Victoria’s Secret is bringing back its fashion show and aiming for it to be bigger and more inclusive than ever before.
While the exact date and location of the fashion show haven’t been revealed yet, the two show producers, long-time Victoria’s Secret executives, are optimistic that this version will be something that viewers haven’t seen before.
In a joint interview Tuesday, Janie Schaffer, chief design and creative officer, and Sarah Sylvester, executive vice president of marketing, discussed what they’re planning for the show’s much-heralded return and how it will differ from previous shows.
“We have moved on as a business so much over the last three years, and we have really been transforming hugely. We are very comfortable with where we are getting to as a brand, and feeling super confident,” said Schaffer. “This is really a celebration of everything we’ve been doing. Believe me, we have got such super fans out there that there is an element where people are saying, ‘You bring it back exactly as it was before. Bring back exactly the same models, and don’t change anything!’” she added.
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But changes are afoot.
“It will be bigger and better than everyone has seen before,” said Schaffer, who joined the company in 2008, left in 2012, and returned in 2020. The new show is meant to be a “celebration of how amazing the fashion show was … but through the lens of Victoria’s Secret today, rather than the lens of Victoria’s Secret of old.”
The last Victoria’s Secret show, which took place in 2018, featured Victoria’s Secret Angels and musical performances by Shawn Mendes, Rita Ora, The Chainsmokers, Bebe Rexha, Halsey, Leela James, Kelsea Ballerini and The Struts. It was taped at Pier 94 in New York and later aired on ABC. It aired the same year that Rihanna’s Savage by Fenty launched with a brand built to be inclusive.
At the time, Victoria’s Secret was part of L Brands, and a 2020 exposé in the New York Times alleged a “culture of misogyny, bullying and harassment.” The brand’s annual television special was canceled in 2019, and Ed Razek, the fashion show’s longtime chief marketing officer, left after receiving backlash for refusing to hire plus-size or transgender models.
In 2021, Victoria’s Secret was spun out into an independent public company, and in 2023, the brand returned to the small screen with “The Victoria’s Secret World Tour.” Airing on Prime, the documentary highlighted the VS20, a group of 20 global creatives who conceived custom looks for the brand’s runway models.
VS & Co. posted a $4 million net loss in the most recent quarter, ended May 4, on a 3.4 percent year-over-year sales decline to $1.36 billion for the quarter.
Aiming for Inclusivity
According to Sylvester, Victoria’s Secret has been looking at DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) in everything they do from the runway to the whole business.
“That’s the most important part of our transformation the last few years. We want to be a brand that all women can participate in, whether it’s watching the show, getting your first bra fitting with us and following us on social. The fashion show will be the ultimate portrayal of that,” added Sylvester, a 19-year veteran of Victoria’s Secret.
“All women will be represented [on the runway]. It’s very important,” said Schaffer.
The assortment will also be shoppable, with viewers able to immediately buy the holiday intimate apparel collection, along with VS Sport, that will be shown on the runway.
“It’s just another way to make the brand more accessible and inclusive, and you can buy what you actually see on the runway,” Schaffer said.
TV and Wings
Sylvester wouldn’t say whether the show will be televised or livestreamed online. “We are looking at all of our options,” she said. “We’re very curious how that will show up in new and more modern ways. We’re really focused on our customer and where she’s spending her time. We’re curious about what that can mean this year. That may or may not be television like it used to be.”
So does that mean it may show up on the Internet? “We’re exploring all our options,” said Sylvester.
So far, Victoria’s Secret has confirmed that Taylor Hill, an American model and former Victoria’s Secret Angel, and Mayowa Nicholas, a Nigerian model, will walk in the fashion show. Nicholas is walking the show for the first time. Hill also appears in the fall ad campaign.
Schaffer recalled that when they posted on Instagram that the show would be returning this fall, “it was extraordinary.
“We had such an incredible reaction. I think it broke all of our records from Instagram to Tik Tok. Ninety-eight percent positive comments came in from people just desperate to see the show come back, and we had over 10 billion impressions,” said Schaffer.
The wings will definitely be making a comeback. “We love the metaphoric wings from strength to fragility, everything that encompasses a woman. For us, we are embracing the wings. It will be full of beautiful wings,” said Schaffer.
Schaffer couldn’t pinpoint the exact number of models who will participate. “It will be a huge amount of models. I think we will be breaking the record for the amount of models that walk the show. Also, we have a very big holiday collection. There are so many areas of our business that we want to represent,” she said.
“It will be an all-singing, all-dancing affair. There will be lots of entertainment, lots of models, lots of wings, lots of glamour. It will be absolutely beautiful,” she said.
What’s Expected to Be on the Runway
The brand is working with stylists, art directors and artists to bring “surprises” to the customer — in lingerie and clothing, Schaffer said.
“It will feel like an extraordinary fashion show,” said Schaffer.
Sylvester added that they plan to feature their new Sport collection that will be shown on the runway “in a fun unexpected way.”
Victoria’s Secret previously had a successful Sport collection, but walked away from that business, said Schaffer. The company has now brought back VS Sport and it includes technical fabrics seen through a high-fashion lens.
“A fashion show is such a perfect way for us to be able to show Victoria’s Secret’s point of view for Sport,” said Schaffer. The assortment includes reflective outerwear for running to technical fabrics for leggings. “Our sports bras are second to none. We already have the world’s leading sports bra with our Featherweight Max. They’re lightweight but are really strong. You can work out with them, and wear them all day. It really allows us to bring our best category which is bras to the customer,” said Schaffer.
Victoria’s Secret launched Featherweight Max bra last year and just added a Featherweight front-close bra; another new product will be introduced this fall, as will a major marketing push.
Sylvester said the fall campaign will launch Thursday that was shot in England. “We have a really huge lineup where we want to be on your social feed, out of home, videos, really just everywhere,” said Sylvester.
The Female Gaze
Sylvester and Schaffer have been with the company for a long time, but never produced a fashion show, Sylvester said.
“We’re not coming with a lot of pre-conceived notions that ‘you have to do this, or you have to do that,’ which has been really fun for us,” said Sylvester. She said they’ve been able to think outside the box with things that were previously restrictive.
“It’s also bringing a woman’s perspective on it, as well,” said Schaffer. “What is extraordinary when you look at the business today, and look at the fact that Sarah and I have been working on this show, and then you look at everybody involved with the show and everybody who’s designing the product, we’re all women. That is such a fundamental change to the business,” she said. “As soon as you’re looking through it through the eyes of a woman, it feels so completely different.”
