Victoria's Secret Fashion Show
The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show is a high-profile promotional fashion event built around the lingerie brand's seasonal collections, performers, models, and theatrical production.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show is an American fashion and entertainment event created to promote Victoria's Secret lingerie and related products. It began in 1995 and developed into one of the most recognizable televised fashion spectacles of the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. Rather than functioning as a conventional trade presentation, the event combined runway modeling with elaborate costumes, musical performances, celebrity appearances, themed stage design, and extensive brand publicity. The first show was held at New York City's Plaza Hotel in August 1995. Early editions were staged near Valentine's Day and helped connect Victoria's Secret with romantic gift-giving and premium lingerie. In 1999 and 2000, the show was distributed online, including a widely publicized webcast promoted during Super Bowl XXXIII. The event subsequently moved toward a major television format. Its 2001 edition debuted on ABC, while CBS carried most editions from 2002 through 2017; ABC broadcast the final traditional network edition in 2018. At its height, the show was associated with the company's contracted models, who were widely known as Victoria's Secret Angels. The event's visual vocabulary included extravagant wings, jeweled bras, fantasy-themed lingerie, changing thematic segments, and performances by prominent musicians. Victoria's Secret also used the broadcast to introduce or reinforce product lines, including the PINK brand, while the surrounding publicity generated magazine coverage, digital content, retail attention, and celebrity interest. Shows were held mainly in New York City but also took place in Los Angeles, Miami, Cannes, Paris, London, and Shanghai. The event became increasingly controversial as cultural expectations changed. Critics argued that its aesthetic promoted a narrow and objectifying view of femininity, excluded many body types, and sometimes relied on culturally insensitive imagery. The 2012 show drew criticism over an outfit styled with Native American-associated motifs, leading the company to remove the look from the broadcast and future promotional material. In 2018, chief marketing officer Edward Razek faced strong criticism after comments about transgender and plus-size models. The controversy intensified scrutiny of Victoria's Secret's leadership and marketing practices. The show's television audience and its perceived marketing effectiveness declined during the 2010s. Victoria's Secret also faced stronger competition and changing consumer expectations around representation and inclusivity. In 2019, L Brands questioned whether network television remained an appropriate platform, and the company officially canceled that year's show in November. The cancellation followed broader criticism surrounding Razek, former L Brands chief executive Les Wexner, and Wexner's association with Jeffrey Epstein, although the company publicly emphasized declining viewership and the lack of a significant immediate sales effect. Victoria's Secret later attempted to replace the traditional broadcast with more digitally oriented and globally diverse content. The Victoria's Secret World Tour, released as an Amazon Prime Video special in September 2023, combined documentary material with fashion presentations produced in Bogotá, Lagos, London, and Tokyo. A runway-oriented show returned in New York in October 2024, with Valentina Sampaio and Alex Consani becoming the first transgender models to walk in the event. A further edition followed in 2025, featuring professional athletes including Angel Reese and Sunisa Lee. The revived format retained the event's entertainment and fashion identity while presenting a broader approach to casting and creative participation.
History
The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show was introduced in 1995 as a promotional event for Victoria's Secret. Its first edition took place at the Plaza Hotel in New York City and featured models including Stephanie Seymour, Beverly Peele, and Frederique van der Wal. The event was initially associated with the Valentine's Day shopping period, reinforcing the lingerie brand's romantic and aspirational positioning. The show expanded its media profile quickly. In 1999 and 2000, it was webcast online, with the 1999 edition receiving substantial publicity through a Super Bowl advertising and promotional campaign. In 2000, the event was staged in France in connection with the Cannes Film Festival and raised money for Cinema Against AIDS. The 2001 production returned to New York and became the show's first network television broadcast, airing on ABC. It was dedicated to victims of the September 11 attacks, while the broadcast also attracted complaints to the Federal Communications Commission over its presentation. From 2002 through 2005, the show was held at New York's Lexington Avenue Armory. The 2004 edition was canceled in the aftermath of the Super Bowl halftime-show controversy. Victoria's Secret substituted an Angels Across America promotional tour, sending prominent contracted models to New York, Miami, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles. The regular runway format resumed afterward. The event became an annual television property with a recognizable combination of lingerie, wings, fantasy costumes, celebrity models, live music, and themed production segments. In 2006, Victoria's Secret's PINK brand began appearing on the runway. The 2006 and 2007 shows were held at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles, and the company's Angels received a Hollywood Walk of Fame star in 2007 as part of a celebration of Victoria's Secret's