The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show (VSFS) is finally back after a five-year hiatus. The last show was held in 2018 and had its lowest viewership ever, with only 3.2 million viewers, following a viewing decline from years before. The brand was also called out for a lack of inclusivity in its shows.
They tried to revive their image back in 2023 with Victoria’s Secret: The Tour ’23, a documentary series on Amazon Prime. The audience’s response to this was also negative, with viewers complaining that it missed the mark. While there was more inclusion, it missed the glitz and glam that the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show is known for. They listened to critiques and announced a runway show return for 2024.
The show was brought back in style at the Duggal Greenhouse in New York. It was the first show with all female performers and the return of many catwalk legends. The show began with BLACKPINK member Lisa performing. She did absolutely amazing, with choreography that was simply to die for!
The next performer was Tyla, who looked like a model herself. I wouldn’t be surprised if she comes back next year with a pair of wings. Her performance was electric, and her vocals were beautiful. Then, there was a guitar performance by Orianthi. This was my first time hearing her perform, and it was so fun to see the models walk the runway with her music. The show ended with a performance by Cher, who wowed the audience with her performance and looked beautiful at 78 years young.
The show brought back some of our favorite retired models, including Adriana Lima, Alessandra Ambrosio, Carla Bruni, and Doutzen Kroes, before closing with Tyra Banks. Some of our favorite angels also came back, like Jasmine Tookes, Gigi Hadid, Barbara Palvin, Taylor Hill, Candice Swanepoel, Irina Shayk, Josephine Skriver, and Behati Prinsloo. This show brought me back to my childhood of watching the old shows in Paris and London. The models looked insane, and many of them came back after having children. My jaw was on the floor.
We also saw many newcomers, including mother-daughter duo Kate and Lila Moss, and Ashley Graham. Over 15 mothers walked the runway, and it was awesome to see them strut! Other newcomers, Alex Consani and Valentina Sampaio made history as the first transgender women to walk in the VSFS.
While the show’s comeback was nice to see, there were a few critiques. The event was missing glitz, sparkles, and color. The lingerie was colorful, but the catwalk was quite drab. The show also felt quite short, lasting about 45 minutes. There was also no behind-the-scenes footage, so viewers missed out on seeing the craziness of the backstage area.
People also commented that many of the models treated it as a normal runway. The VSFS is known as a fun runway with models smiling, waving, and showing more personality than in traditional runway shows. The thing that I noticed was missing was the fantasy bra. This is a bra made of real crystals that cost well over a million dollars to make. It is an honor to be the model selected to wear the fantasy bra each year.
There are still things that the show should work on, but I still loved it and thought it was a step in the right direction for incorporating more inclusivity. I hope it gets renewed for another year so we see even more beautiful designs at the most exciting fashion show of the year!
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