Claire Wong ’25, News Section Editor

Tyra Banks, alongside other Victoria Secret ‘Angels,’ celebrating the end of this year’s VS fashion show (Image courtesy of People.com)

After a six-year hiatus, the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show made its highly anticipated return on October 15, 2024. Since 1995, the lingerie brand’s annual show has been a cultural spectacle, featuring “Angels,”  models who embody Victoria’s Secret’s perfect, idyllic beauty standard: conventionally attractive, tall, and most importantly, a thin waist. Over the years, high-profile performers from Taylor Swift to Harry Styles to Maroon 5 have graced the show’s stage, adding star power that drew in millions of viewers.

However, by the mid-2010s, the show faced increasing criticism. Amid the #MeToo movement and an increased push for body inclusivity, the brand’s narrow portrayal of beauty was heavily scrutinized. Critics saw the show as promoting an unrealistic standard of beauty and perpetuating a misogynistic culture. By 2018, ratings dropped significantly, with viewership falling from 10 million in 2013 to just 3.2 million in 2018. In 2019, Victoria’s Secret canceled the show, announcing plans to “evolve the message” of the brand and its values. 

Since then, Victoria’s Secret has aimed to reinvent itself, incorporating messages of body positivity and featuring plus sized models in its campaigns. These changes culminated in the announcement this past May that the iconic show would return, this time with a commitment to inclusivity.

The 2024 revival, branded as a reimagination of the original show with the addition of progressive values, showcased well-known figures alongside new, diverse talent. Notable names included former Angels Tyra Banks, Adriana Lima, and Gisele Bündchen. Meanwhile, newer faces like TikToker Alex Cosani, one of the most well known transgender models in the modeling industry, and plus-size models like Ashley Graham made their Victoria Secret runway debut. This year’s show featured musical performances from Tyla, Cher, and BLACKPINK’s Lisa, mixing a sense of nostalgia with contemporary flair. 

However, despite these changes, many, such as Laura Kim ‘25, remain skeptical, arguing that the inclusion of these new models felt superficial. “All the moments highlighting these new models felt like exceptions, not the rule,” she noted, questioning the depth of the brand’s commitment to genuine inclusivity. Other critics argue that the show may just be best left in the past. To a new generation more attuned to the complexities of representation, the show seems outdated, simply riding a wave of modern values without fully embracing or understanding them.

Some online viewers  — including those from news outlets, TikTok, and Instagram — expressed another perspective, questioning the revival itself and raising concerns about whether such an event can genuinely empower women. As The New York Times puts it, “If there’s one thing that really isn’t a secret, it’s that parading scantily clad bodies, no matter what size or age, down a runway is simply not about empowerment. It’s about objectification — even if it’s equal opportunity objectification.” NYT’s critique essentially asks, if a brand that has long profited from idealized beauty standards, can it truly align itself with modern values of inclusivity and empowerment — or does the format inherently reduce women to aesthetic objects, regardless of diversity?

Ultimately, Victoria’s Secret’s revival has sparked both celebration and critique. While its effort to diversify has resonated with some social media users, others feel it has yet to fully break free from its legacy of exclusivity. The fundamental question remains: Is this year’s show a genuine step towards inclusive representation, or is it merely strategic rebranding? Only time, and future actions, will reveal whether Victoria’s Secret has truly redefined what it means to embrace change.