The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show officially returned this year.
The event took place on Tuesday night in Brooklyn and featured performances by K-Pop star LISA, South African singer Tyla, and pop legend Cher, who closed out the show with her hits “Strong Enough” and “Believe.”
As the lingerie company pulled out all the stops once again, here’s a look back at the last time the fashion show took place.
When Was the Last Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show?
The last Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show took place in 2018.
The event began in 1995, and by 1998, models under contract, known as “Angels,” were gracing the runway with wings. The show gained immense popularity, airing on national television and expanding internationally throughout the 2000s.
However, by 2018, the show experienced its lowest ratings ever, with NBC News reporting a decline from over 10 million viewers in 2010 to just over 3 million that year.
In November 2019, Victoria’s Secret announced the cancellation of the show to “evolve the messaging of the company,” according to Stuart Burgdoerfer, chief financial officer of Victoria’s Secret parent company L Brands. He noted during an earnings call, “We will be communicating to customers, but nothing similar in magnitude to the fashion show.”
Why Did the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show Stop?
Executives canceled the event in 2019 as the fashion industry faced backlash amid the body positivity, transgender rights, and #MeToo movements. The company also dealt with controversies surrounding its leadership, including L Brands’ CEO Les Wexner‘s association with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and controversial comments from then-Chief Marketing Officer Ed Razek about transgender and plus-size models, which led to his resignation that same year.
For the 2024 event, model and body diversity champion Ashley Graham took the stage for the first time. Although she expressed excitement about being featured, she admitted her hesitance to accept the invitation. As a woman in her late 30s and a mother of three, she aimed to represent curvy women and acknowledged the challenges of aligning with the brand’s past. In her conversation with PEOPLE, she noted, “There has been a brand DNA that’s been very hard to be a part of for so many years.”
She added, “When I talked to the head of Victoria’s Secret and they ensured me that their hope and their plan is to have extended sizes, I said, yes so that there could be more women that could see themselves represented on the runway because we did not see that during Fashion Month.”
When announcing the event’s return after a six-year hiatus, the company stated in an Instagram post in May, “We’ve read the comments and heard you.”
“The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show is BACK and will reflect who we are today, plus everything you know and love — the glamour, runway, wings, musical entertainment, and more! Stay tuned…it only gets more iconic from here.”
Where Can I Watch the 2024 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show?
The 45-minute show was streamed on Amazon Prime Video and various social media platforms.