The Victoria’s Secret fashion show is making its triumphant return after a four-year hiatus this fall.
The mall brand’s famed Angels are hitting the runway yet again, per an announcement made Wednesday.
The fashion show was canceled in 2019 after dealing with bad ratings and a whole slew of wild controversies, and has since made an effort to become more inclusive.
Victoria’s Secret announced the major news with an Instagram post, telling fans ‘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! Stay tuned…it only gets more iconic from here,’ VS promised its followers with the hashtag #VSFashionShow.’
Commenters wanted to know what the previously star-studded fashion show would entail, as it was famous for its A-list musical guests and top catwalkers.
‘Back as in back back like wings and lingerie or back as in that terrible fashion show that was just aired on Amazon?’ one person asked.
The brand returned with a ‘reimagined‘ Victoria’s Secret World Tour Prime show in 2023 that was not well received – people found the show boring compared to its ’90s and early aughts heyday.
‘Omg please get the golden era angels back! Even 90s ones who haven’t walked in years,’ another begged, referencing former models like Gisele Bündchen, Heidi Klum, Molly Sims, Tyra Banks, Adriana Lima and more.
One contentious comment read: ‘SKINNY MODELS PLSSS’ as VS has been striving for more inclusivity after controversies regarding the brand’s lack of plus size models and diversity on the runway.
‘I really hope that it will be the Victoria’s Secrets that we all love and find inspirational…not the forced ‘inclusive’ mess of so called rebranding that we had to witness not so long ago,’ a commenter replied, referencing the move away from the original aesthetic.
‘We want to see beauty, healthy lean figures, wings, amazing lingerie, high heels, fantasy and see musical performances on stage!’ the same commenter continued.
‘To all the people asking for the show to only have “skinny models,” the caption literally says it will reflect who they are today. And that means skinny models, probably their veteran angels and models of all other sizes and body types too. If you can’t handle that then don’t watch. Or maybe do watch and give them extra publicity with your hate,’ a commenter clarified.
Another person recommended VS film ‘a show like the early 2000s!!!! Very fierce sexy and glamorous and use older cameras instead of that modern shallow cameras.’
Victoria’s Secret has dealt with more than a handful of controversies over the last few years.
In 2020, a bombshell report in The New York Times claimed that Victoria’s Secret owner Les Wexner mocked the retail industry’s efforts to champion women of different body types.
The Times interviewed more than 30 executives, employees, contractors and models, and looked at court filings to find a toxic culture of sexual harassment.
Employees said Wexner mocked the retail industry’s efforts to embrace a variety of body types by allegedly saying, ‘Nobody goes to a plastic surgeon and says, ‘Make me fat.’
Wexner was said to also berate employees about their weight, including fat shaming an employee for getting seconds at a buffet.
After the backlash, the lingerie company famously rebranded in an effort to appeal to Gen Z and named new brand ambassadors, including soccer player Megan Rapinoe and transgender model Valentina Sampaio.
The classic mall brand also faced major competition from more inclusive lingerie brands, like Kim Kardashian’s loungewear line Skims and Rihanna’s Savage x Fenty.
Rihanna’s Savage x Fenty fashion shows became can’t miss events full of models of all different sizes.
It wasn’t just the company that had issues, some of the stores also saw their fair share of problems.
In 2023, the chain faced major criticism for its handling of a complaint by a trans woman who claimed she had a ‘dehumanizing experience’ at one of its stores while trying on bras.
However, it’s now attempting to return to its fashion show roots – with a show that will be updated but is sure to include a few nods to the ’90s Angels.