brand's reasoning for ending the show was rooted in controversies such as alleged abuse towards models and an overall lack of diversity, it is no surprise that the show embraces a new kind of "Victoria." Upon announcing the show's return in May, the brand said the show will "reflect who we are today." Now that the show's over, who is the brand today? Keep on reading to find out. 

The show opened with Gigi Hadid adorned with a pink romper and outstanding wings. Other iconic faces joined her, such as models Candice Swanepoel, Taylor Hill, Adrianna Lima, and Alessandra Ambrosio. The show featured eighteen new faces on the Victoria's Secret stage, including Kate Moss and her daughter, Lila. Tyra Banks closed the runway in a sparkling bustier, black leggings and a cape. 

While some watchers of the show were happy with its outcome, many had criticisms to offer. People were particularly upset about the design of the outfits, noting that the wings of Victoria's Secret angels needed to be up to the level of expectation. The only angel embellished with flamboyant wings appeared to be the show's opening angel, Gigi Hadid. Many models were given wings from previous shows, such as Adrianna Lima, who wore Taylor Hill's 2018 wings. Other models, like the show's closing angel, Tyra Banks, wore no wings. Criticism of Tyra Banks did not stop at her wings. Over the past few years, Tyra Banks has undergone a significant weight transformation that would have received backlash from herself twenty years prior. Watchers of the show were upset that Tyra Banks could walk the stage as a larger model when she outwardly spoke about her resistance to larger models involved in runway fashion.

Furthermore, criticisms surrounding the models' body types on stage ran rampant. Some claimed there needed to be more plus-sized models on the stage, as most models fit the relatively thin mold for fashion. Despite the ratio of body types featured on stage, it embraced a more diverse casting of models. Additionally, the show's feature of all female performers was an element used by the show to increase female empowerment. 

So, who is this new "Victoria"? Victoria's Secret seems to be a brand working towards progress while keeping true to some of its heritage. Only time will tell how Victoria's Secret evolves, and maybe we will get to see that evolution in a show in 2025.

As always, thank you for reading!

Sammie