The most conspicuous statement attending the event was that after six years of stagnation, Victoria's Secret Fashion Show is back, and women will now be steering the brand's fate.
The night had all these characteristics, not only with the models walking the runway in fancier, if not more effortless, outfits, including leggings as well as sheer coverings, but also with an all-female musical production that went more than eye candy.
The event had more women of color than ever before recorded in its narrative—almost all of them naturalistas. There were even some plus-sized and older women participating on the catwalk.
One of the original 'Angels,' Adriana Lima, charged onto the runway with raucous cheers, hoots, and howls from the audience. The show also included famous models Bella Hadid, Alex Consani, and Paloma Elsesser. Fifty-year-old Kate Moss, alongside her daughter Lila, made her Victoria's Secret show debut as well-walking models.
The evening defined their main star in a brilliant rendition of "Believe" and "Strong Enough" by Cher—most probably. The performance's narrative has fashion commentator Roxanne Robinson noting that "the models could have been in their birthday suits and no one would have cared."
Ongoing development
"Fast forward to the '90s: Victoria's Secret became the go-to store for women's underwear and laid down the marker for sexy." Malls had also exploded on the American landscape, introducing several jaw-dropping products. The 1990s saw the marketing of the so-called "miracle" push-up bra. The brand achieved its ideal woman image using naked supermodels for its product catalogs and advertisements and in its annual shows.
In the late 2010s, the aged technique of the brand marketing orthodoxies of the day—using only skinny, predominantly white models—stopped working. Vogue fell behind, much controversy resulting as thick-skinned bigots shocked quite a bit, mainly by the comments about trans- and plus-size models included by then L-brands marketing head in 2018.
By this point, viewership for the fashion event had plunged: from 9.7 million viewers in 2013 to a dismal 3.3 million. Within this same time frame, new brands like Rihanna's Savage X Fenty entered Victoria's Secret territory by catering to size inclusivity and greater representation of black ethnic populated communities in their campaigns and events.
"The last few years were, in my opinion, a confused mess of marketing strategies attempting to appeal to the Brazilian style audience," remarked fashion and beauty journalist Chantal Fernandez, who chronicled the rise and the fall of the underwear behemoth in her new book "Selling Sexy" with co-author Lauren Sherman.
"It was really nostalgic for me to see Tyra Banks, I must say," said celebrity stylist Law Roach. Banks wore a fitted bodice and fitted trousers, draped with a silver cape. "Is it a work in progress?" Roach said regarding his feelings toward the company's rebranding effort. "I mean, it's a step in the right direction."