The Angels of Victoria’s Secret are back, but where’s the promised inclusivity?
Victoria’s Secret is back with all the glamour and glitz after a six-year hiatus and the fashion world is moved again. The show took place last night with stars like Gigi Hadid and Kate Moss gracing us with their glorious walk. Victoria’s Secret night was filled with stars in their wings from Ashley Graham making her debut as a plus-sized model to Valentina Sampaio walking Victoria’s Secret runway as the first transgender model.
The Fashion Show returned the veteran Victoria’s Angel Adriana Lima from 1999 to 2018 on the ramp. All the Victoria’s Secret models looked flawless in a perfectly assembled lingerie set and criss-cross wings. Gigi Hadid who opened the show was one of the standout moments of the whole fashion show. The Model opted for a baby pink romper with massive wings larger than life and it opened. Victoria’s Secret had a list of famous stars who walked the ramp on October 15, including Tyra Banks, Adriana Lima, Taylor Hill Barabara Palvin, and everyone’s favorite Ms. Bella Hadid. The show was accompanied by one of the best musical performances by iconic Cher, K-pop queen Lisa from BLACKPINK, and South African music star Tyla. This was the first time the show featured an all-women musical lineup and surely they all added an international and contemporary flair to the event.
When the Fashion Show was announced it promised us inclusivity, but was it really there? If I remember clearly the show featured mostly idol-sized models, I saw thin models coming one after another. If it was supposed to be inclusive, women of all body shapes and sizes should’ve been on the runway. Adding a transgender model to walk for the first time in the history of Victoria’s Secret was a great touch to the whole agenda of inclusivity, but it wasn’t enough to make us believe that the hype of Victoria’s Secret returning to its form was worth it after all.
There is more than enough information on why Victoria’s Secret went downhill, people claimed it to be a toxic workplace environment and it was mostly keen on promoting a perfect body type. After things went south, they tried to add some plus-sized models to the list, but wasn’t enough to prove the point of inclusivity, Later on, the sales of the company started to slide, forcing them to go on a hiatus of six years.
I remember watching the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show and feeling like I could never be one of their angels for weeks. Is this what they should promote, Fashion shows are meant to give women confidence and make them feel glamorous. But likely, Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show failed to do so for us.
