ITNTW – Rebranding the Runway – the return of Victoria’s Secret

The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show returned to the runway last week after a 6 year hiatus. In 2019 it was announced the show would not be returning in order to “evolve the messaging of (the company).” After a year filled with the body-positivity movement and the #MeToo campaign, Victoria’s Secret executive decision to disallow plus-sized and trans models to walk the runway, was not taken lightly by the wider public. It seemed there was no longer a place in society for the once iconic angels to strut the runway, beyond just their fashion show, Victoria’s Secret was the latest victim of cancel culture. 

This year, however, it was announced the infamous runway was back. 

Already a successful year for the brand, gaining immense popularity from their collaboration with popstar Sabrina Carpenter in which VS debuted designs for her Act 1 wardrobe for her ‘Short n Sweet’ world tour. The collaboration exposed the brand to the next generation of consumers, and therefore expanded the audience that their fashion show would attract. 

As part of their rebrand, Victoria’s Secret stated their fashion show would be looking slightly different, hoping to leave the image of stick thin starving sex-symbol models in the past. They hoped to hold diversity and female-empowerment at the forefront of the 2024 show. The first year to host an all-female lineup of musicians including Lisa, Tyla & Cher, it’s clear they wanted to shift the narrative away from the runway being for male visual appeal, this was heightened by the feature of female-empowerment anthems “Femininomenon” and “Super Graphic Ultra Modern Girl” by Chappell Roan. 

The runway saw many fan favourites return including Gigi & Bella Hadid, Adriana Lima and Barbara Palvin, showing they still were eager to hold onto the legacy the show once had. However, as anticipated the show also featured many new models gaining their wings including the likes of Ashley Graham, Valentina Sampaio and Alex Consani, making it more apparent the brand was straying from its old narratives. Age diversity was also central to the show, with icon Kate Moss making her debut and Tyra Banks closing the show.

Reviews of the fashion show were mixed. Many fans loved the return, excited to see their favourite models return, reminiscing on the nostalgia of the old shows. Others however, did not have the same response, claiming that the show had no place in the future and still idolised unrealistic body types and paraded a company with a strong history of toxic behaviour. 

With such a divide still clear, it’s hard to tell if the show will ever be able to become the pop culture phenomenon it once was. When executed correctly, rebrands can completely change the trajectory of a business for the better, allowing them to successfully reconnect with target audiences and sustain into the future. 

Written by Victoria Guest, PR & Influencer coordinator @ InsideOut PR