Angel Reese becomes first professional athlete to walk in Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show
WNBA player Angel Reese became the first professional athlete to walk the runway in the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show on Wednesday, as the lingerie brand – and self-proclaimed arbiter of sex appeal in the 1990s – continues to change its name after years of business turmoil.
The 23-year-old Chicago Sky forward joined models like Bella and Gigi Hadid, and former “Angels” including Adriana Lima, in a star-studded lineup that also included transgender, pregnant and plus-size models.
The diverse cast reflects the brand’s revamped vision for its annual extravaganza, which returned in 2024 after a six-year hiatus. Speaking backstage, Reese claimed she “manifested this moment” while attending last year’s show.
“I posted on my (Instagram) story last year, when I was here at the show and I was watching from the front row. I said, ‘I’m going to be a Victoria’s Secret model one day,'” she said, adding, “I didn’t know it would happen this quickly.”
Once a major television event, the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show was often criticized for promoting outdated beauty standards, with viewership plummeting (from 9.7 million in 2013 to 3.3 million in 2018) before its cancellation in 2019. A staple of American malls thanks to products like the “Miracle” push-up bra, the lingerie giant was known for primarily using white and thin models in its promotional campaigns.
In contrast, Wednesday night’s live-streamed show opened with model Jasmine Tookes, nine months pregnant, whose baby bump was visible through a gold macramé dress adorned with beads and a shell-shaped wing evoking the image of Botticelli’s “The Birth of Venus.”
Plus-size models Paloma Elsesser, Ashley Graham and Yumi Nu also appeared, as did Alex Consani, who (alongside Valentina Sampaio) made history last year by becoming the first trans woman to feature at the show. Olympic gymnast Sunisa Lee appeared in a “halftime show” for Pink, a Victoria’s Secret sub-brand targeting young women.
“Everyone looks different, but they’re all beautiful,” Reese told CNN, while getting ready before the show. “(It’s) the inclusiveness of being a Victoria’s Secret model and knowing that you can be beautiful in many different shades, sizes, lengths, heights – tall, petite – you can be here.”
Reese said her appearance resulted from conversations with Victoria’s Secret CEO Hillary Super, the woman responsible for reversing the brand’s fortunes. “She really told me… ‘You can be here. You’re an athlete, you have the body and you look great, and you’re really, really confident,'” the athlete said.
Super’s arrival in August 2024 coincided with a slight increase in annual revenue, which rose 1% to $6.23 billion last year. But this increase follows a decade of slowing sales, store closures and increased competition from sports and lingerie brands favoring comfort, diversity of sizes and different “nude” shades.
As recently as 2015, Victoria’s Secret produced nearly two-thirds of the revenue of its parent company, L Brands, which was then worth $28 billion. In 2020, the lingerie brand was taken private in a deal that valued the brand at just $1.1 billion.
Since then, Victoria’s Secret has attempted to reposition itself by partnering with a wider range of celebrities. Ahead of last year’s homecoming show, the brand launched the VS Collective, a group of brand ambassadors known for promoting gender equality and body positivity.
Footballer Megan Rapinoe and Olympic gold medalist skier Eileen Gu were among them, although Reese is, to date, the only athlete to have walked the Victoria’s Secret runway. “A lot of young women are going to look at me today to know that they have inspiration and that they can dream big,” the basketball star said.
The label still turned to former Angels like Lima and Alessandra Ambrosio on Wednesday night, although the cast also included several unexpected newcomers, including former “Euphoria” actor Barbie Ferreira and YouTuber Quenlin Blackwell. Missy Elliott and Karol G were among the musicians to perform at a party that, while markedly different from years past, still reveled in big hair and risky ensembles.
“I’m not going to shy away from looking like this, because I work hard for this body,” Reese said. “Being sexy is just something I love and always embrace.”
