The Victoria Secret Fashion Show went off without a hitch on Tuesday, October 15th in New York City. As previously reported, Victoria Secret has decided to go in a more inclusive direction for their first official live fashion show since 2019. They did not disappoint. Let’s get into the details of the show!
The show started with a virtual reality visual of K-pop star and BLACKPINK member, LISA, zooming through the streets of New York City on a motorcycle as she left a hot pink trail behind her. This served as the intro to her opening act where she performed her hit “Rockstar.” Then we saw the official fashion show opener, Gigi Hadid, strut her stuff in a blush pink VS plunge romper and matching angel wings. Then the show was in full swing with an endless assembly of the most beautiful models in the world (including Adriana Lima and Imaan Hammam) making their way down the pearl-colored runway in their lingerie and wings.
After that set and a few behind the scenes shots of the models, Tyla, the next performer ascended from underneath the stage singing her single “PUSH 2 START” followed by her biggest hit “Water.” Wearing wings of her own, she rocked the stage in a way that only she could with her undeniable stage presence.
The next set took a dark turn which was a huge switch up from the blush pink and baby blue theme of the first two sets. Black, lace, and attitude, were the stars of this segment with Orianthi’s magnifying electric guitar solo and performance of “I Love Rock ‘N Roll.”
But it didn’t stop there. You can’t think of Victoria Secret without thinking of romance. LISA returned to the stage singing “Moonlit Floor” while the beautiful models showed off more black and lace ensembles plus a few bold red ones.
But perhaps the biggest surprise was a performance by the iconic Cher! She appeared on stage from inside of a cloud of smoke singing her 90’s hit “Strong Enough.” In case you’re wondering she looks just as stunning as ever. She owned the stage so much so that we almost forgot that it was a fashion show and not one of her concerts. “Believe” was the next song she performed and at that point the sexy red theme of the models’ outfits was in full effect.
And what better way to end a Victoria Secret Fashion show than to have the goddess and show host herself, Tyra Banks, lead the final catwalk for the first time in 19 years? With pink confetti flying across the stage and the beautiful women of the night following behind her in a mass of confidence and glamour to Odyssey’s “Native New Yorker,” the show ended perfectly. The fireworks over New York City were the cherry on top.
So, what made this show different from the ones in the past? Well as mentioned before, the theme was inclusivity. This show included plus size models like Ashley Graham, Kai Soleil, Devyn Garcia, and Paloma Elsesser. This was a big change for the lingerie brand that has been accused of displaying women with unrealistic and unattainable physiques. Only the second transgender model to ever walk the stage, Valentina Sampaio, made an appearance. And age discrimination was nowhere to be found with beautiful veteran models such as Doutzen Kroes, Behati Prinsloo, Alessandra Ambrosio, and Kate Moss gracing the stage. With the typical fashion model age being between 16 and 21, these women proved that you can’t put an expiration date on fabulousness, confidence, and overall sex appeal.
Hopefully this new take on what the industry finds “sexy” will be different from this point on. Although inclusivity is not a new concept it certainly is still making its way through the rigid industry of fashion. But it can and is being done, one catwalk at a time. If you missed the beautiful comeback of the Victoria Secret Fashion Show, it is available to stream on Amazon Prime. Just be warned, you may want to sign up to be a VS model after you watch it.
