Five years after executives decided to end the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, it's returning to a runway format in fall 2024. The brand first released a short teaser on Wednesday, May 15, showing model Candice Swanepoel texting a "VS Squad" group chat to spread the news. The back of her T-shirt declares on behalf of the brand, "We are back."
All eyes will be on the lingerie brand when its runway—complete with its infamous angel wings—arrives tonight, Oct. 15. Victoria's Secret shut down its official show in 2019 following a slew of controversies and external criticism: executives behaved improperly, viewership and sales declined, and audiences were increasingly frustrated with how a single body type was shown as the ideal of an "angel" on its runway.
This time around, the brand says it has "read the comments and heard you"—implying the program will correct its past mistakes and set a fresh (but still glittery) precedent. "Let’s hope they got it right," one commenter wrote on the original announcement post. So far, top models including Gigi Hadid, Tyra Banks, and Adriana Lima are reportedly returning to the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show runway; the brand also shared that three women performers will take the stage alongside the models for the very first time.
Ahead, we break down everything we know about the runway's return—including how to watch the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show and who's walking in it—and revisit why it was called off to begin with.
When is the 2024 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show? Who's walking the runway?
Victoria's Secret announced in late August that the Victoria's Secret Fashion show would return on Tuesday, October 15, 2024. Two teasers pointed to a revival of the high-glam, bombshell energy of the late '90s and early 2000s through a more inclusive lens.
Victoria's Secret first shared an Instagram Reel and a press release announcing their fashion show will return sometime in fall 2024. The brand's press materials said the show "will reflect who we are today, plus everything you know and love—the glamour, runway, wings, musical entertainment, and more!"
Past members of the so-called VS Squad have ranged from Gisele Bündchen and Naomi Campbell to sisters Bella and Gigi Hadid. In recent years, Victoria's Secret has also signed Paloma Elsesser, Hailey Bieber, and Precious Lee to in-house ad campaigns and a reworked "tour" format last fall.
The brand confirmed that at least two of the biggest names to walk its runway are coming back for the 2024 installment. A video shared in late August showed Gigi Hadid strutting through the Plaza Hotel in New York City to pick up a golden VS invite from Tyra Banks.
More members of the cast have teased their return on social media—or were photographed attending a rehearsal in Brooklyn the day before the event. Models including Adriana Lima and Barbara Palvin are confirmed to make their return; meanwhile, reports surfacing on X (formerly Twitter) suggested Ashley Graham and Paloma Elsesser would walk the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show runway for the first time.
About the timing: Victoria's Secret's comeback efforts have gained some traction in recent months. Gen Z stars including Sabrina Carpenter, Olivia Rodrigo, and Renée Rapp have worn custom and archival VS pieces for major performances. Business-wise, the brand is also reporting better-than-expected sales for the start of 2024.
Where Can I Watch the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show?
Spoiler: There's no shortage of places to stream the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show on October 15. The main broadcast will premiere at 7p.m. on Amazon Live and Prime Video—and include a live shopping feature to purchase pieces as they float down the runway. Additionally, Victoria's Secret will stream the show on its Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok accounts.
A press release from Victoria's Secret also hinted that models who are walking in the show will also share behind-the-scenes content from their personal social media accounts.
Who's Performing at the 2024 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show?
Past iterations of the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show always included a Billboard Hot 100 pop star or band performing alongside the runway. Lineups have ranged from a Taylor Swift and Fall Out Boy duet, to solo appearances by Ariana Grande and Selena Gomez. Even Destiny's Child serenaded the models as they strutted down the runway in 2002.
The 2024 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show is bringing the concert-like atmosphere back with a special twist. On Tuesday, Sept. 17, the brand announced that its first all-women musical lineup would accompany the October runway. Although, judging by their star power, "accompany" might not be the right word.
Music legend Cher was the first musical guest to be announced with two portraits in her Victoria's Secret best. The following day, Victoria's Secret shared that Grammy-winner Tyla would also take the stage; the day after that, it completed the trifecta by announcing K-pop queen Lisa would perform as well. The label promised its lineup would "only get more iconic from here."
When was the last Victoria's Secret Fashion Show?
Victoria's Secret held its fashion show every year from 1995 until 2018. Each show featured models walking in the brand's lingerie—some sets adorned with over-the-top embellishments like Swarovski crystals—and heavy, sculpture-like wings to match each set. At its height, it was watched by several million viewers on a prime time TV slot.
The final show was broadcasted in December 2018. Gigi Hadid, Jasmine Tookes, and Elsa Hosk were among the runway cast.
Why was the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show canceled?
Several circumstances combined leading to Victoria's Secret canceling its annual fashion show in 2019. Viewership for the program had substantially declined in the mid-2000s, along with sales of its bras and underwear. Victoria's Secret had exclusively cast thin, tall models for its shows, and as conversations about size and body inclusivity also gained traction, industry insiders and viewers alike wondered why Victoria's Secret wouldn't cast models who reflected their customer base. Critics said the show objectified women rather than empowering them.
Uproar ensued when the brand's former chief of marketing, Ed Razek, made comments about trans models that offended readers in a 2018 interview with Vogue. The former executive had also previously spoken disparagingly of plus-size models. In 2019, he stepped down from his role. Former chief executive Les Wexner also left the brand in 2021.
All this happened against the backdrop of the #MeToo movement and rising competitors who took a more inclusive approach to marketing lingerie (like ThirdLove, Aerie, and Parade). In the following years, Victoria's Secret started a rebranding effort that included expanding its roster of catalogue and in-store models, along with the launch of the VS Collective, a group of spokespeople intended to signal the brand's refreshed image. Soccer player Megan Rapinoe, tennis star Naomi Osaka, and actress Priyanka Chopra were among the Collective's first class.
Victoria's Secret attempted to address critics last fall with its "World Tour," a documentary-meets-runway film released on Amazon Prime at the start of New York Fashion Week in 2023. The brand partnered with independent designers, creatives, and filmmakers to create artistic capsules based on their home cities, which were then modeled on camera by the likes of Hailey Bieber, Paloma Elsesser, and Lila Moss. Some viewers compared it to Rihanna's Savage x Fenty fashion shows, which are also produced as videos for streaming.
Editors' note: Marie Claire editors will update this post as more information regarding the 2024 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show is released.
