The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show will return to a runway format in the fall of 2024, five years after officials opted to stop it. To promote the news, the brand first unveiled a brief teaser on Wednesday, May 15, featuring model Candice Swanepoel texting a “VS Squad” group chat. On the reverse side of her T-shirt, the brand announces, “We are back.”
On October 15, when the lingerie company debuts its runway, replete with its trademark angel wings, all eyes will be on the show. A number of scandals and outside criticism led Victoria’s Secret to end its official runway show in 2019. Sales and viewership fell, executives misbehaved, and viewers grew impatient with the way one body type was presented as the epitome of a “angel” on the catwalk.
The company claims to have “read the comments and heard you” this time, which suggests that the application will learn from its previous errors and establish a new, glitzy standard. On the initial announcement post, a commenter said, “Let’s hope they got it right.” Top models like Gigi Hadid and Tyra Banks are making a comeback to the runway, according to Victoria’s Secret, which has also disclosed that three female artists will make their stage debuts alongside the models.
Here, we go over everything we know about the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show’s comeback, including who will be walking in it and how to watch it, as well as the reasons it was originally canceled.
When is the 2024 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show? Who’s walking the runway?
Late in August, Victoria’s Secret said that Tuesday, October 15, 2024, will mark the return of the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show. Through a more inclusive viewpoint, two teasers suggested a return to the high-glam, bombshell energy of the late ’90s and early 2000s.
The news that Victoria’s Secret’s fashion show will return sometime in the fall of 2024 was initially announced in a press release and an Instagram reel. The show “will reflect who we are today, plus everything you know and love—the glamour, runway, wings, musical entertainment, and more!” according to press releases from the brand.
Bella and Gigi Hadid, as well as Gisele Bündchen and Naomi Campbell, were among the former members of the alleged VS Squad. In addition, Victoria’s Secret signed Precious Lee, Hailey Bieber, and Paloma Elsesser to internal advertising campaigns in recent years. Last fall, the company redesigned the “tour” structure.
For the 2024 release, the company has confirmed that at least two of the most well-known models to ever grace its catwalk will return. Tyra Banks sent Gigi Hadid a golden VS invite, which she accepted in a video that was posted in late August, showing her strolling through the Plaza Hotel in New York City. As the concert gets closer, more casting announcements should be made.
Regarding the timing, Victoria’s Secret has made some progress in its return attempts lately. Sabrina Carpenter, Olivia Rodrigo, and Renée Rapp are among the Gen Z celebrities who have donned vintage and custom VS pieces for important events. Business-wise, the brand is reporting sales for the first quarter of 2024 that are higher than anticipated.
Where Can I Watch the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show?
Spoiler alert: On October 15, there are plenty of options to watch the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show online. A live shopping option allowing viewers to buy items as they are shown on the runway will be included in the main program, which will debut at 7 p.m. on Amazon Live and Prime Video. Victoria’s Secret will also webcast the event on its TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram feeds.
Victoria’s Secret also intimated in a press release that models walking in the event will also be sharing behind-the-scenes photos and videos from their own social media pages.
Who’s Performing at the 2024 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show?
Every Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show since its inception has featured a Billboard Hot 100 pop performer or band performing next to the catwalk. The lineups have included solo performances by Selena Gomez and Ariana Grande as well as a duet between Taylor Swift and Fall Out Boy. In 2002, Destiny’s Child even serenaded the models as they walked the runway.
With a unique twist, the 2024 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show promises to revive the concert-like atmosphere. The brand said on Tuesday, September 17, that the October runway would be accompanied by its inaugural all-female musical lineup. “Accompany” may not be the best word, though, given their star power.
The first musical guest to be revealed was music icon Cher, who appeared in two photos wearing her best Victoria’s Secret ensemble. Grammy winner Tyla was added to the lineup the day after Victoria’s Secret revealed she would also be performing; the day after that, the brand announced K-pop sensation Lisa would round out the trio. With this roster, the company assured fans, it would “only get more iconic from here.”
When was the last Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show?
Until 2018, Victoria’s Secret had its annual fashion show every year. Models walked in the brand’s lingerie for each show; some sets included extravagant embellishments like Swarovski crystals, and each outfit included massive, sculpture-like wings to go with it. Several million people watched it during its peak on a prime time TV slot.
December 2018 saw the broadcast of the last episode. The runway cast included Elsa Hosk, Jasmine Tookes, and Gigi Hadid.
Why was the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show canceled?
In 2019, Victoria’s Secret canceled their yearly fashion show due to a combination of factors. The program’s viewership had significantly decreased by the middle of the 2000s, and sales of its bras and underwear had also decreased. Because Victoria’s Secret has only ever used tall, slender models for its shows, both industry insiders and viewers began to question why the company wouldn’t use models who more closely resembled its clientele as discussions about body positivity and size gained momentum. Critics claimed that rather than empowering women, the presentation objectified them.
When Ed Razek, the brand’s former chief of marketing, outraged readers with remarks he made about trans models in a 2018 interview with Vogue, there was outcry. Additionally, the ex-executive had made derogatory remarks about plus-size models in the past. 2019 saw him leave his position. Les Wexner, the company’s previous CEO, departed in 2021 as well.
All of this occurred in the context of the #MeToo movement and emerging rivals (such as ThirdLove, Aerie, and Parade) that marketed lingerie with a more inclusive attitude. Over the next few years, Victoria’s Secret began a rebranding initiative that involved adding more models to its catalog and in-store roster as well as introducing the VS Collective, a group of spokespersons meant to represent the brand’s updated image. Actress Priyanka Chopra, tennis player Naomi Osaka, and soccer player Megan Rapinoe were members of the Collective’s inaugural class.
With its “World Tour,” a documentary-meets-runway movie that debuted on Amazon Prime at the beginning of New York Fashion Week in 2023, Victoria’s Secret made an effort to appease critics last autumn. Paloma Elsesser, Lila Moss, Hailey Bieber, and other independent designers, creatives, and filmmakers collaborated with the brand to produce artistic capsules inspired by their home cities, which were subsequently modeled on camera. A few spectators drawn comparisons between it and Rihanna’s Savage x Fenty fashion displays, which are also made into streaming videos.
