Big Blowouts are back at the VS Fashion Show

Mackenzie Tupja

Staff Writer

On Oct. 15, the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show made its extravagant and unforgettable return with a show full of class, elegance, music, and lights, in electrifying Brooklyn where it all began. Livestreamed globally on different media platforms like Prime Video and Amazon Live, the Victoria’s Secret event went beyond a simple fashion show; it was an implication about diversity, inclusivity, and empowerment in our changing world.

The evening began with a pre-show called the “Pink Carpet” which featured celebrity arrivals, backstage interviews, and digital fan engagement that builds up glamour and excitement leading up to the main show. Once the show began, a mix of familiar and unfamiliar faces were presented to the audience: returning supermodels like Adriana Lima, Gigi and Bella Hadid, Lily Aldridge, and Candace Swanepoel were joined by new faces like Yumi Nu and WNBA player Angel Reese, who made her runway debut.

For the second year, the fashion show had a lineup of all women to perform as artists. Madison Beer, Karol G, and K-pop group “Twice” all appeared as musical guests. Each performer and group brought high-energy performances that kept the focus on entertainment just as much as fashion.

The show came with a concise and clear program: to revitalize the brand’s once iconic and celebrated runway in a more modern and inclusive structure. The inclusion of a wider range of backgrounds, identities, and body types was brought to the brands attention due to criticism in previous years. In 2019, the fashion show was heavily criticized for outdated beauty requirements and discriminatory actions. The show was cancelled due to high concerns about a lack of diversity and originality, bad ratings, and criticism of the brand’s image overall. Also, the 2024 fashion show’s controversy focused on public dissatisfaction with the events being held were boring or mundane, as well as the common concern of a lack of diversity.

Regardless of all the controversy in the past, the 2025 show was an unarguable success regarding audience engagement, model appearances, and publicity.  Fanbase numbers were the brands highest ever in years, expressing that the brand still carries its impact over the years.

After all, the 2025 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show functioned as a comeback from the previous years. It was visually appealing, elegant, sophisticated, well-organized, and at the same time still aware of the previous criticism that shaped the show for this year. The balance of beauty and recognition to uphold the brands future is something that remains to be seen. Victoria’s Secret brand and fashion show have proven their point that it can still be the center of attention, even if audiences are debating whether it deserves it or not.