Unapologetically sexy is back: Stars sizzle in sheer ensembles at the 2025 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show after woke backlash

Countless glamorous beauties walked the pink carpet ahead of the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show in New York on Wednesday. 

Last year, the Angels returned to the catwalk after a six year hiatus with a more diverse roster including plus-size and transgender models.

But this year Victoria’s Secret’s new CEO announced plans to return to its ‘unapologetically sexy’ branding as it moves away from its woke rebrand. 

Madison Beer, 26, kicked off the event looking sultry in a sheer black dress that left very little to the imagination. 

The design gave peek at the black lingerie she wore underneath, and featured two revealing slits. 

Jodie Turner-Smith, 39, stunned in a plunging frilly white mini dress that showcased her cleavage. 

Andie MacDowell’s daughter Rainey Qualley, 36, flashed her legs in a white lace mini. 

The Hills star Whitney Port, 40, showed off her slim frame in a chic black dress with side cut outs. 

Idris Elba’s daughter, Isan, 23, wowed in a lace-up black mini dress that showed off her toned legs. 

Sex and the City star Sarah Jessica Parker, 60, looked stylish in a black dress and a matching black coat. 

Kylie Jenner’s former BFF Jordyn Woods, 28, rocked a cheetah print puffer coat, black tights, and platform heels. 

Tessa Brooks, 26, turned heads in a plunging black dress. 

Chloe Sevigny, 50, matched the show’s aesthetic in a pink mini dress with a frilly collar. 

Arnold Schwarzenegger’s son Patrick Schwarzenegger, 32, sported a dapper all-black look, which he accessorized with a silver chain. 

Actress Karen Gillan, 37, wore a sheer black dress that showed off her black bra underneath. 

The Real Housewives of New York City star Jenna Lyons was joined by partner Cass Bird. 

The show features several former Victoria’s Secret Angels including Adriana Lima, Alessandra Ambrosio, Doutzen Kroes, Candice Swanepoel, Behati Prinsloo, Lily Aldridge, Taylor Hill, Stella Maxwell, Barbara Palvin, and Grace Elizabeth.

Other returning models include Gigi Hadid, Joan Smalls, Irina Shayk, Ashley Graham, Anok Yai, Alex Consani, Paloma Elsesser, and Yasmin Wijnaldum.

There will also be newcomers to the runway show like WNBA star Angel Reese, influencer Quenlin Blackwell, nepobaby Iris Law, plus-size model Yumi Nu, model Daiane Sodre, actress Barbie Ferreira, and plus-size model Precious Lee.

Past musical performers at the event included Rihanna, Justin Bieber, Bruno Mars, Taylor Swift, and Cher and this year’s roster includes: Missy Elliott, Karol G, K-Pop group TWICE, and Madison Beer.

For decades, the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show was one of the most coveted runway events in fashion.

It first kicked off in 1995 and immediately attracted immense buzz, with some of the biggest models on the globe walking in the fashion show.

By 2001 it was being broadcasted live on television, and each year, millions tuned in to watch the stunning models strut their stuff and the A-list performers dazzle on stage. 

But in 2019, after more than two decades of it reigning supreme, the annual show was canceled amidst immense criticism over the brand’s lack of diversity when it comes to body types before then-chief marketing officer Ed Razek’s eyebrow-raising comments about trans and plus-sized models.

The lingerie company is embracing its bombshell roots after years of struggling sales and a tepid response to its diverse catwalk last year.

CEO Hillary Super, 53, who took on the role in September 2024, admitted her predecessors had allowed the brand to become ‘watered down’.

‘At the time I took over, Victoria’s Secret was regarded as inappropriate and off-color and we had to correct those mistakes,’ former CEO Martin Waters told the Wall Street Journal. 

The company toned down its provocative branding after a a 2020 New York Times article reported that many employees and models faced a slew of misogyny and harassment.

At the time, the brand was under the leadership of Leslie Wexner and Ed Razek. 

Super, however, said many decisions were made ‘out of fear’ after the company moved away from their sexualized branding and more toward comfort following a wave of backlash. 

The brand’s seductive lingerie was replaced with products with more coverage and plain designs, as well as a heavier focus on athleisure wear and comfortable pajamas. 

The company’s move into a more diverse and inclusive brand came after Victoria’s Secret came under fire following accusations of the brand’s problematic environment.

A former public relations employee for the company, Casey Crowe Taylor, told WSJ: ‘What was most alarming to me, as someone who was always raised as an independent woman, was just how ingrained this behavior was.

‘This abuse was just laughed off and accepted as normal. It was almost like brainwashing. And anyone who tried to do anything about it wasn’t just ignored. They were punished,’ she added. 

Razek denied the allegations at the time and declared them ‘categorically untrue’ or ‘taken out of context’.

‘I’ve been fortunate to work with countless, world-class models and gifted professionals and take great pride in the mutual respect we have for each other,’ he added. 

A spokesperson for Wexner, who was reported to have close ties to Jeffrey Epstein, declined to provide comment to the outlet at the time. 

Epstein was said to have lied to many Victoria’s Secret models and aspiring models and claimed that he worked for the company.

Victoria’s Secret also faced a wave of backlash in 2019 over poor quality and a lack of diversity among its models.

That same year, the CFO of Victoria’s Secret’s parent company Stuart Burgdoerfer announced the annual VS Fashion Show would be canceled. 

The VS Fashion Show returned in 2024 with a new focus that included plus-sized models, such as Ashley Graham, as well as transgender models and different ethnicities. 

They hired Valentina Sampaio, their first transgender model, to star in their new VS Pink campaign after Razek left. 

However, the show was derided as lackluster and lacking the traditional glamor for which the brand was known.