It’s that time of the year again, and I’m not talking about Halloween: on Oct. 15, the Victoria’s Secret (VS) Fashion Show debuted in New York City. After receiving backlash from the 2024 show because of their use of slick back-hairstyles, the show’s signature “bombshell” waves are back, and slick backs are sworn off for future shows.
Nevertheless, criticism of last year’s digression from long-standing tradition didn’t scare them from stirring the pot this year. The show has made a major comeback by adapting to modern relevance and re-establishing itself through inclusivity and bold statements.
Stand-Out Moments
To set the stage, the show opened with Jasmine Tukes and her baby bump. Even in her ninth month of pregnancy, she captured the stage in chain-link pearls. Her wings resembled the shell of a clam, and her baby bump was the pearl. Her husband, Juan David Borrero, sat in the stands cheering on his wife and soon-to-be newborn child.
Alex Cosani, the viral TikTok influencer and well-known model, made a reappearance as one of the first transgender VS Angels to walk the runway. Her first show was in 2024, and she walked alongside Valentina Sampaio as one of the first transgender women to walk the runway.
Her dual career as a fashion icon and creator went hand in hand as she produced loads of content from behind the scenes, showing her contagious personality and relatable humor. She even ventured as far as to share a photo of her trusty tucking panty kit on her Instagram!
Athletes as Angels
WNBA star Angel Reese was included in this year’s show as one of the first athletes to walk the VS runway. Her appearance sparked interest from viewers and received mixed messages from the media. She commented in an interview with the Washington Post, “It was destined for me… I’m so happy to be sitting in this room with so many amazing models and women.”
Sunisa “Suni” Lee, the U.S. Olympic gold-medal-winning gymnast, was also included in this year’s show; her debut was announced the night before at 7 p.m. She repped the VS “PINK” line segment with the K-pop band TWICE singing behind her. Like Reese, Lee also broke records by being one of the first athletes and the first Olympian to walk the runway.
While many applauded the recruitment of female athletes, others responded negatively to the inclusion of untraditional fashion models. Lee even posted a TikTok on Oct. 18 with the caption, “Can you guys stop bullying me?”
If you ask me, the professional athlete to model pipeline takes talent, and you can find me defending Lee and Reese in the comments.
Behind the scenes
Bella Hadid made her return not only to the VS runway but also to her regular life. The 29-year-old model was recently hospitalized for Lyme disease, working hard before the show to recover in time. In an interview last year, Hadid shared that “It’s hard and it’s something that I’m still working through.”
Similarly, longtime VS Angel Barbara Palvin has also recently suffered health challenges. She underwent endometriosis surgery in June and broke her foot four weeks before the show. Her supportive husband, Dylan Sprouse, was there to cheer her on, stating that he was “sweating bullets in the stand” watching Palvin on the runway.
Content creator Quen Blackwell strutted the stage for the first time with her baby wings and “PINK” ensemble. In an interview before the show, Blackwell remarks that “This is like a childhood or tween dream of mine, seeing all these fairies come down from heaven, and like the head of the fairies was like, ‘You want to be one of them?’ I feel insane but like good insane.”
As an influencer, fans like me were thrilled to see her experience through social media. In her most recent YouTube video, Quen discloses that she found out only a week before the event that she’d be walking as an Angel.
She included clips of her breaking the news to her best friends, Larray and Alex Cosani, as well as her mom and grandmother. Her authenticity and genuineness showed through on the stage, inspiring fans by representing a broader audience.
Transitioning away from the show’s conventional set-list, this year’s show pushed boundary-breaking delivery. Including musicians, athletes, influencers, soon-to-be-mothers, and more, the women-in-wings ranged from all different backgrounds and identities. The energy brought to the stage by this year’s Angels marks a significant shift for Victoria’s Secret.
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