On October 15th, Victoria’s Secret held its famous fashion show in New York City. The 45-minute show was streamed on Amazon Prime and included an all-female performance lineup for the first time.
After the 2019 show, the fashion show was canceled due to concerns over lack of diversity, bad reviews, and criticism of the brand’s image. Due to the cancellation, the latest work, the first in five years, was highly anticipated.
Since 2019, Victoria’s Secret has strived to become a more inclusive brand. In this show, the company featured models of diverse ages, sizes, and ethnicities. The cast was all female to celebrate women in all their forms. Despite these efforts, the company continues to receive backlash over inclusivity issues.
Although the brand says that the image of an “angel” will fade, there were many models on the runway wearing wings. Victoria’s Secret had promised more plus-size models, but viewers were disappointed by their absence.
These fashion shows face similar reactions to beauty pageants. Women competing in the pageant are redefining beauty standards and removing rules such as being single or childless. Other issues have arisen between the pageant and its young contestants, most recently leading to Miss USA and Miss Teen USA withdrawing from the pageant.
Fundamental issues with this type of event may result in fewer pageants being held this way. With millions of women competing in beauty pageants each year, a rebrand like Victoria’s Secret could be a lost opportunity to regain attention.
Despite the backlash from the fashion show, Victoria’s Secret’s hiatus proved effective in increasing viewership. The show was one of the largest non-esports events streamed live in 2024, with a peak audience of 2.67 million viewers.
The show also featured heavy-hitting headliners, including the Hadid sisters and former French first lady Carla Bruni. Victoria’s Secret has brought back retired models such as Tyra Banks and Kate Moss to drum up interest. Singers such as Cher, Tyra, and BLACKPINK’s Lisa performed and invited music fans to stream.
Many people watched it online, but there were also many people who watched it in person. The average person cannot go to New York Fashion Week without an invitation. To be invited, patrons must be celebrities, fashion editors, photographers, influencers, volunteers, or in other types of modeling or fashion work. Tickets to NYFW started at about $80, while tickets to the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show were about $25,000.
Fashion shows have become less about the clothes and more about the production. There are live singers, and the atmosphere is incomparable to the viewers’ living rooms. Live shows are much more complex than just walking the runway in clothes, because designers know this is the moment to captivate buyers and audiences. Fashion weeks are also a good way for these workers to network and meet new people, which will lead to more creative fashion in the future.
Viewing fashion shows online is becoming larger and more accessible. There will also be no time limit for live viewers, allowing you to come back and watch the show whenever you want. Online viewers can now also interact with their avatars through 3D models, bringing them closer to the experience than seeing them in person.
Fashion shows may be changing the viewing medium, but each show is essential to fashion brands. Immediately after these shows, the brand’s sales increase significantly by promoting awareness and strengthening each designer. Each stage allows you to tell a different story tailored to your target audience that you won’t find in online shopping.
These shows may also usher in styles that are not yet generally accepted. For example, it was the first time men wore skirts on the runway, which is not uncommon today.
The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show and other big beauty events still struggle to gain respect from everyone. The importance of fashion shows cannot be underestimated, and each show hopes to engage with a new generation through inclusivity.
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