Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show 2026: The Angels Are Back, and the Runway Has Never Been the Same
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Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show 2026 brought the glamour back with iconic Angels, bold runway looks, spectacular wings and a headline-making Fantasy Bra. Nearly five decades after the brand was founded, discover the standout models, best looks and how the iconic runway has evolved.
From supermodel nostalgia to a $50 million Fantasy Bra, Victoria’s Secret returned to Los Angeles with legendary Angels, fresh faces, spectacular wings and a runway that reflects how much fashion has changed.
The wings were bigger, the glamour was louder, and the star power was impossible to ignore. The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show returned on Sunday, 18 October 2026, bringing its signature blend of lingerie, elaborate costumes and live musical performances to Sony Pictures Studios in Culver City, Los Angeles.
This year’s edition delivered a nostalgic trip through the brand’s history while giving its famous runway a contemporary twist. With supermodels returning, new faces stepping into the spotlight and a headline-grabbing Fantasy Bra, the show once again proved that Victoria’s Secret knows how to turn a fashion presentation into a pop-culture event.
But beyond the glitter and the giant wings, how far has the brand come since its beginnings?
Victoria’s Secret: Nearly Five Decades of Lingerie and Glamour
Founded in 1977, Victoria’s Secret has spent almost 50 years building its identity around lingerie, beauty and aspirational femininity. What began as a lingerie retailer grew into a global fashion name, with its annual fashion show becoming one of the most recognisable spectacles in the industry.
The runway show made its debut in 1995 before evolving into a major televised event in the early 2000s. During its peak years, it helped transform models such as Adriana Lima, Gisele Bündchen, Heidi Klum, Alessandra Ambrosio and Tyra Banks into household names.
The show became famous for its elaborate angel wings, dazzling Fantasy Bras, celebrity performers and theatrical runway presentations. However, its traditional beauty standards and narrow representation attracted growing criticism as conversations around body diversity and inclusion gained momentum.
Victoria’s Secret cancelled the show in 2019 amid mounting criticism and broader questions about the brand’s direction. Its return in 2024 marked a new chapter, bringing back the spectacle while introducing a more diverse mix of models and a renewed focus on how women are represented.
The 2026 edition continued that evolution, demonstrating that nostalgia can still sell, provided it makes room for something new.
The Faces That Owned the 2026 Runway
Bella Hadid: A Floral Opening Statement
Bella Hadid opened the show in a striking green lingerie look featuring floral embroidery, a sheer skirt and nature-inspired wings. The combination established the evening’s theatrical mood from the first walk, blending the brand’s familiar sensuality with a softer, botanical aesthetic.
Adriana Lima: An Icon Returns
Few names carry as much Victoria’s Secret history as Adriana Lima. Her return reinforced the connection between the brand’s celebrated supermodel era and its current direction. Wearing a neon-green lace bodysuit complemented by pink floral wings, Lima brought the confidence and familiarity that longtime fans associate with the Angels.
Gigi Hadid: Supermodel Energy Meets Pop Culture
Gigi Hadid was another major highlight, bringing her established runway presence to a show that thrives on personality as much as presentation. Her appearance during Tate McRae’s performance helped merge fashion and live entertainment, a combination that remains central to the Victoria’s Secret formula.
Anok Yai: A Flower in Full Bloom
Anok Yai made a memorable impression in an oversized pink, petal-inspired ensemble. The dramatic proportions gave her look a sculptural quality, turning the runway into a moving display of colour, texture and theatrical design.
Ashley Graham: Confidence in Full Bloom
Ashley Graham continued to represent the broader range of body types visible on the modern Victoria’s Secret runway. Her pale-lilac lingerie look, paired with expansive pink-and-yellow floral wings, was among the evening’s standout combinations.
Kylie Jenner: The Fantasy Bra Steals the Spotlight
If there was one moment designed to dominate the headlines, it was Kylie Jenner’s surprise runway appearance wearing the returning Fantasy Bra.
Created in collaboration with luxury jeweller Jacob & Co., the dazzling piece was reported to be worth approximately $50 million. Its return was particularly significant because the Fantasy Bra had been absent from the runway since 2018.
