Viewers were divided by the new, “inclusive” and body-positivity renamed Victoria’s Secret Show. Some onlookers thought the much awaited lingerie fashion show was too “woke,” while others felt it wasn’t inclusive enough. However, a lot of people concurred that using trans models was a step in the right direction.
For the first time since 2018, the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show debuted on Amazon Prime Video on Tuesday night in New York, USA.
According to a Forbes story published on Tuesday, the yearly event was put on hold due to a slew of scandals that rocked the lingerie company and dwindling viewership.
Victoria’s Secret revealed in May that its renowned fashion show would return, vowing to “reflect who we are today,” following years of infuriating the public and drawing accusations that the lingerie company was maintaining limited notions of femininity and excessive beauty standards.
The new “inclusive” and body-positivity rebranded Victoria’s Secret Show left viewers divided
This comment probably alludes to the company’s efforts to change how people see it by adopting a more accepting stance towards different body shapes, gender identities, and portrayals of beauty, according to Forbes.
This year’s event drew a divided response from the audience and was hosted by former Victoria’s Secret Angel Tyra Banks, who appeared in nine of the brand’s shows before retiring.
One Threads user said, “I really like how Victoria’s Secret is this year about celebrating plus-sized beauty. Fantastic to watch, and Tyra was as good as always.
“WOOW WHAT AN INCLUSIVE SHOW Victoria’s Secret!” was said by someone.
Another person added, “I will rip my dang wings off if I hear the words ‘inclusive’ or ‘accessible’ in this Victoria’s Secret live stream coverage again.”
Along with next-generation legends Taylor Hill and Barbara Palvin, Victoria’s Secret veterans Alessandra Ambrosio, Candice Swanepoel, and Adriana Lima made their comeback to the show in 2024, The Daily Mail reported on Wednesday, October 16.
Furthermore, Brazilian model Valentina Sampaio—the first transgender model to represent the brand in 2019—reportedly made her runway debut during the nighttime show.
The transgender woman and social media celebrity Alex Consani made her catwalk debut for the lingerie brand wearing a sky-blue outfit.
With the debut of plus-size models Ashley Graham and Paloma Elsesser at this year’s fashion show, Victoria’s Secret faced substantial backlash after years of being criticised for pushing models who were too thin.
Some observers felt that the highly anticipated lingerie fashion event was too “woke”
On X (previously known as Twitter), a user expressed disappointment with the program’s inclusion efforts, writing, “Victoria’s Secret came back with the most boring show ever.”
Another person said, “I’m disappointed, the Victoria’s Secret show looks so modern and boring now.”
“Victoria’s Secret has yet to listen to our public demands,” someone said in a comment. We didn’t want this show.
“Everyone has flat hair, there are no very tall models, and the production is different overall.”
Another netizen stated, “Victoria’s Secret really said go woke, go broke.”
“The new Victoria’s Secret fashion show feels so SOULLESS omg,” a viewer argued. Furthermore, why are they simulating audience cheers? Where is the famous runway?
“While charming, this wasn’t enough. Commentators said, “We need to bring back the glitter runway and more exciting performances.”
The assistant editor of Teen Vogue, Aiyana Ishmael, felt that the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show this year wasn’t inclusive enough.
Aiyana wrote an opinion piece for Teen Vogue on Tuesday, saying, “Watching thin model after thin model take the runway, I was catapulted right back to my childhood living room, watching women who didn’t look like me set a beauty standard most women will never meet.”
She said, “It almost seems like the show was designed to draw from its history without clinging to any of the depth the brand promised it would deliver.”
Others thought that the show wasn’t inclusive enough
Aiyana continued by saying that it felt forced and untrue for Victoria’s Secret executives and pink carpet announcers Tefi Pessoa and Olivia Culpo to keep saying that the event was “all about women.”
She questioned the brand’s dedication to boosting women’s confidence and pointed out an uncomfortable delivery. The author noted: “Tyra Banks’s voice boomed into the microphone, opening the show.”
