The wings were out of faux feathers, quilted designs, tulle, tinsel, and star-spangled accents at the Victoria Secret Fashion Show. Crystal bustiers and bras glittered alongside lacy thongs and boudoir silks.
The Victoria Secret Fashion Show 2024 Supermodels
Superstars took the stage: Lisa jumped off a motorcycle and rocked hip thrusts in leather; Tyla danced in hot pants; Cher dazzled in sparkling cargo pants and a corset. Supermodels were everywhere: Gigi and Bella Hadid, Paloma Elsesser, Joan Smalls, Ashley Graham, Valentina Sampaio, Kate Moss, and her daughter, Lila. Even Eva Herzigova and Carla Bruni, the 56-year-old former first lady of France, walked the runway in a lace bodysuit.
Tyra Banks made a grand appearance, sporting leggings, a silver waist cincher, and a cape at the Victoria Secret Return.
Victoria Secret Return was an Empowerment or the same Old Fantasy?
Everything was in place for the latest reboot of the Victoria Secret Fashion Show, six years after it was canceled amid controversy following #MeToo.
That’s when the world realized that what had been promoted as a playful, campy show—full of “Naughty Santas,” “Naughty lion tamers,” and “Naughty Rob Roys”—was actually promoting a harmful culture.
It pushed one ideal body type above all others and reduced women to mere objects of male desire. The lingerie brand, known for marketing women in underwear as “angels,” faced shrinking market share, a corporate identity crisis, and public calls to support female empowerment.
Their sudden shift was so drastic that many began asking for the return of the iconic wings. Victoria Secret Return complied, but in a fashion show where the voice-over declared, “The women are in charge” and “On the runway, it’s all about them,” did it really feel that way? Only if you believe that every woman dreams of the same thing: pretending to be a gift wrapped in a big bow, just waiting to be unwrapped.
Diversity vs. Celebrity Focus
The runway featured a wider range of body types, including trans models and women of various ages, compared to previous shows. During the livestream, everything was available to buy, making the lingerie more practical and accessible. Unlike past shows, there was no extravagant diamond bra. Instead, the collection included comfortable pieces like pajama bottoms and a few sheer, bias-cut slip dresses by designer Joseph Altuzarra.
Nearly all the models wore wings or robes with trains, which were more wearable than the heavy accessories from earlier shows. However, some of the wings looked like they came from a nearby Halloween store. While the show aimed to celebrate real body diversity, it often seemed to focus more on celebrity than inclusivity.
Nostalgic Fashion Misstep at Victoria Secret Show
Maybe it was the smoke machine, the pink confetti shower at the finale, or when Doutzen Kroes got her crystal-strapped stiletto stuck on the runway.
In the end, the whole event felt less like progress and more like a cheesy high school reunion. It was a gathering of once-popular faces, dressed in outdated finery, reliving a moment that now, thanks to nostalgia, the real world’s complexities, or just the disco lights, seemed deceptively rosy.
It left the same impression as seeing a room full of people wearing their old prom dresses: What were we thinking?
Moving Beyond the Victoria Secret Fashion Show
The Victoria Secret Show feels outdated, no matter how it’s presented or who’s in charge. This doesn’t mean women can’t enjoy wearing lingerie or using VS products.
However, the way they showcase it needs to be left in the past. The show carries a distorted history that can’t simply be hidden under lace. One thing is clear: sending people down a runway in skimpy outfits, regardless of their size or age, isn’t about empowerment. It’s about objectification — even if it’s inclusive. There are countless ideas of what “sexy” means, and most of them don’t involve angel wings.
The most recent Victoria Secret Fashion Show Date in 2024 was 15 October, when the Victoria Secret Show took place in New York. The next Victoria Secret Fashion Show Date is expected to be in 2025.