presence on Hollywood Boulevard. That year's show included the Spice Girls and marked Gisele Bündchen's final walk for the event. The 2008 production was held in Miami alongside the reopening of the Fontainebleau Miami Beach, while the 2009 edition returned to the Lexington Avenue Armory and included a model-search competition. During the early 2010s, the show remained a major American television spectacle. Performers included Katy Perry, Akon, Rihanna, Justin Bieber, Bruno Mars, Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran, Ariana Grande, Hozier, Lady Gaga, and The Weeknd. The production also traveled beyond its New York base, with editions or special productions in locations such as Los Angeles, Miami, Cannes, Paris, London, and Shanghai. Wings became one of the event's defining design elements after being introduced in 1998, although they appeared only on selected looks rather than every outfit. The show's cultural reception became more contested over time. Critics objected to its narrow body ideal, sexualized presentation, limited representation, and instances of cultural appropriation. In 2012, an outfit associated with Native American imagery was criticized as stereotypical. The company apologized and removed it from later versions of the broadcast and its advertising. In 2018, Ed Razek's remarks that the event was not intended to include transgender or plus-size models produced another major backlash. The controversy came as television ratings and the broader Victoria's Secret business were weakening. Viewership reportedly fell from 9.2 million in 2014 to 3.2 million in 2018. In 2019, L Brands chief executive Les Wexner questioned whether network television remained suitable for the event. Ed Razek resigned in August of that year after sustained criticism. In November, L Brands chief financial officer Stuart Burgdoerfer confirmed the cancellation of the 2019 show, citing declining ratings and the absence of an immediate material sales effect from the broadcast. Coverage also linked the event's crisis to wider criticism of Victoria's Secret's culture and to scrutiny of Wexner's relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. The company subsequently shifted attention toward digital content and a more inclusive brand strategy. In 2023, it announced The Victoria's Secret World Tour, a Prime Video special combining documentary storytelling with fashion presentations developed in Bogotá, Lagos, London, and Tokyo. The show returned to a runway format in New York in October 2024. Valentina Sampaio and Alex Consani became the first transgender models to walk in the event. The 2025 edition continued the revival and featured professional athletes Angel Reese and Sunisa Lee, signaling an effort to broaden the event's casting and cultural relevance while retaining its fashion-and-entertainment identity.
- 2025
Athletes join the runway cast
[1]Angel Reese and Sunisa Lee became the first professional athletes reported to walk in the show.
- 2024
Runway revival
[1]The event returned to New York with a revised casting and presentation approach. Valentina Sampaio and Alex Consani became its first transgender runway models.
- 2023
The Victoria's Secret World Tour
[1]A Prime Video special combined documentary material with fashion presentations developed in four international cities.
- 2019
Official cancellation
[1]L Brands confirmed that the annual fashion show would not be produced, citing declining viewership and limited sales impact.
- 2018
Final traditional network broadcast
[1]The 2018 edition aired on ABC amid falling ratings and criticism of the show's casting and marketing approach.
- 2017
First show in Asia
[1]Shanghai hosted the first Victoria's Secret Fashion Show held in Asia. The edition also included a collaboration with Balmain.
- 2016
Paris production
[1]The show was staged at the Grand Palais in Paris and featured performances by Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars, and The Weeknd.
- 2012
Cultural appropriation controversy
[1]The company removed a Native American-inspired outfit after criticism from viewers and cultural commentators.
- 2006
PINK runway segment introduced
[1]Victoria's Secret's PINK brand began appearing as a recurring component of the show.
- 2004
Runway production canceled for one year
[1]The company replaced the regular show with the Angels Across America promotional tour.
Products and positioning
A theatrical, celebrity-led fashion and entertainment platform used to market Victoria's Secret products and shape the public image of the brand. Its historic positioning emphasized glamour, fantasy, spectacle, and an idealized model image; its post-2023 revival has placed greater emphasis on global creative communities, varied representation, and digital distribution.
Fashion event · 1995
Annual Victoria's Secret Fashion Show
The core offering is a staged runway event presenting Victoria's Secret lingerie and related fashion products through themed segments, elaborate styling, wings, music, celebrity participation, and theatrical production. Historically it was produced as an annual event and distributed through American network television, although later editions used digital and streaming formats.
Model and marketing platform
Victoria's Secret Angels
Contracted Victoria's Secret models were central to the show's identity and promotional system. The Angels appeared in runway presentations, advertising, public appearances, and related campaigns, helping connect individual models with the company's aspirational image.
Runway design element · 1998
Wings and fantasy looks
Large wings, sculptural accessories, jeweled lingerie, and fantasy-themed costumes became signature visual components. Wings were introduced in 1998 and were used selectively to transform individual looks into recognizable theatrical images rather than serving as a standard part of every outfit.
