Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 2025...a new history of diversity and inclusion

Dubai, United Arab Emirates - Basketball player Angel Reyes became the first professional athlete to walk the runway for women's lingerie brand Victoria's Secret on Wednesday, as the lingerie brand, which defined itself as a reference for sexiness in the 1990s, continues to reshape its image after years of commercial turmoil. The 23-year-old star, who plays for the Chicago Sky team, joined famous models such as Bella Hadid and Gigi Hadid, and former “Angels” including Adriana Lima, in a list full of celebrities that also included trans models, pregnant women, and others with plus sizes.

This diverse crew reflects the brand's new vision for its annual show, which returns in 2024 after a six-year hiatus. Reese said backstage that she had "imagined this moment" while attending the show last year.

She added: "When I was watching the show from the front row last year, I posted on my Instagram story and said, 'I'm going to be a Victoria's Secret model one day. I didn't know it would happen so quickly.'" The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show was once considered a major television event, but was often criticized for promoting outdated beauty standards, with viewership declining significantly (from 9.7 million in 2013 to 3.3 million in 2018) before To be canceled in 2019. Thanks to products such as the “Miracle” supportive bra, this lingerie giant became a staple in American malls, and was known for using mainly thin, white models in its advertising campaigns.

But Wednesday's live catwalk show opened with nine-months-pregnant model Jasmine Tookes, whose belly was visible in a gold dress embellished with pearls, with a seashell-shaped wing reminiscent of the image of Botticelli's famous painting "The Birth of Venus." Curvy models such as Paloma Elsesser, Ashley Graham and Yumi Noe also appeared, as well as Alex Konsani, who, along with Valentina Sampaio, made history last year as the first trans woman to take part in the show, while Olympic gymnast Sunisa Lee appeared in the “midtime show” for Victoria’s Secret’s “Pink” brand, which is aimed at young women.

"Models are different in appearance, but they are all beautiful," Reyes told Ofoq News website as she prepared for the show. "This is the inclusivity of being a Victoria's Secret model, and knowing that you can be beautiful in many colors, sizes, and sizes; tall or short, you can be here." Reese added that her appearance came as a result of conversations with the CEO of Victoria's Secret, Hilary Soper, who is responsible for rebuilding the brand.

"She literally told me, 'You can be here,'" she said. "You're athletic, you have the right body and you look great, very, very confident."

Super's arrival in August 2024 coincided with a modest increase in annual revenue, which grew 1% to $6.23 billion last year. But this rise came after a decade of sluggish sales, store closings, and increased competition from sportswear and lingerie brands that focus on comfort, diverse sizes, and different “nude” shades.

In 2015, the brand generated nearly two-thirds of the revenue of its parent company, L Brands, which was then estimated at $28 billion. By 2020, the brand had been privatized in a deal worth just $1.1 billion.

In the following years, Victoria's Secret sought to reposition itself by partnering with a broader range of celebrities. Prior to the brand's comeback show last year, the brand launched the VS Collective, a brand ambassador group known for promoting gender equality and positive body image.

Soccer player Megan Rapinoe and Olympic gold medal-winning skater Elaine Joo were also among the participants, although Reese remains so far the only athlete to have walked a Victoria's Secret catwalk. On Wednesday, though, the brand turned to former "Angels" like Adriana Lima and Alessandra Ambrosio, while the crew also included a host of unexpected new faces, including former Euphoria actress Barbie Ferreira and YouTube content creator Quinlyn Blackwell.

Maisie Elliott and Carol Gee also performed on a night marked, although different from previous years, by big hair and bold looks. “I wouldn't hesitate to look like this, because I worked so hard to get this body,” Reese said.