That was fast. The wings are back. Models tromped down the catwalk of the Victoria’s Secret fashion show for the first time last year after a six-year hiatus. The company, like many legacy retailers, has struggled to find its niche with next-generation consumers. Sure, a few millennials are still snatching up the PINK label sweatpants they wore in college and risqué VS lingerie, but Gen Z? Not so much. But Victoria Secret’s transformation may just be working.
Models of all shapes and sizes wore sparkling ensembles mixed with sleek black activewear and various structural iterations of the iconic VS angel wings. The show was undeniably beautiful and undeniably diverse, entering Victoria’s Secret into the fashion lexicon of a new and highly discerning generation of lingerie shoppers.
Identity Crisis
Recent moves towards gender inclusivity, body positivity, comfort and sustainability may soon have the highly discerning Gen Z demographic whistling a different tune. Creating viral moments on social media is key for Victoria’s Secret on its path to tap into the next-generation purchasing zeitgeist. And they’re ostensibly succeeding. With 52.6 million TikTok videos on “walking into Victoria’s Secret in 2025” alone, next gens are warming up to the old stalwart in a way that must have former Limited Too executives bristling with envy.
We’re no stranger to phoenix rebirth legacy retailers, but many argue that Victoria’s Secret’s brand image is beyond salvageable. However, since she left Savage X Fenty to take over the reins of Victoria’s Secret CEO in 2024, Hillary Super successfully changed the way the world looks at the once-dated behemoth.
Let’s look at how Super helped Victoria’s Secret evolve from an old-school brand peddling poking bras, soft porn and toxic beauty standards to one that next gens is warming up to in a big way.
Nobody’s Cool with Chafing
Victoria’s Secret caught onto something that many legacy retailers didn’t realize until it was too late: “Suffering pain for beauty” simply isn’t part of the next gen purchasing paradigm. The world is on fire and they want to be comfortable. Of course, nobody is comfortable when their bodies are stuffed into panties that are ten sizes too small. Victoria’s Secret took the first strides towards shifting priorities in 2019 by expanding the size range of their swimwear collection, then expanding this size inclusivity to include lingerie and apparel.
But holy polyester, they still had some work to do. In 2022, Victoria’s Secret launched the Love Cloud Collection focused on “all-day comfort with minimal frills.” While these were fantastic steps in the right direction, Victoria’s Secret still had an image problem. The brand had become significantly more inclusive, but most next gens weren’t aware of that fact.
Catching Up to Customers
By 2023, the brand took perhaps its most significant (and public) stride towards repairing its former image before Super’s arrival: They launched VS and Pink Adaptive. To create the line, they partnered with Gamut, a consulting and talent firm working “exclusively with and for people with disabilities.”
And, when Victoria’s Secret brought back the VSX activewear line in 2024, they knew better than to keep calling it “VSX Sexy Sport” like they did in 2011. Instead, they highlighted “bold, cutting-edge styles to wear day and night.”
Through the Gamut partnership, Victoria’s Secret worked with and, key point here, listened to women with disabilities, incorporating their feedback to create a line that truly broke the mold. VS and Pink Adaptive bras and panties have magnetic closures, sensory friendly fabric, and additional modifications that enhance their ease of use for people with limited mobility or other challenges. With differently abled models as faces of its adaptive marketing campaign, Victoria’s Secret began the critical brand image shift. However, they still needed significantly more positive consumer sentiment to fully win over next gen consumers.
Flaunt the Runway
A month after Hillary Super’s appointment,, it was time for the big relaunch of the Victoria’s Secret fashion show in New York City. This time around, there were two important additions to the star-studded show, which featured Tyra Banks and both Hadid sisters. Valentina Sampaio and Alex Consani became the first openly transgender models in history to tromp their way down the Victoria’s Secret catwalk. And this casting decision helped Victoria’s Secret shift consumer sentiment from seeing the brand as an anachronism to viewing it as a true pioneer.
Diversity Without Alienating Glamour Shoppers
Before the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show’s relaunch in 2024, there was much speculation about how the brand would create an inclusive runway show with the same elevated “angel” glamour on which the brand was built. The show felt like a sink-or-swim event for the brand, as critiques around the lack of diversity and size inclusivity of prior shows still echoed from the rafters.
The show’s inclusivity was paramount in marketing efforts, and it was live-streamed on all the brand’s social channels including Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. It kicked off with an iconic all-woman musical lineup, featuring the pop legend Cher and Gen Z musical phenomenon Tyla. Models of all shapes and sizes wore sparkling ensembles mixed with sleek black activewear and various structural iterations of the iconic VS angel wings. The show was undeniably beautiful and undeniably diverse, entering Victoria’s Secret into the fashion lexicon of a new and highly discerning generation of lingerie shoppers.
How Did They Do It?
Victoria’s Secret needed more than a rebrand to remain relevant––the times called for a cultural recalibration. And, where many brands of the early aughts have fallen short, Victoria’s Secret stepped up to the plate with sizing inclusivity, a diverse cast of brand consultants and models, and viral marketing moments that shook social media to its core. The brand did what was once thought to be impossible, it remained true to its core ethos of sexiness and glamour, while simultaneously stepping up the comfort and inclusivity factors enough that next gens finally like what they see. Make no mistake, all of those follows, shares, and that 5 percent fourth-quarter sales increase were hard won and well deserved by the iconic legacy retailer.
