While some quintessential elements of the original Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show were sidelined for the lingerie brand’s live return (the multi-million dollar “Fantasy Bra” was nowhere to be seen during last night’s runway extravaganza), many of the event’s signature beauty components were revived yesterday evening: namely, big hair.
Victoria’s Secret hair has a reputation that precedes it. Historically, it was not too dissimilar to the classic nineties blow-dry; it was curvaceous, glossy, bouncy and, most of all, it was uniform. Regardless of natural texture, almost every model was armed with a similarly sleek set of pin-curled waves during the 2018 show. This year, however, it was a very different story.
The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show 2024 catwalk still featured models sporting voluminous heads of hair but, this time, all were varied in texture and shape. Tyra Banks, Joan Smalls, Iman Hammam, Layla Etengan, Kai Soleil and Blesnya Minher delivered a showcase of full and breezy afros, which were entirely missing in previous versions of the event, while Devyn Garcia, Paula Soares and Valentina Sampaio make a bold case for big, wispy waves – or ‘cloud curls’.
“Cloud curls are natural-looking, airy and textured waves or curls with a halo of intentional fluff that brings a youthful, ethereal and carefree energy,” says the trend forecaster and hairstylist Tom Smith. “Ideal on longer or naturally textured hair, this style is relaxed and will bring the echo of summer into the autumn months.”
The statement of inclusivity was a clear extension of the brand’s intention of reinvent; curvy models such as Ashley Graham and Paloma Elsesser graced the glittering runway alongside many a familiar face. Kate Moss also made a surprise appearance alongside daughter Lila, while ’90s supermodels like Carla Bruni and Eva Herzigova also walked.
The classic polished blow-dry, however, was dialled down for the event. In place of bouncy curls, VS veterans Irina Shayk, Alessandra Ambrosio and Barbara Palvin Sprouse all sported soft, undone waves in a shiny but beach-ready fashion, while Bella Hadid and Vittoria Ceretti stepped out with chic, low-key styles. The near-casual beauty was far cry from the show’s original dramatic styling and vastly opposes the idea set by 16Arlington and Otterlinger that glamorous hair will be having a renaissance in SS25.
Gigi Hadid’s bell-bottom bob also made an appearance during the show; the effortlessly replicable chin-grazing cut is a statement reinvention of the traditional “hair flip” and has been spotted regularly on the red carpet this season, on everyone from Elle Fanning to Gemma Arterton.