WNBA player Angel Reese became the first professional athlete to walk the runway at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show on Wednesday, as the lingerie label — and self-proclaimed arbiter of sexiness in the 1990s — continues to rebrand following years of commercial turmoil.
The 23-year-old Chicago Sky forward joined supermodels like Bella and Gigi Hadid, and former “Angels” including Adriana Lima, in a star-studded lineup that also featured transgender, pregnant and plus-size models.
The diverse cast reflects the brand’s revamped vision for its annual extravaganza, which returned in 2024 following a six-year hiatus. Speaking backstage, Reese claimed she had “manifested this moment” while attending last year’s show.
“I posted on my (Instagram) Story last year, when I was here at the show watching front row. I said, ‘I’m gonna be a Victoria’s Secret model one day,’” she said adding: “I didn’t know it was gonna come this fast.”
Once a major televised event, the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show was often criticized for promoting outdated beauty standards, with viewership plummeting (from 9.7 million in 2013 to 3.3 million in 2018) before its cancelation in 2019. An American mall staple thanks to products like the “Miracle” pushup bra, the lingerie giant was known for using primarily slim White models in its promotional campaigns.
By contrast, Wednesday evening’s live-streamed runway opened with nine-month-pregnant model Jasmine Tookes, whose baby bump was visible through a gold macrame dress with pearl embellishments and a clam shell-shaped wing evoking the image of Botticelli’s “Birth of Venus.”
