Victoria’s Secret Is Bringing Back Its Fashion Show

It’s been five years since the last Victoria’s Secret fashion show in 2018, and the controversial lingerie company revealed this week that a “new version” of the catwalk is on the way.

“We’re going to continue to lean into the marketing spend to invest in a business both at top of funnel and also to support the new version of our fashion show,” VS’ chief financial officer Tim Johnson said during the company’s fourth quarter earnings call on Friday (March 3), according to USA Today.

In a follow-up statement, Victoria’s Secret added, “We are always innovating and ideating in all spheres of the business to continue to put our customer at the center of all we do and reinforce our commitment to championing women’s voices and their unique perspectives.”

The statement continued, “As we’ve previously shared, our new brand projection and mission will continue to be our guiding principle. This will lead us into new spaces like reclaiming one of our best marketing and entertainment properties to date and turning it on its head to reflect who we are today.”

Throughout the years, the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show featured performances from A-list stars while the models showed off various lingerie designs. The Weeknd, Halsey, Ariana Grande, Taylor Swift, Miguel, Selena Gomez, Ellie Goulding, Bruno Mars and Shawn Mendes are among the many artists to take the stage at the fashion show.

However, Victoria’s Secret has faced controversy due to its lack of model inclusivity as well as its male gaze-focused advertising that often perpetuated unrealistic beauty standards. L Brands, VS’ parent company, canceled the fashion show in 2019, citing a move to “evolve the marketing of Victoria’s Secret.”

In 2018, the brand’s then-chief marketing officer Ed Razek faced backlash following comments during a Vogue interview in which he suggested that the fashion show did not cast trans women because “the show is a fantasy.”

In 2022, a three-part Hulu documentary titled Victoria’s Secret: Angels and Demons delved into the company’s rise and fall as well as shed light on ties between former CEO Leslie Wexner and Jeffrey Epstein.