Giant wings? Check. Sparkly outfits? Obviously. A Fantasy Bra that probably costs more than a house? Somehow, also check.
For years, the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show was the fashion event: part runway, part concert, part glitter explosion. But while the show looked like pure fantasy, the real-life conversation around the brand got complicated. Here’s how it went from must-watch TV to a major makeover.
From hotel runway to “everyone’s watching”
The first show took place in 1995 at New York’s Plaza Hotel. Then, in 1999, Victoria’s Secret tried streaming a show online. It was a big idea for the early internet—and so many people tried to tune in that the website struggled to keep up. In 2001, the show made its network-TV debut, adding music performances and turning the runway into a full-on spectacle.
The Angels became famous for their enormous wings, and the Fantasy Bra became the show’s annual “wait, how much is that thing worth?” moment. It was fun, dramatic and very sparkly. But the show also kept returning to a pretty narrow idea of what beauty looked like: mostly tall, thin models with a similar glamorous style.
When the fantasy started getting side-eye
By 2018, people were asking why the runway didn’t include more body types and transgender models. The conversation got much louder after Ed Razek, then a top marketing executive at Victoria’s Secret, made comments opposing casting transgender models and questioning whether plus-size models belonged in the show. He later apologized, but many viewers were still unhappy. Singer Halsey, who performed that year, spoke out in support of LGBTQ+ inclusion.
And that wasn’t the only criticism the company faced. In 2020, The New York Times reported allegations from former employees and models about bullying and harassment at the company. Former executives Ed Razek and Leslie Wexner were part of the reporting. Razek denied the allegations, and the company said it had strengthened its workplace policies.
Wexner also faced scrutiny over his past relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. Wexner said Epstein had “duped” him and that he had cut ties with him years before Epstein’s 2019 arrest. Epstein did not officially work for Victoria’s Secret, but reports that he used his connection to Wexner when approaching aspiring models added to the questions surrounding the brand.
By 2019, the annual TV show was canceled. Viewership had fallen, criticism was growing, and the old formula wasn’t feeling so magical to a lot of people anymore.
New show, new direction?
After a few years away, Victoria’s Secret returned in 2023 with The World Tour. It mixed fashion with a documentary-style look at women creatives from around the world and showed a wider range of body types. Some viewers liked the fresh direction; others wondered whether a new format could really change the brand’s reputation.
Then the runway show returned in 2024—with wings, famous models and music, plus a more varied cast. Ashley Graham, Devyn Garcia and Jill Kortleve walked, while Cher, Tyla and Lisa were part of an all-women musical lineup.
So, are the wings back?
Yes—and so is the big question: can Victoria’s Secret make its version of glamour feel welcoming to more people?The show has gone from a hotel runway to a TV sensation, disappeared during a period of serious criticism, and returned with a different approach. The sparkles are still there, but audiences now expect more than a pretty show.
They want to see who gets included—and whether the company’s actions match its message.The wings may grab your attention. The real makeover is what happens after the runway lights go out.
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