Jenner’s appearance connected celebrity culture, luxury craftsmanship and Victoria’s Secret’s legacy of extravagant showpieces in one headline-making moment.
The Best Looks from the 2026 Edition
While the models brought the personality, the styling supplied the spectacle. Several looks stood out for their colour, craftsmanship and dramatic silhouettes.
Candice Swanepoel’s pink extravaganza
Candice Swanepoel brought a full dose of Angel glamour in pink lace, a flowing chiffon train, sheer opera gloves and oversized floral accessories. The look leaned into the fantasy and romance that have long defined the show.
Anok Yai’s oversized pink petals
With layers of pink ruffles framing her silhouette, Anok’s look embraced the show’s theatrical side. The ensemble was bold, sculptural and made for the runway lights.
Joan Smalls stood out in royal-blue lingerie paired with a neon-yellow lace wrap and sculptural wings fading from green to purple. The clash of colours looked like a confident, high-energy finish.
A Soundtrack Worth Walking For
Victoria’s Secret has always understood that a memorable runway needs more than beautiful clothes. Music helps set the pace, energise the models and turn individual appearances into shared cultural moments.
The 2026 show featured performances from Megan Thee Stallion, Tate McRae, KATSEYE and Megan Moroney.
Tate McRae brought contemporary pop energy to the runway, while KATSEYE added a youthful, performance-driven dimension to the PINK segment. Megan Moroney introduced a country-pop flavour, and Megan Thee Stallion supplied the bold, high-energy finish expected from a major closing act.
A Soundtrack Worth Walking For
Victoria’s Secret has always understood that a memorable runway needs more than beautiful clothes. Music helps set the pace, energise the models and turn individual appearances into shared cultural moments.
The 2026 show featured performances from Megan Thee Stallion, Tate McRae, KATSEYE and Megan Moroney.
Tate McRae brought contemporary pop energy to the runway, while KATSEYE added a youthful, performance-driven dimension to the PINK segment. Megan Moroney introduced a country-pop flavour, and Megan Thee Stallion supplied the bold, high-energy finish expected from a major closing act.
How Far Has the Victoria’s Secret Runway Come?
Perhaps the most interesting part of the 2026 show was the conversation between its past and present.
During the brand’s earlier heyday, the Angels represented a particularly narrow ideal of beauty. The show became synonymous with a specific body type, highly polished glamour and elaborate costumes designed to turn models into larger-than-life characters.
Today, the runway includes a wider range of body types, backgrounds and identities. Models such as Ashley Graham and Paloma Elsesser have helped broaden the conversation around representation, while Alex Consani and Anok Yai reflect the influence of a new generation of fashion talent.
The change is not simply about casting. It also concerns how lingerie is presented, who gets to participate in the fantasy and whether the brand can balance its historic identity with contemporary expectations.
The 2026 show did not abandon the ingredients that made Victoria’s Secret famous. It brought back the wings, the spectacle, the musical performances and the larger-than-life fashion moments. Instead, it placed those familiar elements in a more current cultural setting.
That balancing act remains the brand’s biggest challenge: preserving the magic without becoming trapped by its past.
Final Verdict: The Angels Still Know How to Put on a Show
The 2026 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show delivered what its audience came to see: supermodel returns, elaborate wings, memorable lingerie, a headline-grabbing Fantasy Bra and a soundtrack packed with major performers.
Bella Hadid’s floral opening, Anok Yai’s sculptural pink look, Ashley Graham’s colourful wings and Kylie Jenner’s Fantasy Bra appearance provided some of the evening’s most memorable talking points.
Yet the bigger story was the runway’s evolution. Nearly five decades after Victoria’s Secret was founded, the brand is still working out how to combine its celebrated heritage with the expectations of a changing fashion industry.
The Angels may look different, the casting may be broader and the spectacle may have found a new home in Los Angeles, but the ambition remains familiar: make the runway an event people cannot stop talking about.
And judging by the reaction to the 2026 edition, Victoria’s Secret is not ready to let its wings fold away just yet.
What was your favourite look from the 2026 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show? Was it Bella Hadid’s floral wings, Anok Yai’s pink petals or Kylie Jenner’s Fantasy Bra?
