After the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show fell from grace in 2019, many thought we had seen the last of the Victoria’s Secret angels. But those angel wings were recently picked back up as the legendary Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show returned to our screens.
The VS Fashion Show was a culture phenomenon, and was unmatched in its prime. Obtaining one’s wings was considered an industry seal of approval, and was widely recognised as a right of passage for supermodels. As the show’s production value increased, it began to air on national television and became THE show that you didn’t want to miss.
Becoming a global sensation in the 2000s, models such as Adriana Lima, Miranda Kerr, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, and others obtained notoriety and rose to fame as the infamous ‘angels’. This branding approach contributed to the creation of a globally recognisable image. Everyone admired the ‘angels’ that were placed on a pedestal as the ideal beauty standard. Victoria’s Secret’s unlimited beauty budget created a benchmark for young girls to aspire to.
After the Super Bowl in 2004, the Angels Across America Tour replaced the runway due to a clampdown on TV indecency. As they departed for New York, Miami, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles, fans gawked at their favourite celebs touring the US. They even used a custom VS jet for shows in Paris, Tokyo, and London. Money certainly was no object, made even more obvious in the models’ wardrobe.
The infamous ‘Fantasy bra’, often embellished in diamonds, was the moment that everyone waited for in the VS fashion show, one worn by Gisele Bundchen being estimated at over £15 million in 2000. Given the skill & craftsmanship required, it is expected that the ostentatious wings would have been extortionately priced ; even though their exact price still remains unknown.
Nevertheless, following a drop in revenue and subpar TV viewership (numbers dropping from five million in 2018 to just over three million in 2019), the annual catwalk spectacle was axed. After a period of diminished worldwide prominence and several legal disputes, it was, however, revived last month- although I don’t think this was a necessary move.
This year’s fashion show had a visible decrease in the wings & costumes budget. And this didn’t go unnoticed. With fans speculating in the comments on Instagram that ‘they spent their entire budget on the models’ and that it ‘looks like a fashionova show on a Kmart budget’. Notably, it was the first time that items from the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show were available for purchase during a live stream of the event.
Additionally, Kate Moss marked her Victoria’s Secret debut alongside her daughter Lila Moss, 22, fittingly opening up the rock & roll segment of the show. Branded the dreaded ‘nepo baby’ title on social media, not everyone appreciated Lila’s model walk. On TikTok, one viewer commented ‘I like how models don’t have to meet certain requirements as long as they’re a nepo baby’, whilst another noted ‘Oh lord the walk’: safe to say it wasn’t received well by fans.
Indeed, the spectacle lacked the opulence and grandeur of previous productions—despite criticism, those iconic shows are nevertheless praised online, fuelled by a wave of nostalgia. Maybe the answer is obvious: despite any efforts at modernisation, these outlandish shows should be left in the past.
The brand faced critique & backlash after concerns rose surrounding the show’s lack of diversity and inclusivity. Catwalk shows of rising lingerie giants like Rihanna’s Savage X Fenty included models of various sizes, as well as LGBTQ+ and non-binary castings.
The new revival brought back some of the OG veterans who graced the runway previously, including house hold names like Adrian Lima, Gigi Hadid and Tyra Banks. Although, this was viewed as a win for age diversity, I question if this is actually a regressive choice by reversing the body diversity improvements they strived to achieve in the 2023 show.
@kelseyfagan96 my thought on why the new campaign isnt working #victoriassecret #victoriassecretfashionshow #runway #supermodel #nyfw #greenscreen
♬ original sound – Kelsey Fagan
The 2023 revival introduced plus size models, but in my opinion failed massively. Plus size models donned unflattering outfits that didn’t fit them, and were noticeably more covered up than their slimmer counterparts. The garments appeared ill-fitting and didn’t flatter the models or their shape; loosing the appeal & glamour that the brand once thrived on. Personally, I viewed the new ‘inclusive’ show as an inauthentic ploy to try to stay relevant.
Unfortunately, this is not the first time Victoria’s Secret have been criticised for excluding wider participants from the show. For instance, Ed Razek, the chief marketing officer of L Brands (sister company) at the time, faced criticism in November 2018 for voicing his opinion that Victoria’s Secret should not feature ‘transsexuals’ in their runway show, telling Vogue “Why not? Because the show is a fantasy.”
Although, he later apologised for his ‘insensitive’ remark, posting on the Victoria’s Secret Twitter account: ‘to be clear, we absolutely would cast a transgender model for the show.’ Raznek briefly before stepped down in August of 2019, and swiftly hired 22 year old Valentine Sampaio as its first openly transgender lingerie model for the PINK line.
Unlike many other lingerie brands, female empowerment is evidently not at the brand’s forefront. Investigations uncovered unsettling business ties to ex-financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and highlighted his financial and business sway over Les Wexner, Victoria’s Secret’s chief executive at the time.
Not only was the lingerie brand’s recent feminist makeover amusing, but it was so disingenuous and late to the party, as the brand had spent many years refusing to change its line-up or brand stylisation, thus I didn’t buy it. The change was so sudden it was obvious that the brand had no choice but to attempt to change its appeal to catch up with modern times, but inauthenticity can be smelt from a mile away.
Therefore leading me to question, does representation actually count as empowerment anymore? For so long we’ve wanted plus size models in this area, and now it’s finally happening but what is it actually materially doing for us? Other brands such as Rihanna’s Savage X Fenty have been praised for their diversity (like using plus size models) forcing Victoria’s Secret to keep up, but if it fails to resonate, what is the point?
The 2023 show was also not well marketed which could have also contributed to the low viewership. Feeling more like a documentary than a fashion show, the show’s layout was quite unexpected.
While the visuals were decent, the documentary spent the majority of its time showcasing a filmmaker, a fashion designer, and other global artists- including Doja Cat dressed in red lingerie singing in a mansion. Then viewers finally got some runway shots – albeit the walks were about three minutes long in total. Resulting in fast paced camera angles & poor lighting choices, making it hard to properly see the models walk & fully enjoy the looks.
With the rise in cost of living & consumers having to make huge cutbacks, is anyone willing to pay for overpriced lingerie anymore? Unfortunately, it’s a luxury that most can’t afford at present. University students can barely afford their rent and daily living expenses, let alone a £75 bra. It’s safe to say, in this writers opinion, that the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show is an expired concept that should be laid to rest for good.
