The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show is like my Super Bowl. Every year, models wearing lace corsets, feathered capes and giant angel wings walk an LA runway in one of the biggest livestreamed fashion events in pop culture. This year’s show fell on Sunday, Oct. 18, with hundreds in attendance and millions more watching live from home; the replay posted to the official Victoria’s Secret YouTube channel has since garnered over 30 million views. Suffice to say, the show has become a cultural phenomenon, but those who haven’t engaged with it completely misunderstand why it resonates. Often misinterpreted as an excuse to sexualize women and laud unattainable beauty, the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show should be appreciated for what it truly represents: accessible fashion and female empowerment.
The VS fashion show resonates with so many women because it’s a huge fashion show for a brand that’s accessible to us. When you think “fashion show,” designers like Alexander McQueen and Vivienne Westwood likely come to mind. Rather than showcase archival gowns that cost the same as half a semester’s tuition, the VS fashion show presents models wearing clothes that viewers at home can buy after watching the show. Of course, there are some exceptions — Kylie Jenner walked in the $50,000,000 diamond-encrusted Fantasy Bra — but the nature of a fashion show warrants some form of spectacle. Most of the pieces presented can be bought on a casual trip to the mall.
Thanks to accessible products and strong brand familiarity, the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show has become a cultural phenomenon. VS is well aware of this; in an interview with AdWeek, Chief Marketing Officer Elizabeth Preis said she wanted to “make sure this year was much more participatory as a night of fun and friendship.” Preis moved the show from a Wednesday to Sunday to allow “people to get together” for viewing parties. The cultural and communal aspect is as important as the show itself.
Just as revered are the models wearing the products — the Victoria’s Secret Angels have been idolized for decades. In the 2000s, idolizing VS Angels was associated with subscribing to a narrow, unrealistic beauty standard. In recent years, however, the brand has diversified its model lineup with more women of color, transgender women and different body types. It has also brought back some of the older angels, for familiarity and to appeal to a wider age range. This year’s show also presented its newest Angel, Solange Omon, who was scouted through a nationwide open casting call. This year’s model lineup exemplifies the idea that anyone can be an Angel, and everyone should be able to see themselves in an Angel.
By far my favorite publicity move regarding the Angels is their backstage interviews. While in partial hair and makeup, the models get to take their minds off the show by discussing topics diverging from fashion, like the books they’re currently reading. I’d argue that the transformation of Angels into humans is the heart of these interviews’ appeal. The Angels aren’t just blatantly objectified or superhuman; they’re given space to be down-to-earth and express their personalities. These are empowered, well-rounded and interesting people you should want to look up to.
Despite the VS Fashion Show being empowering for women, there’s been a disgusting wave of brands posting AI-generated images of their products wearing bras and angel wings. These posts look all too similar, and since they’re AI-generated, they all look awful. Worse than the less-than-admirable impact of this marketing trend, it does more to objectify women than the fashion show itself. By putting literal objects to be sold, bought and consumed in their places, these brands disregard humanity as a significant part of the Angels’ appeal. At best, putting products in the place of models is an unoriginal marketing ploy that you’d scroll past and instantly forget about. At its worst, it’s proof that that many people don’t understand the Victoria’s Secret fashion show at all.
A lot of people have a myopic view of the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show. It’s a bunch of women in lingerie that you’re influenced to buy; how in the world can that be empowering? The angels are supposed to be unattainably gorgeous, so why should young girls look up to them?
Despite revolving around models in lingerie, the VS fashion show has never been about sexualizing women; it’s been about empowerment. Female artists are invited to perform at the halftime show and women are encouraged to get together for viewing parties at home. The point of the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show has never been to appeal to men, it’s been to appeal to the women buying the products. What better way to make people buy things than by presenting diverse models with shown-off personalities?
My takeaway? Anyone can be an Angel.