After having been on a hiatus since 2018, the Angels returned in last month. From Kate Moss to Bella Hadid, the show brought all the big names to the runway.   

Alongside them were the famous wings and pink, diamond-studded lingerie. Highlights included Gigi Hadid’s pink plunge silk teddy complete with a set of wide electronic feathered wings to match, and Lila Moss’ Victoria’s Secret debut in blush undergarments, complete with the shine of stars and body jewellery detail, with a blush fringe coat to match. 

Meanwhile, the runway also boasted more modest looks, incorporating pyjama bottoms, robes and leggings. Slip dresses also featured – one styled by Mika Schneider included a light pink dress paired with sparkling silver shoes, teasing a matching silver bra. 

With an all-female ensemble of musical entertainment from Tyla to Cher, a key part of the fashion retailers “rebrand” was in placing the message of female empowerment and inclusivity forefront. This came in the wake of intense backlash 6 years prior (at the time of the show’s demise) over its infamous placing of a certain male-gazed body type on a pedestal, which was divergent from societal attitudes following the #MeToo movement. Thus, in the show’s return, we can see plus-sized models, multiple models over the age of 40 walking the runway and trans inclusivity with fashion and social media icon Alex Consani. 

But despite the show’s return, it is still evident that with the fashion retailer’s much-reduced budget since its decline in popularity, the 2024 Victoria’s Secret show is merely a shell of what it once was. Whilst the iconography remained consistent, the quality did not. No fantasy diamond bras made an appearance and whilst nearly all the models got wings, they were nowhere near matching the grandeur of what they used to be. Perhaps it was the model Doultzen Kroes getting her heel stuck in the runway or perhaps it was just down to the passage of time, but there was something about the show that made it seem “tacky”- a costume party imitating the real thing.  

Even in the supposedly positive move towards more diverse models, it is not all acclaim. Many of their plus-sized and older models seem not to be motivated by a shift in the company’s values. Rather, many seem to be there because the fame attached to their name carries more value than their body type.  

With all of the show’s clothing available to buy online, one wonders whether this was more of a desperate attempt at false virtue-signalling to secure sales. Perhaps once great, but now past its sell-by, the Victoria’s Secret fashion show belongs to the past – a relic of attitudes from past decades. 

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