The Fallen Angels

The 2024 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show: A runway stuck in the past?

Victoria’s Secret is long known for its ethereal, intangibly beautiful “Angels.” Models wrapped in seductive lingerie, ornamented by angel wings weighing up to forty pounds, strut down the runway with their eye-catching walks. The Victoria’s Secret Angels defined the early 2000s with the feminine charm they brought to the fashion scene, parading their glitz and glamour in the annual Victoria’s Secret Fashion Shows and marketing campaigns.

However, the brand faced major scrutiny in the 2010s amidst the rapidly growing Me Too movement. With dropping ratings and overwhelming controversy, Victoria’s Secret abandoned its renowned runway shows in 2019.

But the zeitgeist of the 2020s has been steeped in nostalgia, with fashion enthusiasts cocooning themselves in the comfort of bygone eras. Victoria’s Secret is no stranger to this ideal, having brought back its iconic fashion show after a five-year hiatus.

“The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show is BACK and will reflect who we are today,” Victoria’s Secret wrote in a post made on the brand’s Instagram, “Plus everything you know and love — the glamour, runway, wings, musical entertainment, and more!” 

The show recently took place on October 15th and in a bid to reignite its former magic, featured some of its past Angels in all their glory. Supermodels like Adriana Lima and Tyra Banks adorned the all-star lineup, with Gigi Hadid opening the show in a stunning pair of pink angel wings that extended to the heavens with each sultry stride. The show’s musical performances were female-forward, with artists like Cher and Tyla pumping the audience with positive energy.

But beneath the mystique and enchantment presented by Victoria’s Secret lies a greater issue–one that the brand can’t cloak in even the largest shroud of feathers and lace. 

The 2024 installment of the show leaned heavily into its past. It was borderline impossible not to feel the echoes of the Angels who once ruled amongst the fashion industry’s elite: the perfectly toned, ultra-thin figures and bombshell silhouettes synonymous with the brand’s aesthetic for over a decade. Those who had been there to watch the Angels take flight in the early 2000s felt a jolt of nostalgia at the familiar sights. But for others, it felt out of touch.

With the brand’s promise to reflect a vision of the modern world, Valentina Sampaio and Alex Consani made history as the first transgender models to walk the Victoria’s Secret runway. However, the brand missed the mark regarding body inclusivity and representation. Instead of feeling like a seamless part of the show, the plus-size models felt more like accessories, as if their presence was to silence potential critique rather than spark real change.

The plus-size models who walked the runway felt scarce in comparison to the massive number of thin ones, and it just didn’t feel like they were given an equal opportunity to shine. Models like Ashley Graham were visibly more covered up in bodysuits and leotards, whereas models like the Hadid sisters were able to flaunt their lacy bras and string bikini underwear throughout the show. Overall, it felt like a very tokenist take on the ever-evolving fashion industry’s standards for inclusivity and representation.

Has the appeal of the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show all but worn off? Maybe. Learning to know when things should be put to rest is all a part of growing up, after all. But I believe there’s hope for the Angels to bounce back from their fall from grace. That is, if the brand can grasp that beauty and allure aren’t defined by one size or shape.

Watch the YouTube stream of the 2024 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show for yourself!