The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show is a glamorous event of the season, and although you may have missed it, you’ve likely seen snippets of the iconic walks of the supermodels. Since the COVID-19 era, the show has made efforts to regain the status and audience response it held before the quarantine. The show can be seen as a superficial facade of high beauty standards, but it can also be an opportunity for feminist empowerment, a fascination with an amazing production and a fun experience for all who shop the line or just enjoy the tradition of the annual show. I am aware that the show can mean different things for different women, but I am here to talk about the highs and lows of this year’s runway show and the opinions of the viewers.Â
I enjoy watching the VS fashion show because, above my love for fashion, I enjoy the fun energy of the concert-like production that makes the experience unique from other fashion shows. This year, performers Madison Beer, TWICE, Missy Elliot, and my favorite, Karol G, took the stage and together delivered an elaborate, unbelievable show. As a Latina, watching Karol G’s performance of the song “Latina Forever” felt especially significant for its message of promoting Latina empowerment. As a whole, the all-female setlist felt like another touch of positive girly energy that celebrates female bonding.
Every year after the VS fashion show, the world feels entitled to brutal honesty about their opinions of the walks, the styles, the models and the performers. Many new faces debuted their first show, like athletes Suni Lee and Angel Reese, and actress Barbie Ferreira. There were many different models, from old to new, and yet, with progressing inclusivity, the audience is not satisfied. People in the media were quick to make judgments of the models’ outfits, looks, and wings, the line’s whole theme, and the strut of their walk. Of course, a show like this inspires opinions, but the way in which the media has normalized disrespectful language toward women has made it too easy to degrade them.
An audience will never be fully satisfied, but instead of appreciating the positives of the show, like having their first-ever athletes walk, casting a transgender woman and headlining a Latina artist, viewers point out what is missing. The downside is that if a small detail, like Adriana Lima’s slick back, is receiving hate for not being a blowout, other bigger changes in the industry are going to be harder to break through. As the VS show moves forward, I think it’s valuable for the audience to be open to the evolving stage where a continuing diverse set of people can walk with confidence.Â
I watched the show with my two good friends while we got ready to go out, and the experience of shouting out our thoughts on the unbelievable looks created a girlhood shared memory. A tradition like this is not for everyone, but I appreciate it for the sense of embracing self love and treasuring feminine beauty. A set of wings can symbolize an ethereal, untouchable armor, but they are just a decorative accessory. We are all human, and it would be empowering if women valued the representation of a diverse set of models.Â