“A completely new Victoria’s Secret fashion show in which women take centre stage and command attention.” Although they always have been, it is true that women took front stage in this production.
Aiyana saw the benefit of any event that increases women’s confidence since she agreed that the removal of male performers lessened the male gaze.
But just because we say the words doesn’t mean that the action will follow, she countered.
“Now that I’m older, I realise that, while I thought being an angel meant something back then, the real meaning was a legacy of upholding unrealistic and exclusive beauty standards, one the company continues to profit from even as they try to expand their scope.” “I wanted nothing more than to turn on my television and return to the adolescent joy I had for this show.”
“The proof is in the pudding,” she said, adding that “the runway was overwhelmingly thin aside from a few ‘plus’ models who, it’s worth noting, mostly fit into straight sizes.”
Aiyana observed that Paloma Elsesser and Ashley Graham were significantly more covered up than models like Gigi and Bella Hadid, in sharp contrast to their more slender rivals.
The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show took place in New York on Tuesday night (October 15) for the first time since 2018
The editor of Teen Vogue said, “They were more covered up, wearing short dresses and bodysuits, compared to the string bikini knickers and bras of models like the Hadid sisters.”
The question posed by the op-ed writer was, “But if your attempt at diversity begins and ends with mid-size, hourglass-shaped models, where do I and so many women like me fit in?” this came about because viewers of the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show could purchase the looks in real-time on Amazon.
As a result of the presentation, there is still a divide in the thoughts of viewers. One user on TikTok, Zoe Gabon, wrote, “The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show was a little bit underwhelming for me.”
Don’t get me wrong, I think what they did was fantastic; everything was inclusive and diverse. However, the enjoyment I used to have from watching it had diminished.
The TikToker expressed her excitement at the return of the legendary “Fantasy Bra,” but also lamented the lack of “glitter,” joy, and exchanges between the singer and model.
A jewel-encrusted bra that was frequently valued at millions of dollars, the Victoria’s Secret Fantasy Bra served as the focal point of the yearly fashion show.
Wearable by a restricted group of high-profile models, including Tyra Banks, Adriana Lima, and Heidi Klum, it represented the height of the brand’s glitz and exclusivity.
Marie Claire claims that this year’s show seemed to have completely done away with out-of-date clichés like the Fantasy Bra and calling the models “angels.”
The annual event went on a hiatus amid a series of controversies that rattled the lingerie brand and declining viewership
Positive comments were nevertheless generated by Valentina Sampaio and Alex Consani making their runway debuts as the first transgender models in the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show.
“Feeling quite good as a trans woman, being sat here watching the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show after watching it my whole life and finally seeing some representation,” TikToker “Mimmi’s Diary” stated in a video.
“A shout-out to my trans queen, Alex, who looked amazing while walking in the performance. Really, Victoria’s Secret, you did a fantastic job coming back.”
Ed Razek, the former chief marketing officer of Victoria’s Secret, faced backlash in 2018 for his disrespectful comments regarding brand talent.
In an interview with Vogue, Razek discussed Victoria’s Secret casting procedures and made transphobic remarks that enraged the public, taking responsibility for a homogenised, airbrushed, and sexualised company image: “Transsexuals ought to be included in the show, right? No. No, I don’t believe we ought to. Why not, then? as the program is fantastical.
Bored Panda earlier stated that Razek’s departure from the lingerie brand was confirmed on the same day that rumours started to circulate that Victoria’s Secret had signed Valentina Sampaio, the company’s first transgender model.
The lingerie brand signed Ali Tate-Cutler, a size-14 model, a year later. Since then, the billion-dollar retailer has changed its name.
After appointing a new CEO in 2021, Naomi Osaka, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Megan Rapinoe, and other spokeswomen, new alliances will be formed, along with policy reforms.
“It’s good that they learned their lesson,” a reader commented
