The 2024 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show came back with a hot pink vengeance on Tuesday, Oct. 15. It was a feat few believed the lingerie brand would be able to pull off less than a decade removed from a series of controversies that nearly tanked its credibility with women forever. Times were so tough, in fact, that executives cancelled the runway show indefinitely in 2019—a decision you can read all about in a timely new book about the brand's complicated history.
Five years and a global rebrand later, Victoria's Secret has emerged from that identity crisis with a self-awareness and generosity of spirit it didn't have before. Casting for this year's show feels markedly more inclusive, featuring curve models like Paloma Elsesser and Ashley Graham alongside veterans such as Gigi and Bella Hadid, Tyra Banks, Barbara Palvin, Candice Swanepoel, Adriana Lima, and Jasmine Tookes. Outdated tropes like the multi-million dollar "Fantasy Bra" and explicitly referring to the models as "angels" seem to have been nixed entirely. And instead of booking one buzz-worthy act to perform alongside the models, the show chose to showcase three legendary female performers: Grammy-winner Tyla, "Goddess of Pop" Cher, and K-pop star Lisa.
Here's how it all went down at the star-studded spectacle.
It Girls Graced the Pink Carpet
The pink carpet was flooded with It girls from every corner of the pop culture universe. K-pop legend Lisa showed up in a bedazzled bra and hot pants topped with a sheer cape covered in silver star appliqués. South African singer Tyla turned up the heat in a hot pink cut-out gown that revealed most of her torso. Buckle bunny Tanner Adell stepped out in a slinky silver chainmail dress. And Olympic gymnast Suni Lee stunned in a floral floor-length dress. Many of the best red carpet looks naturally leaned into the naked dress trend. What could be more appropriate for an event that is more or less a celebration of nudity?
Even Cher—at the glorious age of 78—embraced nakedness with a black lace bra layered beneath a shimmering mesh shirt.
Gigi Hadid Opened the Show
It felt like the earth shook when Gigi Hadid opened the show in a giant set of pastel pink angel wings, a matching pink playsuit, and towering pair of silver wraparound heels. "Femininomenon" by Chappell Roan was blaring in the background, but ecstatic screaming was all you could hear.
It's become more and more rare to see Hadid on the runway outside of a couple major shows each season, so this was unexpected treat to say the least. But it wasn't all about her: Hadid used her turn down the runway to pay homage to her close friend Taylor Swift. Rising out of the center of the catwalk, she popped her hips and waved in the same pattern the "Cruel Summer" singer does to kick off each performance on the Eras Tour.
Hadid's sister, Bella, also made a rare return to the runway in a red-hot bra and panty set accessorized with the biggest, fluffiest bolero I've ever seen.
Veterans Shared the Runway with Rising Stars
All the usual supermodel suspects walked the 2024 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, including Tyra Banks, Barbara Palvin, Candice Swanepoel, Adriana Lima, and Jasmine Tookes. But newcomers like trans models Alex Consani and Valentina Sampaio, as well as curve models Paloma Elsesser and Ashley Graham, were incredibly welcome additions to the OG model lineup. Carla Bruni—’90s model turned former first lady of France—also walked the Victoria’s Secret runway for the first time at the age of 56. So did 50-year-old fashion legend Kate Moss—and her daughter, Lila Moss.
It's a been a hard-won battle getting the brand to broaden its approach to casting from a narrow physical ideal to a more expansive and inclusive vision of beauty, but the company clearly made an effort to address that point of contention with this year's revamped show. Let's hope their commitment to age and body diversity turns out to be more than a one-time thing.
Celebrities Filled the Front Row
The star-studded front row included the likes of Queen Latifah, WNBA basketball star Angel Reese, rapper Tyga, Bridgerton actor Phoebe Dynevor, model Ivy Getty, and actor Dylan Sprouse, among others.
Sprouse—who is married to Victoria's Secret model Barbara Palvin—deserves to win husband of the year for bringing cardboard cut-outs of the dog and cat they share to cheer Palvin on from the stands.
Cher, Tyla, and Lisa Delivered Rockstar Performances
Clad in a chrome bolero and matching chain micro-skirt, Lisa of Blackpink appeared on the back of a motorcycle before launching into a heavily choreographed performance of her solo hit "Rockstar." Dressed in angelic white feathered wings and a beaded gold bustier, Grammy winner Tyla took the stage next to perform two hit tracks: "PUSH 2 START" and "Water."
The highlight of the evening, however, had to be Cher in goth cargo pants and a latex-stretched corset top for her powerful two-song set featuring "Strong Enough" and "Believe." It doesn't get more iconic than Cher, folks! Victoria's Secret really did their big one getting her on the docket.
The 2024 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show wasn't necessarily groundbreaking. There were supermodels in skimpy costumes and buzzy pop star performances per usual. And although the models themselves are no longer being called "angels," cartoonishly large angel wings still accessorized almost every look. But it's heartening—flattering, even—to see Victoria's Secret try so hard to win us over. Progress is still progress.
