Victoria’s Secret 2026: Redefining Beauty on the Runway

Synopsis

Victoria’s Secret asked the world a simple question: what if they brought back their iconic wings, voluminous blowouts, the pink glitter and garments worth more than a small island? Then it answered its own question with a very loud ‘yes’, a sentiment that everyone echoed. The VS Fashion Show returned to Los Angeles on October 18, and with its arrival came a celebrity-packed runway. From Bella and Gigi Hadid to Ashley Graham to Solange Omon, the 2026 edition was equal parts fashion spectacle and pop-culture moment. But beyond the pink glitter, the diamonds and the dramatic outfits, the show also raises a bigger argument: is Victoria’s Secret redefining beauty for a generation that refused to fit into just one mould?

Welcome to the City, Angels

If your social media page suddenly looks like a piece of heaven itself, please tip your hat to Victoria’s Secret. On October 18, the lingerie giant brought the girls’ version of a Super Bowl to Los Angeles. Sorry, New York, you had a good run, but LA would always be the ‘it' girl.

This year it came back home with enough sparkle, celebrity power and dramatic wings to put everyone to shame. The 2026 show revolved around the idea of changing seasons. Adam Selman, the creative director of the show, made the audience travel through the spring florals to summer glamour to autumn-inspired looks and different interpretations of winter. A dedicated PINK segment was also added to give a classic VS playful twist.

The base formula this year was all too familiar, though: stunning models, elaborate outfits, perfectly choreographed walks, flawless makeup and lingerie that probably costs more than a NYC studio apartment. But the show was trying to portray something else too.

VS has weathered plenty of controversy, including a six-year hiatus. So in order to reclaim their crown in the fashion industry, they are trying to appeal to an audience whose idea of beauty has changed considerably since the original Angels.

The Mystery Angel

So, let's address the elephant in the diamond store, shall we? Making her Victoria's Secret runway debut, Kylie Jenner arrived in the Fantasy Bra, reportedly valued at a staggering $50 million (approximately ₹475 crore). Created in collaboration with Jacob & Co. and featuring 4,410 stones, it was easily one of the night's biggest talking points. The Fantasy Bra had not appeared on the runway since 2018, making its return even more dramatic. And who better to bring it back than King Kylie herself?

Putting the grandiose creation on a beauty entrepreneur and reality-TV star, with a massive social media following also says something about the fashion industry's changing idea of an icon. Jenner's influence extends far beyond the runway, from beauty products to internet-breaking appearances. Her casting reflects how celebrity culture and fashion are now inter-connected, with a single look capable of dominating headlines. And if there's one thing King Kylie knows how to do, it's how to turn a runway walk into a moment the internet simply cannot afford to miss.

Wings Without a Mould

Let's talk about the women who had the whole internet reaching for their camera. Bella Hadid opened the show in a spring, floral-inspired look with green lingerie and a miniskirt with the wings resembling flowering vines. Her sister, Gigi Hadid, brought her own dose of glamour with a pink and blue lingerie set paired with shimmering metallic wings. The sisters have become familiar faces at the revived show, but their appearances still carry the kind of star power that makes people pause their scrolling.

But beyond the picture-perfect looks, their presence raises an interesting question: can a runway celebrate its iconic supermodel glamour while making room for a broader definition of beauty?

After all, redefining beauty does not necessarily mean abandoning everything that made the show iconic. The dramatic wings, the larger-than-life presentation are still the core of the Victoria's Secret fantasy. The difference lies in who gets to be part of it.

Today's audience wants more than a parade of flawless faces; it wants individuality, personality and a little room for imperfection. The challenge for Victoria's Secret is to make its fantasy feel less like an exclusive club and more like a world where different women co-exist.

A Chorus of Angels

For years, Victoria’s Secret Angel represented a very specific, widely accepted image of beauty. The basics were all too well known by everyone: tall, conventionally glamorous and lean. But contemporary fashion turned the tables. This year’s runway featured Ashley Graham, Paloma Elsesser, Anok Yai and Alex Consani alongside our go-to bombshells Adriana Lima and Candice Swanepoel. Their presence reflected the metaphorical passing of the torch with the expanding horizons.

This year the show had representation of different bodies, backgrounds and identities. Ashley Graham, Paloma Elsesser and Devyn Garcia brought body diversity. Valentina Sampaio and Alex Consani became the first openly trans models, bringing true LGBTQIA+ representation. These prominent figures brought a distinctive personality to the runway that was once known for presenting its Angels through a relatively uniform image, and the world couldn’t be more grateful for that.

This definitely doesn’t signify that the fashion industry’s long-standing problems with beauty standards have ended; representation is a tad more complicated than adding a few different faces to the familiar line-up. But still visibility matters. When audiences see different kinds of women celebrated in spaces that once excluded them, the definition of who gets to be considered beautiful becomes a little less rigid.

Halos, Reimagined

Between Kylie Jenner’s $50 million Fantasy Bra, Tate McRae’s performance and KATSEYE bringing pop-star energy to the runway, one thing was evident: Victoria’s Secret knew how to make headlines. But beyond the diamonds and wings was a bigger question - who gets to be an Angel today? For years, the brand sold a very specific version of perfection. Now, the audience wants more than a pretty face and a killer walk.

Enter Solange Omon, the 21-year-old model from Cameroon who earned her runway debut through the brand’s nationwide casting search. Sharing the spotlight with Ashley Graham, Paloma Elsesser and Alex Consani, she represented a runway that was gracefully inviting and making more room for different stories, bodies and identities. Barbara Palvin’s return just six weeks after childbirth added another dimension to the conversation around women’s bodies and expectations.

And, again, of course, one diverse lineup does not magically fix fashion’s beauty standards. But between celebrity favourites and newcomers like Omon, the show hinted at a different kind of glamour, one that does not demand every woman fit the same mould. After all, wings are optional; individuality should not be.

So has Victoria’s Secret changed?

The 2026 VS Fashion Show had everything: celebrity cameos, the million-dollar bling, dramatic wings and enough glamour to keep blessing your social media for days. But here’s the honest bit: irrespective of the spectacle, we still don't know if the brand's idea of beauty has changed at all. Featuring different bodies, identities and stories is a promising start, but inclusivity cannot be limited to one runway show a year. The real test lies in whether these changes become part of the brand’s identity rather than just another marketing gimmick.

Victoria’s Secret will probably always be about fantasy, and honestly, there is nothing wrong with a little drama. But beauty standards have changed, and audiences are no longer content with being told what perfection should look like. They want to see people who feel familiar, stories that feel real and a fashion industry that leaves room for difference. Whether Victoria’s Secret can sustain that shift remains to be seen. Because if beauty has to fit a particular mould to sell, has the industry really changed, or has it simply found a new way to package the same old?