After a four-year hiatus, the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, the bedazzled, cultural touchstone that first hit television screens in 2001, brought in millions of viewers and later came under scrutiny and was ultimately canceled, is coming back.
The news comes after an unsuccessful attempt to partially revive the event through a “Victoria’s Secret World Tour” documentary and New York Fashion Week event in 2023. It also comes after years of controversies, documentaries, and exposés about the brand which led it to conduct an overhaul of its leadership, model roster, and brand ethos.
In an Instagram post, the brand tapped one of its most famous and longtime angels Candice Swanepoel to announce the news. The 2000s are having their moment on TikTok, on the runways and in real life. And really, what’s more 2000s than the Victoria’s Secret Angels?
Well, we don’t know much so far, but we know for sure the show will look a lot different than it did back then. Here’s what else we know:
It will be women-led
Among its many controversies, the lingerie brand came under fire in 2018, when then Chief Marketing Officer Ed Razek Ed Razek said it would not cast trans women in the show because “the show is a fantasy.”
He later backtracked, apologized, and ultimately stepped down from his role.
In an email to W, a Victoria’s Secret spokesperson said that this year’s show will the Victoria’s Secret of today, which, it said, will be led by women.
“The 2024 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show will deliver precisely what our customers have been asking for – the glamour, runway, fashion, fun, wings, entertainment – all through a powerful, modern lens reflecting who we are today. We're thrilled to share a women-led articulation of this iconic property later this year!”
There will be wings
There is arguably not one entity more closely associated with the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show than the large-scale, handmade wings — pieces of artwork in their own right — worn by the brand’s angels on the runway.
While it sounds like there will be some changes in store for the show, the wings will be there in full force.
There will also be Candice
Candice Swanepoel has been a Victoria’s Secret since 2010, and will be back for the brand’s new iteration of the show.
In the teaser ad, she is seen texting “The VS squad,” wearing a T-shirt adorned with a little pair of wings on the front and the phrase “WE ARE BACK” on the back.
It’s coming... soon?
The exact date, along with where the show will air, is currently unknown. As of right now, all we know is that “the runway show is back this fall.”
It will reflect who the “brand is today.”
Victoria’s Secret has worked hard over the past few years to answer calls for more inclusivity. A perusal of its Instagram is a much different experience, featuring a much wider array and celebration of many different body types than it was a few years ago.
We have a feeling the team will be working overtime to spread that message on the runway, too.
The big musical acts will be back
Rihanna, Justin Timberlake and Taylor Swift are just a few of the major musical acts who have performed on the runway amid the angels. According to the brand, “everything you know in love,” including musical entertainment, will be back for the new show.
