by Victoria’s Secret has put back the angel wings again – hitting the pavement again after a six-year hiatus.
The return was loud and proud, with A-list celebrities, influencers and a multi-generational all-female music group of Cher, Tyla and Lisa attending the event live at the Brooklyn Navy Yard.
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Adriana Lima, Alessandra Ambrosio, Grace Elizabeth, Taylor Hill and Tyra Banks, who last walked out of Victoria’s Secret in 2005, took their turn on the scene.
The show opened with a stunning pink princess look led by Gigi Hadid, and led female superheroes in bright purple ensembles. Lace and black leather Rock ‘n’ Roll, as seen on the icon supermodel surprise Kate Moss, mixed more everyday styles with the brand’s signature sexy lingerie look (towards the end of the show, there was a small amount of clothing athletic leggings and zip hoodies in the mix too), before closing the show to Cher’s “I Believe” with holiday-themed ensembles.
There were lots of wings, in many shapes, sizes and materials such as feathers, candy covered tulle, sequins and more. But the brand really flexed with its mega solutions of models, filled with Victoria’s Secret models and icons from over the years.
Streamed live on Instagram, YouTube, TikTok and Amazon Live, the show was heavy on both glamor and glitz and infused with a direct commercial purpose. The lingerie on the runway – minus the wings and theatrical pieces – was available for immediate purchase for the first time.
Victoria’s Secret is thinking differently and projecting more confidence as it works to get its business back into growth mode.
It’s telling that the brand was ready to come full circle and define itself for the future – and do that balancing act through a global live stream.
“It’s always going to be about feeling sexy,” said Janie Schaffer, chief design and creative officer in an interview before the show. “We are Victoria’s Secret. But it’s sexy for everyone. We have 57 bra sizes. We go all the way up in bra sizes. We have a comprehensive and beautiful collection of lingerie, and we wanted to celebrate that on the runway.”
There were the famous angel wings and models, of course, but also, as Schaffer put it, “confident women of all shapes and sizes.”
“Behind the scenes, it’s such a different animal,” she said, detailing what the runway will look like for sale.
Previously, the show was edited, fixed and polished before going out on terrestrial television.
“This is about being alive, in the moment. Whatever happens, happens. Indeed, it’s an authentic journey,” said Schaffer. “Everyone can see it in real time.”
Victoria’s Secret created a sensation when it installed a television on its 2001 runway, prompting 12.4 million viewers to put down the remote control.
But it was part of a va-va-voom approach to sex that finally left the brand in tune with the cultural moment as the market evolved and younger, more diverse brands took hold.
Now, after some time in the wilderness, declining corporate results, sales and stock and, last month, the appointment of a new chief executive officer – former Savage x Fenty CEO Hillary Super – Victoria’s Secret is back in prime time.
The brand is clearly looking for a boost from the show. Sales for the first half decreased 2 percent to $2.8 billion, with net profits of $28.2 million. Sales for the full year are expected to be down about 1 percent.
Before the show, the vibe backstage indicated that some things had changed.
Ashley Graham, who was preparing to walk in her first show for the brand, said: “This is about performance and this is about the Victoria’s Secret saying ‘Yes’ to everyone who has always felt more like they didn’t attend. And that’s the biggest thing. I said yes to VS because I honestly wanted to bring awareness to our bodies on the runway.”
“I’m so happy that Victoria’s Secret is finally there – they’ve got the memo,” Graham said. “They’re going into extended sizes, they’ve got curvy queens everywhere.”
Gigi Hadid said the increased focus on diversity was “necessary and necessary for the people who watch and love this show.”
“It is important that several years have been built, not only to rethink this project, but that the brand is just taking its steps,” she said. “Now, this is a show led by women who are leading within this company and I think you can tell and feel that we all feel good to be here.”
Alex Consani, the 21-year-old fashion student turned “It” girl on TikTok, was also there preparing to walk the show.
“I’m trans, and I think it’s really important that people like me are seen on the runway as beautiful, and especially in a setting like this that’s always been very cis-oriented, it’s important to have introducing many different things. types of people and I’m grateful that I thought of me, you know in that community,” she said.
Although many of the gags associated with the show were the same, the emphasis was different. And Victoria’s Secret promised that viewers would see some of what they liked from past shows and be drawn in by the more modern version.
Sarah Sylvester, who is executive vice president of marketing and directed the return of the show with Schaffer, said that the brand is paying more attention to the people who are actually wearing the lingerie.
“It was a big change for us to put the customer at the heart of everything we do,” said Sylvester.
And she said the customer was “loud” about wanting the whole show back. “We can’t argue with that.”
Shoppers will also be able to get a bit of the glam right away.
“The fashion show is our holiday collection, and the holiday collection is our fashion show,” she said. “That connectivity is just a good, smart business move, but we also love how that makes it so much more accessible and inclusive for women to be a part of.”
Likewise, people will be able to view the show on their terms across key social platforms.
“Letting customers watch when they want, when they want, whether live or the next day – we’re really enjoying how we’re making the content more accessible,” a she said.
On TikTok in particular, Sylvester said the brand has seen its followers double in the past few months. “The more unpolished and more behind-the-scenes content than ever has the team on the ground performing three times better than our regular content,” she said.
— With contributions from Alex Badia, Noor Lobad and Emily Mercer
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