Uncertain but optimistic: the 2026 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show

The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show continued this year with its best showing in this new era of live runways. Saying it is the best of the new era is not necessarily a compliment, though.

The individual elements of this huge fashion moment were, for the most part, good. When they were all combined on a still-not-glittery runway, things got muddy.

After years of backlash and declining sales, Victoria's Secret put its iconic fashion show on hiatus indefinitely in 2019. The backlash stemmed from the brand having a male-dominated board whose viewpoints finally became outdated in a post #MeToo world. 

The main criticisms centered on the lack of diversity in models across the board. Not that we do not want to see Gisele Bundchen, Heidi Klum or Candice Swanepoel, but we also want to see a better representation of beauty.

That is why their sales were dipping in the late 2010s. Whereas their competitors like Aerie and Savage X Fenty were giving the industry a better representation of women without it feeling like an afterthought.

Despite a reprehensible past, Victoria's Secret made a good effort to bring their legendary show back to its former glory. Across the board, the discourse around the event has been mixed. Some loved how the show leaned into nostalgia with elements of today scattered throughout and some called the brand out for not offering anything original or interesting. 

One of the most important parts of the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show is the music. Rihanna, Gaga, Taylor Swift, The Weeknd and so many more have had culture-shifting performances alongside the VS angels. 

First of all, Tate McRae. She was hands down, undeniably the best musical guest and one of the show's best parts. She debuted her new song “Housewife” live and continued with “Dear God”, “Sports Car” and “Nobody’s Girl.”

Her claim to pop-stardom comes from her dancing and seductive mood and she did not disappoint. She pumped down the runway, with her own pair of wings, while “Sports Car” played and I think we collectively felt the Earth shake.

Tate had the best interactions with the angels because she did not overshadow or fade into the background.

Megan Thee Stallion also had a great performance. However, she did take up too much of the stage. It became a Megan show for several minutes and it slowed down the momentum. 

Megan Moroney and her “Cloud 9” album era are a good fit for a Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, but the slower nature of country music does not always fit the high-octane rhythm needed for a runway show.

It seems to me Victoria’s Secret was reaching out to a large demographic of country fans in the United States. Especially after the passing of Dolly Parton, the performance felt timely. Megan collided with a model and the music did not fit the mood, but the aesthetic did. 

The most important part of the show is, of course, the angels. There were veterans like Adriana Lima, Alessandra Ambrosia, Doutzen Kroes, the Hadids and Jasmine Tookes.

There were new stars of the runway like Anok Yai, Alex Consani, Amelia Gray, Sumer Dirx and Paloma Elesser. This cast was one of the most diverse in age, race and size. The models brought us both nostalgia and contemporary feelings. 

One of the points of contention many are having with the casting is Kylie Jenner. Kylie made her second runway walk ever, wearing the $50 million fantasy bra.

This is controversial because Kylie is not a model, but is a nepo-baby. I feel like Victoria’s Secret knew this would not be received well, yet they went through with it because it would go viral. She did walk to JADE’s “Angel of My Dreams,” which is an immaculate choice for the soundtrack. 

However, this brings up the main problem with this year's show: the cultural references felt forced. 

For instance, the soundtrack was packed with extremely new hits or nostalgic hits that have resurfaced from social media.

Specifically, playing Adela’s “Nicole Kidman” in front of Nicole Kidman definitely felt forced, because Nicole, Kristen Wiig, Dua Lipa and Pedro Pascal already did that at the Chanel Spring and Summer 2027 show. 

There were several references to Victoria’s Secret’s Y2K peak through the clothes and soundtrack. The brand is integral to the Y2K aesthetic as a whole, but did not have to make a section just for Y2K-inspired pieces. If they wanted to go full Y2K, they should have shown the backstage mayhem as they did in the old broadcasts.

Several “social media” garment construction references were seen throughout the collection by implementing the use of kinetic art, 3-D drawing pens, whimsy-maxed jeans and collaborations with Germanier’s high-fashion recycling.

Victoria’s Secret does not use animal products in its fashion, so it has led them to find and invent new methods of creating their world-famous glamour. Many have commented on the new materials looking cheap, though. 

The muddied references, looks and performances all combined to create a mediocre show. The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show was and is still a cultural institution. While it was becoming legendary, he show did not have to worry about the specific details that made it culturally relevant.

The world moved on and the show did not evolve with it. So now the show and brand are having to reassess what made them culturally relevant and come up with a strategy to help them survive. 

Luckily, for Victoria’s Secret, Gen Z has created many trends that revolve around nostalgia and that is why we love the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show. The fashion show will always have an aspirational quality and be a representation of beauty. But, Gen Z also looks at it through a lens past generations did not.

Gen Z grew up in a world that praised diversity and the generation made that trait a key part of its decisions. The generation is able to look at the fashion show as a glamorous cultural moment that gives a snapshot of beauty, but does not set the standard. 

This year there was a lot of excitement for the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show and it did not deliver on the hype. However, there is potential for the future. Victoria’s Secret has made an effort to right its wrongs, which is good. But, it still needs to figure out where it belongs within culture now because it is not the same thing it was in the past.