The Victoria’s Secret Show 2024 – a moment you’d been waiting for, or an event you’d rather the lid had stayed shut on?
Either way, there was no denying the star-studded event returned with its signature high-octane glamour after a six-year hiatus, filled with showstopping musical performances, luscious lingerie and an endless line of famous faces.
While we, as expected, saw former VS icons including Candice Swanepoel, Gigi Hadid, Tyra Banks, Alessandra Ambrosio, Taylor Hill and Adriana Lima, newer faces including Paloma Elsesser, Devyn Garcia and Barbara Palvin also graced the catwalk in New York.
The most surprising name to walk the golden runway was high fashion model legend Kate Moss, who made her VS debut at the age of 50.
© TheStewartofNYWalking whilst a solo female guitarist belted out I Love Rock & Roll, Kate stunned in a black lace ensemble complete with a sheer mid-length dress with a v-neckline and long sleeves – a look not too dissimilar from her signature sartorial agenda off the runway for special occasions (minus the ginormous fluffy black wings, of course).
© TheStewartofNYHer 22-year-old daughter, Lila Moss, also appeared in the show, highlighting Victoria’s Secret’s rebrand, and aims to reach a broader audience.
Though the Gen Z model often wears Kate-coded outfits, she was complete style opposites with her mother on the runway, wearing a taupe bra and thong set, accessorised with a glitzy, tonal body chain and a dramatic textured jacket that went straight onto our autumn/winter wishlists. Her look was finished with contemporary ‘wings’ that read her name.
© TheStewartofNYThe show was initially meant to return in 2023, announced by Chief Financial Officer Timothy Johnson who explained in a call: “We’re going to continue to lean into the marketing spend to invest in the business, both at top-of-funnel and also to support the new version of our fashion show, which is to come later this year.”
The brand was at the forefront of questions regarding diversity and inclusivity, the main factors for its downfall in the late 2010s.
“The fashion industry has come a long way since the show’s debut in 1995. What worked for the brand in the late nineties and early Noughties is definitely not going to work this time around,” said H! Fashion’s Chloe Gallacher.
“The once-glamorous spectacle that was the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show hit pause back in 2019, and for good reason. The show, once a major pop culture event, began facing intense criticism for its lack of diversity and outdated beauty standards. The show was previously an annual event, but was cancelled following controversies surrounding the inclusivity of the models on the runway.”
So, has VS finally redeemed itself? We’ll let you decide…
