Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show Returns in 2024: Embracing Inclusivity and Modern Glamour
The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show is making a highly anticipated comeback this year. On Wednesday, the retailer confirmed that its annual fashion show, which last took place in 2018, will officially return later in 2024. “We’ve read the comments and heard you,” the caption of an Instagram video declared.
A Victoria’s Secret spokesperson confirmed the news in a statement to USA TODAY, saying the 2024 fashion show “will deliver precisely what our customers have been asking for — the glamour, runway, fashion, fun, wings, entertainment — all through a powerful, modern lens reflecting who we are today.”
L Brands, Victoria’s Secret’s parent company, canceled the fashion show in 2019, citing an effort to “evolve the marketing of Victoria’s Secret” amid declining event ratings. “Fashion is a business of change,” L Brands CEO Les Wexner said in a 2019 statement. “We must evolve and change to grow. With that in mind, we have decided to rethink the traditional Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show. Going forward, we don’t believe network television is the right fit.”
The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, which began in 1995, has featured notable performances from artists like Rihanna, Ariana Grande, and Taylor Swift, and highlighted models such as Heidi Klum and Kendall Jenner. The show made a quasi-return last year with Victoria’s Secret’s “The Tour ’23,” a “reimagined” event that streamed on Prime Video.
Victoria’s Secret received backlash in 2018 after its chief marketing officer, Ed Razek, made controversial remarks about the inclusion of transgender models. Razek later apologized for his comments, emphasizing that the brand would consider transgender models for future shows.
Model Kate Upton also criticized the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show for its lack of body diversity. “You know what, we’re sick of seeing the same body type,” she said on “Watch What Happens Live” in 2019. “You have to be body inclusive now. Every woman needs to be represented. Otherwise, it’s a snoozefest.”
In an FAQ page shared on its website, Victoria’s Secret promised “updates to reflect our values and brand mission of today” and said the new format of the fashion show will be inclusive. “Victoria’s Secret is focused on celebrating and supporting all women, and that won’t change anytime soon,” the page stated. The FAQ also cited “massive” demand as the reason for the show’s return with a “new and modern take reflective of who we are today.”
While the precise date for the 2024 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show has not been announced, the teaser video indicated it will take place in the fall.