Models Kelsey Merritt (from left), Maia Cotton, Willow Hand, Iesha Hodges, Myrthe Bolt and Melie Tiacoh walk the runway at the 2018 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show on Nov. 8, 2018, at Pier 94 in New York City.
Timothy A. Clary/AFP via Getty Images
Timothy A. Clary/AFP via Getty Images
Victoria’s Secret models are returning to the runway for the lingerie company’s fashion show, following a six-year hiatus of the once-famed event.
Tuesday night’s event will be the first time the company hosts a full fashion show since Victoria’s Secret execs announced the show’s cancellation in 2019.
At the time, the fashion industry was facing backlash amid the body positivity, transgender rights and #MeToo movements, which saw modeling as a key industry for change.
And controversial remarks from then-Chief Marketing Officer Ed Razek only brought additional scrutiny.
“Shouldn’t you have transsexuals in the show? No. No, I don’t think we should,” Razek said at the time, using an outdated term for transgender people. He also said that there was no interest in seeing plus-sized women on the runway and said the show was meant to be a “fantasy.”
Razek later resigned amid that and other controversies.
Now, as the models once again don the company’s fashionwear, Victoria’s Secret says its values have shifted and the 2024 show will be a reflection of those changes.
Writing on Instagram back in May, the company said: “We’ve read the comments and heard you. The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show is BACK and will reflect who we are today, plus everything you know and love—the glamour, runway, wings, musical entertainment, and more!”
Past Victoria’s Secret superstars like Jasmine Tookes and Adriana Lima will make their return to the stage, as well as plus-size model Ashley Graham. Television host and supermodel Tyra Banks, who last walked a runway in the 2005 Victoria’s Secret show, will also join the cast.
Hoping to bring in a wider audience, the fashion show will be available for streaming on Amazon’s Prime Video, as well as new media platforms: YouTube, TikTok and Instagram.
The past several years have been tough financially on Victoria’s Secret as competition in the mid-range lingerie market has grown and the brand name lost some of its luster among younger shoppers.
A triumphant return of its annual fashion show, which at its peak saw 12.4 million viewers, could help the company claw back some of its declining market share.