Brand segment · 2006
PINK runway segment
Beginning in 2006, the younger-oriented PINK sister brand received a dedicated segment in the show. The segment used different styling, music, and energy from the main Victoria's Secret presentation while extending the event's promotional reach across the company's brand portfolio.
Streaming fashion special · 2023
The Victoria's Secret World Tour
Released in 2023, The Victoria's Secret World Tour combined documentary storytelling with fashion performances and creative work from Bogotá, Lagos, London, and Tokyo. It represented the company's attempt to develop a digitally distributed successor to the traditional television runway show.
Controversies
2019
Leadership and corporate-culture backlash
Criticism of Razek and scrutiny of Les Wexner's association with Jeffrey Epstein formed part of the wider reputational crisis surrounding Victoria's Secret and the show's cancellation.
2018
Criticism of casting and inclusivity
Ed Razek's comments about transgender and plus-size models led to widespread criticism, reinforcing existing concerns about the show's narrow representation and objectifying brand image.
2012
Native American-inspired outfit controversy
An outfit worn by Karlie Kloss was criticized for using imagery viewed as a stereotypical representation of Native American culture. Victoria's Secret apologized and removed the look from the broadcast and future advertising; Kloss also apologized.
2001
Broadcast indecency complaints
The first network television edition generated complaints to the Federal Communications Commission over the show's sexualized fashion and broadcast presentation.
Marketing campaigns
- 2023The Victoria's Secret World Tour
United States · Colombia · Nigeria · United Kingdom · Japan · Global
The streaming special followed four creative teams in Bogotá, Lagos, London, and Tokyo and combined their work with a fashion presentation.
Outcome. The project provided a digitally distributed successor to the discontinued network television format.
- 2009Victoria's Secret Model Search
United States
The 2009 show incorporated a competition intended to find a new runway Angel, with Kylie Bisutti announced as the winner.
Outcome. The competition generated an additional talent-discovery and publicity element around the runway event.
- 2004Angels Across America
United States
After the runway show was canceled, Victoria's Secret sent prominent Angels on a promotional tour through New York, Miami, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles.
Outcome. The tour served as the company's replacement promotional vehicle for the year.
- 1999Super Bowl webcast countdown
United States · Global
Victoria's Secret promoted a 72-hour countdown to the online broadcast of its fashion show during Super Bowl XXXIII. The campaign helped turn the event into a high-profile internet media property.
Outcome. The webcast reportedly attracted more than two million viewers and established an early digital distribution precedent for the show.
Brand decisions
2024
Revive the runway formatProduct launchBackground
The company announced that the fashion show would return after the 2019 cancellation and the 2023 streaming experiment.
Action taken
Victoria's Secret held the returning show in New York and expanded its casting approach to include transgender models.
Aftermath
Valentina Sampaio and Alex Consani became the first transgender models to walk in the event, while the show continued in 2025.
2023
Introduce a streaming successorProduct launchBackground
Victoria's Secret sought a new format after the cancellation of its traditional television event.
Action taken
The company produced The Victoria's Secret World Tour as an Amazon Prime Video special combining documentary and fashion content.
Aftermath
The project broadened the event's geographic and creative scope and preceded the return of a New York runway show in 2024.
2019
Discontinue the network television showStrategyBackground
Viewership had fallen substantially, the brand faced changing consumer expectations, and management questioned whether network television was still the right platform.
Action taken
L Brands canceled the 2019 production and indicated that the company would explore new content and event formats.
Aftermath
Victoria's Secret moved toward digital marketing and later developed The Victoria's Secret World Tour and a revised runway event.
2017
Stage the show in ShanghaiStrategyBackground
Victoria's Secret pursued a major international production and sought to present the event in the Asian market.
Action taken
The company held the first Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in Asia and collaborated with Balmain.
Aftermath
Visa and entry problems affected some prospective participants, and Katy Perry's planned performance was canceled after her travel authorization was revoked.
2004
Cancel the annual runway productionOtherBackground
The decision followed the public controversy surrounding the Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show.
Action taken
Victoria's Secret canceled the 2004 runway show and replaced it with the Angels Across America tour.
Aftermath
The traditional runway event resumed in later years.
2001
Move to prime-time network televisionStrategyBackground
The company sought to expand the event beyond fashion-industry and online audiences.
Action taken
The show made its network television debut on ABC.
Aftermath
The broadcast became a major recurring component of Victoria's Secret's promotional strategy, with CBS carrying most subsequent editions through 2017.
Sources2 sources
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