A Rebrand: The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 2025
- UP MAGAZINE
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
By Sylvia Eastman
Edited by Taylor Morgan
Ever since its first runway show in 1995 at the Plaza Hotel, Victoria’s Secret has placed a special spotlight on undergarments, turning them into a fashion statement rather than just everyday wear. The brand reimagined the concept of undergarments in the late 1990s and early 2000s, empowering women to feel more confident not just in their clothes but also in what they wear underneath. By incorporating multiple performers and drawing the audience’s gaze towards the grand displays of lingerie, the brand showcases its product and highlights its message of embracing confidence and unleashing personal sparkle.
Throughout the years, Victoria’s Secret has faced backlash due to the brand's lack of diversity in model selection and for promoting an “ideal” body type. In 2019, the show was officially cancelled after years of scandal of the brand
promoting tall, skinny, white women as the superior body type or "angel." Victoria’s Secret was said to bring fantasy to life, but why should the fantasy exclude so many different types of women? Brand representatives even stated they would not have plus-size models walking down the runway, causing their sales to drop exponentially. Even some of the most iconic Victoria’s Secret Angels, like Karlie Kloss, quit working with the brand at this time as their individual values did not align with the company’s.
After years of rebranding, the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show relaunched in 2024, with a devotion to diversity and equality amongst all of their models. They revamped their previous “The Perfect Body” campaign to “A Body For Every Body” to be more inclusive while maintaining its sparkly pink mood. The brand has clearly stated “We Represent All Women” on their website under the company’s values. In 2024, Alex Consani and Valentina Sampaio were the first-ever transgender women to walk in the show. This year, Angel Reese and Suni Lee made history walking in the show as the first professional athletes to be Victoria’s Secret Angels. Jasmine Tookes, who was first named a Victoria’s Secret Angel in 2015, had the grand honor of opening the show. Being the first model to walk at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show is a big deal; the bigger deal, however, is that she became the first model to walk in the show with a baby bump, strutting the runway at nine months pregnant!
While there is still much work to be done, the rebrand of Victoria’s Secret will hopefully inspire other brands to promote more diversity, inclusivity and body positivity within their own brands. The world has come a long way from traditional body standards, but it's important to remember that progress is a never-ending cycle. You don’t need to alter your body to fit the standards of society or somebody else. Feeling comfortable and confident in your own skin is something to be proud of. Every body is a bikini body!