The brand's runway show made its official comeback with Cher, Kate Moss, and Tyra Banks. Will it ever recapture the power it had 20 years ago?
Tuesday night in Brooklyn, all eyes were on the Victoria’s Secret angels.The world-famous lingerie brand revived its megawatt fashion show after a five-and-a-half-year hiatus, staging the production inside a massive event space in the Navy Yard on the borough’s East River waterfront.
Black SUVs snaked through security checkpoints, dropping guests at a pink carpet that was nearly as long as the runway that awaited inside. Parked behind the entrance to the show was a Victoria’s Secret–branded boat lit up by pink floodlights. It reminded me of the Victoria’s Secret–sponsored yacht that Vincent Chase’s friends rented for his birthday party in an episode of Entourage, two decades ago, when HBO audiences used to settle in regularly to watch a young actor and his childhood friends playboying around L.A. It was hard not to see the boat as a symbol of that tainted era—when Hollywood dudes hunting for red-carpet dates would sit in the front rows of the VS show near Jeffrey Epstein, ogling a group of cis models who were all the exact same completely unattainable size and shape. But that was then, right? In Brooklyn, this was the new Victoria’s Secret, a brand that has spent the last few years doing serious refurbishment of its image. The company has leaned heavily into a quieter, more inclusive vibe that purports to welcome all sizes, shapes, genders, and races. It took a breather from the flashy, campy runway shows of the past, opting instead for thoughtful, earth-tone-hued ads and a film spotlighting new angels like Paloma Elsesser, Alex Consani, and Mathilda Gvarliani. There’s been a little less hot pink, no wings, and a lot of time for fashion industry pundits to reflect on what went wrong and whether or not those wrongs could ever be made right. Last night, no one seemed too concerned with past versus present versus future; they were mostly just having a good time. Some of us in the audience had been to previous Victoria’s Secret shows and were deeply curious about what the reboot would look like. Others were young—Gen Z editors and writers downright giddy to experience in person something they’d only ever seen on TV or YouTube. Everyone was psyched to see Cher and Tyla and Lisa perform, and to find out which of the original angels would be making their comebacks. Were the rumors that Kate Moss would make her debut as an angel true? Who would keep the former and current girlfriends of Leonardo DiCaprio and Bradley Cooper away from one another backstage? Would Cher wear wings?! This was just a smattering of the text exchanges and chitchat as we took our seats. The show space was set up a bit differently from in the past. The wide, white-painted runway was not raised. Seating was still stadium-style, but somehow felt more intimate and at eye level with the models and performers. There were video screens lining the walls of the room, but no extra set or props. It was clear from the jump that we wouldn’t see Hilary Rhoda dressed up like a sexy leprechaun or Cara Delevingne wearing a thong and wielding a giant candy cane. This show beckoned us to actually see the models walking the runway, as if someone at the brand had decided it would be safer to cut back on fantasy and lean into reality.The lights went down, and the livestream cameras began to whiz by the audience. Fog was released onto the runway. The screen at the front of the space switched on and began to play a video narrated by legendary VS angel Tyra Banks, counting down to showtime as a woman on a motorcycle raced over the Brooklyn Bridge. The words “We are back” flashed on the screen. Then, K-pop star Lisa ascended from beneath the runway as a troupe of dancers circled around her, gyrating and stomping. Despite the absence of the cartoonish set designs and elaborate lighting, the show started with a bang. Gigi Hadid opened with her cropped hair slicked back , wearing a wispy baby pink teddy and matching giant, feathery wings. This kicked off the first group of the collection, “Modern Heritage.” The other 51 models then walked down the runway wearing Modern Heritage pieces, followed by “Twinkle,” “Heroes,” “Atelier” , and “Unwrap the Magic.” The themes didn’t really stand out so much, and the styling from Emmanuelle Alt felt soft. Truth be told, the looks didn’t all feel as punchy or powerful as they probably could have been, and maybe that’s because the idea was to play things relatively safe. There were beautifully sculpted skirts, lace bodysuits, and lots of classic lingerie that hearkened back to the heyday of Victoria’s Secret and the Supers in the ’90s. Kate Moss, Ashley Graham, and Carla Bruni were fierce in their first respective Victoria’s Secret runway moments, and Cher killed her performances of “Believe” and “Strong Enough.” Former angels like Alessandra Ambrosio, Adriana Lima, and Doutzen Kroes seemed genuinely amped to be back. The joy on the faces of newer angels like Elsesser, Consani, and 19-year-old Kai Soléil Mondesir-Beucler, who had never walked a major runway before, was palpable. All 52 women looked hot, but more importantly, they came off like they felt hot. One of the most fun moments was Banks closing the show, returning to the VS stage after nearly 19 years. She walked her iconic walk and took a spin in her silver cape at the end of the runway. It was major enough to make a person think: She’s still got it, and maybe Victoria’s Secret does too. I posted a video of Banks to my Instagram page just after the show ended. Some followers replied with fire emojis and words like “epic.” One person said nothing but sent a link to a 2019 New York Times article headlined “How Jeffrey Epstein Used the Billionaire Behind Victoria’s Secret for Wealth and Women.” A friend who watched the livestream texted, “This sparked joy.” Another wrote, “It’s insane to act like the last six years didn’t happen by bringing out older and larger and non-cis women.” The discourse around Victoria’s Secret will always be heated, but people are still buying into the brand. For the label, the customers, and the new spectrum of angels and fans, the show must go on. Last night, all eyes were on VS; what the brand’s stewards do with this attention will say a lot about its commitment to righting the ship.
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