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Kelly Rissman
US News Reporter
The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show is officially making its return next month after a six-year hiatus with an iconic headliner: Cher.
Back in May, Victoria’s Secret confirmed that its signature fashion show was set to return to the runway. “We’ve read the comments and heard you. The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show is BACK and will reflect who we are today,” the company announced at the time. “Plus everything you know and love – the glamour, runway, wings, musical entertainment and more! Stay tuned… it only gets more iconic from here.”
The last time the brand hosted the event in its usual television form was in 2018. However, Victoria’s Secret broadcasted its most recent fashion show in the form of a documentary, titled Victoria’s Secret: The Tour ‘23 , on Prime Video in September of last year.
On September 17, the brand officially revealed that Cher will be heading the event, which is set for October 15. Victoria’s Secret has also hinted that more performers are going to be announced as the date gets closer.
Here’s everything we know about the 2024 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, from who’s walking the runway to where the fashion extravaganza will be held.
Who’s performing at the show?
Victoria’s Secret took to Instagram on September 17 to share a video of Cher, revealing that she’ll be performing live on the runway at the show. “It’s a woman’s world, so it’s understood that you can’t have a fashion show without the mother of fashion herself – @Cher! We’re beyond excited to announce she will officially be performing,” the company wrote in the caption.
Although it hasn’t been revealed who else is performing, Victoria’s Secret hinted that more singers – specifically women – will be making an appearance.
“[Cher] won’t be alone... stay tuned, more announcements are coming to round out our first-ever, all-women lineup,” the caption concluded.
Which models are walking the runway?
Following the announcement of the fashion show’s return after six years, Victoria’s Secret has begun to reveal which models will be on the runway on October 15. Some of the models – referred to as the cast of the show – include Gigi Hadid, Tyra Banks, Paloma Elsesser, Candice Swanepoel, Taylor Hill, Mayowa Nicholas, Imaan Hammam, and Devyn Garcia.
When is the event and how can I watch?
The 2024 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show will be taking place on October 15 at the brand’s flagship store in New York City. The company has continued to describe the event as a “night of glamour, music, and of course, fashion.”
While it’s unclear whether the event will be broadcasted live on TV or streaming, Victoria’s Secret did do a Sweepstakes earlier this month, in which which people could enter for a chance to win a fashion show watch party kit. The kit included a pair of the brand’s PJs and themed game cards, as the company urged people to host their own fashion show watch parties on October 15.
How has the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show sparked controversy?
Over the years, the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show has been known for turning lingerie into works of art. However, the event has also been deemed controversial. In fact, the decision to pre-record and stream last year’s show came after Victoria’s Secret had canceled its fashion show in 2019.
The cancellation of the fashion show was likely due to declining viewership. The 2018 Victoria’s Secret fashion show only drew 3.3m viewers, down from 9.7m viewers in 2013.
In November 2018, Ed Razek – the ex-chief marketing officer of L Brands, the former parent company of Victoria’s Secret – made controversial comments regarding the lack of transgender models in the fashion show. Speaking to Vogue, Razek said he doesn’t think transgender models should be part of the show because “the show is a fantasy”.
“It’s a 42-entertainment special. That’s what it is,” he said. “It is the only one of its kind in the world, and any other fashion brand in the world would take it in a minute, including the competitors that are carping at us. And they carp at us because we’re the leader.”
Robyn Lawley, the first plus-size model to face the cover of Sports Illustrated, urged people to boycott the fashion show following his comments. She started an online petition calling for Victoria’s Secret to be more inclusive, arguing that the lingerie brand has “dominated the space for almost 20 years by telling women there is only one kind of body beautiful.”
“Until Victoria’s Secret commits to representing ALL women on stage, I am calling for a complete boycott of this year’s Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show,” she wrote on social media. “It’s time Victoria’s Secret recognized the buying power and influence of women of ALL ages, shapes, sizes, and ethnicities.”
There have also been numerous controversies surrounding certain themes and looks from past shows, some of which have been described as cultural appropriation. A Native American headdress sparked outrage during the 2012 fashion show, while a Chinese-inspired theme, called “Road Ahead,” was deemed incredibly offensive in 2016.
Janie Schaffer, Victoria Secret’s chief design and creative officer, and Sarah Sylvester, executive vice president of marketing, expressed how the brand has “really been transforming hugely” over the last three years as they discussed what fans can expect from this year’s fashion show.
“This is really a celebration of everything we’ve been doing. Believe me, we have got such super fans out there that there is an element where people are saying, ‘You bring it back exactly as it was before. Bring back exactly the same models, and don’t change anything!” Schaffer said in a joint interview with Women’s Wear Daily in July.
The Independent has contacted a representative for Victoria’s Secret for comment.
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