On a recent Wednesday night at Steiner Studios in Brooklyn, Victoria’s Secret unveiled its latest attempt at a brand reinvention. After multiple rebrands, this time, it just might stick.
The runway buzzed with familiar faces, including veteran Angels Adriana Lima and Candice Swanepoel, alongside Gigi and Bella Hadid. In a nod to the current trend for athlete ambassadors, W.N.B.A. star Angel Reese and Olympian Sunisa Lee also made their debut. Musical acts like Madison Beer, Karol G, and Missy Elliott provided the soundtrack. While wings were abundant, actual feathers were notably absent. The creative reins were handed to Adam Selman, known for his work with Savage x Fenty and his own label, and the designer behind Rihanna’s iconic ‘nude dress.’ He now serves as VS’s executive creative director.
Crucially, the entire event exuded a refreshing sense of self-awareness. Victoria’s Secret, at its core, isn’t truly about high fashion, though this show did feature more ‘clothes-adjacent’ garments than previous iterations. And it’s definitely not about female empowerment — a narrative that, frankly, was always a tough sell for the brand.
Instead, the show taps into a rich tradition of spectacle, harking back to the eras of Florenz Ziegfeld, the Rockettes, and the iconic allure of old Las Vegas. This ‘showgirl culture’ has found renewed mainstream appeal, boosted in part by pop culture icons like Taylor Swift. Whether one embraces or critiques this fantasy, its undeniable presence in our cultural landscape remains significant, reflecting a persistent thread in how we’ve arrived at our current moment.
Adam Selman clearly grasped this essence. Instead of recycling the overly theatrical, almost comically exaggerated costumes of past Victoria’s Secret shows, or making the designs so mundane they resembled mass-produced Halloween attire, he avoided grand statements about ‘how much VS has changed.’ He didn’t even dwell on the now-expected inclusivity of different body types. His strategy was simple: embrace the dazzle. The collection glittered with crystals, shimmering gilded faux feathers, and sleek chrome accents.
The stage was set with the very first look: a glowing, pregnant Jasmine Tookes emerged in a pearl-embroidered net, enveloped by a constellation of stars. The opening performance by Madison Beer, flanked by a troupe of fan-dancing backup performers, evoked the glamorous, aquatic choreography of an Esther Williams film, but on solid ground.
Adriana Lima graced the stage with wings that cascaded in acres of silver fringe, while Angelina Kendall sported what appeared to be a vibrant rosy trellis emerging from her back. Irina Shayk turned heads with a whimsical spray of pink ferns crowning her head, reminiscent of a majestic rooster, and Awar Odhiang wore a striking diadem of silvery shooting stars. The collection also featured numerous flowing, billowing robes, adding to the theatricality.
For the most part, the models appeared to genuinely enjoy their time, confidently strutting in their intimate wear and high heels for the eager audience. A minor exception was the K-pop group Twice, whose performance lacked enthusiasm; they often neglected to lip sync, holding microphones casually by their sides as their tracks played. In a memorable moment, Karol G joined the runway herself, sporting a red lace Victoria’s Secret bodysuit and a set of wings to conclude her segment.
However, fully leaning into this showgirl aesthetic carries a inherent risk: the entire event seemed to echo the bittersweet nostalgia of the 2024 film, ‘The Last Showgirl,’ starring Pamela Anderson. That movie captured a sense of longing for a bygone era, with dreams that were beginning to unravel at the edges.
Perhaps betting on this nostalgic appeal is a smart move; the past often appears through a rosy filter, particularly in an unpredictable present, and especially when illuminated by ruby stage lights. The show undeniably offers entertainment and draws a crowd. Yet, it remains to be seen if this throwback vision presents a truly compelling direction for the brand’s future, or even for the contents of your lingerie drawer.