By: Samantha Romano
On Tuesday, the iconic Victoria Secret Fashion show returned after a nearly 6-year long hiatus. It was a 45 minute long production filmed with a star studded cast of both models and singers at the brands flagship location in New York City. An estimated 2.67 million viewers streamed the production across a series of streaming platforms. Gigi Hadid opened the show followed by a lineup of former and new angels like Cadence Swanepoel, Kate Moss, Barbra Palvin, and Alex Costani. The biggest star of the show, although was Adriana Lima who stunned the runway in a sultry plaid silhouette and slicked back pony.
The VS show was a staple of early 2000’s culture and fashion. It birthed the careers of numerous famous supermodels and raked in millions of viewers with a peak of 12.4 million. Each show was centered around a specific theme like Winter Wonderland (2006), Santa’s Helper (2005), and so on. Most notable was the production value that transformed the runway into a dazzling landscape complimented by the angels costumes.
After being pelted with numerous scandals, the choice to discontinue the show was made in 2019 to the disappointment of fans worldwide. Hype around the VS Angels wasn’t nearly as high as it was back during the golden area, accounting for a mass decrease in viewership and sales. People began to hold conversations around the dangerous perpetrated by the brand such as promoting unrealistic body standards and a lack of inclusivity. In response to the criticism, the former chief-marketing officer for L Brands Ed Razek made problematic comments about transgender and plus-sized woman not being able to exemplify the “fantasy” that VS tries to sell. The fallout from the incident alone was catastrophic enough, but the final nail in the coffin occurred when disturbing information was leaked about L Brands CEO Lex Wexners’ association with the infamous Jeffery Epstein.
The new age of Victoria Secret is undoubtedly different from the past. Shedding its golden age status, the brand is looking to redefine themselves from its mistakes while embracing modernity. Not being in a golden age also means that sales are likely to decline, which brings us into many netizens first critique: budget.
Netizens felt as if this year’s show was unable to sell the true “fantasy”. Some of the looks felt bland for what was supposed to be a comeback. Wings looked stiff, costumes looked store-bought, and with no concise theme some looks were all over the place. The set only worsened circumstances with a reliance on light effects to compensate for the empty space. Lastly, several models looked visibly uncomfortable sparking speculation that backstage drama may have occurred. Although, it’s natural for angels to feel nervous when dressed only in lingerie for an audience of millions.
Twitter user @EchoDoesRadio wrote, “I tried to tune into the VS Fashion Show but I don’t think I lasted 5 minutes. I can’t believe they waited years to make a come back only to come back and do the EXACT SAME THING”. Although, the biggest let down in my opinion was no Gisele BĹ©dchen.
Reactions weren’t entirely negative, though. Maybe audience should but the brand some slack given that this is the first year back. The brand created a show focused on women, and for women with an impressive lineup of models and entertainers alike. Fans were stunned to see the return of classics like Adriana Lima, and an apperance by lace-clad Kate Moss. The runway also saw the inclusion of more diversity, from the inclusion of trans models Alex Costani and Valentina Sampaio to representation of various body types. While there’s always room for improvement, VS now understands that selling a “fantasy” isn’t exclusive to skinny, cis women.