Two days ago, Victoria’s Secret made its return to the runway for the 2025 fashion show, but we’re still seeing mixed reviews.
Last year, Victoria’s Secret made its official comeback after a six-year hiatus, featuring stars such as Tyra Banks, Adriana Lima, and Kate Moss; however, some fans were ultimately left disappointed. While there were many fans happy with the results of the 2025 show, among the many complaints expressed by the minority, the lack of angel wings, blowout hair, and the classic “Fantasy Bra” were the major driving forces of their displeasure. This year’s show had additions of star athletes Suni Lee and Angel Reese and returns of legendary VS models Candice Swanepoel and—once again—Adriana Lima, but the same complaints remain. Although it’s the brand’s second year back after a hiatus, the consistent dissatisfaction from fans brings into question whether Victoria’s Secret will ever recover from its previous cancellation.
recap
After an all-time low in viewership for the 2018 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, the brand canceled its 2019 annual fashion show, but low ratings weren’t the only reason for the brand’s decline. In 2018, Ed Razek, the former chief marketing officer of the brand, publicly expressed his intent to not include transgender or plus-size models in the show. While the former CEO, Leo Wexner’s affiliation with Jeffrey Epstein, a notorious child molester and rapist, was brought to attention. This was only the beginning of the tarnishing of the brand’s image and reputation, as the true sexist and misogynistic nature of VS was revealed, ultimately leading to its demise in 2019 and its complete rebrand in 2024.
what are fans really mad at?
This year’s show brought back the blowout hair, featured signature wings on the runway, and otherwise met most of the anticipated qualifications from fans—outside of the fantasy bra (that they most likely can’t afford due to, well, their history). But why are fans still not satisfied? It’s simple—they want exclusively size triple-zero girls on the runway! Their thinly veiled complaints of hairstyles and wings are a pathetic excuse to deflect from the fact that they don’t want to see a woman with what they deem an “attainable” figure on the runway.
I could understand wanting exclusively VS models on the runway rather than celebrities, so more models could gain exposure, and I could also understand a discontent with styling—that’s completely normal in the fashion industry. But unfortunately, the true nature of the mass disappointment among fans will never be primarily about those two things, because the fans yearn for an era that is not possible in our current time period. I believe Victoria’s Secret is trying to adapt to the social sphere we are currently in, but cannot keep up because its brand thrives on nostalgia. Victoria’s Secret, within itself, can only thrive if we go back to an era where anyone not smaller than a size four is considered fat. So that brings into question what their next move is, which we’ll have to see in the 2026 show.
So, stay tuned :)