After years away, the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show is back with new wings. As they strive to win back our hearts, the brand redefines what it means to be an angel
The once-tarnished wings of the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show have returned to the runway with a new perspective. In 2019, the show was shelved amid controversies about body image, inclusivity, and its failure to adapt to a changing cultural landscape—criticisms that cut deep as the reckoning of the Me Too movement and fourth-wave feminism reshaped the world. Now, in 2024, the brand is offering a reimagined spectacle, attempting to soar back into relevance with the same fervor that once made it an annual institution.
RELATED: Pia Wurtzbach Sat Front Row at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show
Reimagining the Runway
The 24th edition of the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show arrives with a mission: not just to revive, but to redeem. No longer is it just about fantasy wings and glittering bodysuits. It’s a community brought together by inclusivity, diversity, and empowerment. The question lingering in the minds of those watching: Is this transformation genuine, or simply a new set of wings trying to mask old wounds?
Janie Schaffer, executive producer, was resolute on the pink carpet: “We’ve transformed so much as a business. We felt we wanted to celebrate our product, which is looking amazing. We wanted to just celebrate women.”
Her words mirrored the show’s attempt to reflect a world that demands more from the images we project, the messages we send, and the products we buy—especially with the runway collection available for purchase in real-time, a first for the brand trying to adapt. But the real test wouldn’t be in statements, but in the show itself.
Opening with the commanding voice of Tyra Banks, the stage set a tone for the new era. “It’s all about the women,” she boomed—a declaration that has always been at the heart of the Victoria’s Secret spectacle, but now rings with a different resonance.
Once dominated by male performers, the show now pulsed with the vitality of female artists for the first time, featuring single-name sensations such as Blackpink’s Lisa, Tyla, and Cher. Gone are the old symbols of the male gaze, replaced by a revelry of women taking the reins—not just as models, but as the driving force behind the production, from backstage to front of the stage.
The New Angel
The show was split into six segments—Modern Heritage, Twinkle, Heroes, Atelier, Unwrap the Magic, and The Finale. 52 models from 25 countries epitomized age, body type, and background diversity.
Gigi Hadid opened the show in pink with wings, joined by Adriana Lima, Alessandra Ambrosio, Imaan Hammam, Joan Smalls, Jasmine Tookes, Vittoria Ceretti, Irina Shayk, Candice Swanepoel, Maty Fall, Behati Prinsloo, Anok Yai, Barbara Palvin, and Taylor Hill, with Bella Hadid making a surprise appearance in red by the end.
Asian models like Jing Wen, Liu Wen, He Cong, Mika Schneider, Neelam Gill, and Xu Wei walked alongside first-timers trans models Alex Consani and Valentina Sampaio, with plus-size representation from Ashley Graham, Devyn Garcia, Jill Kortleve, Kai Soleil, and Paloma Elsesser, reflecting a more inclusive vision of beauty.
The inclusion of Kate Moss, Carla Bruni, and Eva Herzigová—women in their 50s—felt like a powerful affirmation that age has no bearing on allure. Their presence was a reminder that Victoria’s Secret is attempting to evolve from the exclusivity of youth to the celebration of experience, untouched by the passage of time.
Wings of Change
Perhaps the most notable shift was in the tone of the show itself. This wasn’t the bombastic, pyrotechnic-fueled spectacle of the past. Instead, it was softer, somewhat more introspective, as if the brand had taken a step back from the loudness of its former self to embrace a quieter, more refined depth.
The shift was subtle but undeniable, signaling that perhaps the show—and the brand—was beginning to understand what it means to embrace the complexities of womanhood in a world far more nuanced than the one that existed in its heyday.
Closing the show, Tyra Banks graced the runway after two decades, a full-circle moment that felt more like a reclamation of power, as the model herself faced her share of shame. Banks now represented its evolution. In her presence, there was a sense of catharsis—proof that this reborn Victoria’s Secret could move forward.
Has Victoria’s Secret redeemed itself? The answer may not lie in a single show or a single moment. Redemption is not a singular act but an ongoing action. The 2024 runway feels like a first step—a hesitant but hopeful stride where all women can see themselves reflected in the purpose of the brand. The wings may be different, but for the first time in a long time, they feel like they’re meant to carry something more than just fantasy.
Photos: VICTORIA’S SECRET (via website) and 21 MET GALA (via X)
