The highly anticipated return of the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show was a night of glitz, glamour, and star power. But as the angels strutted down the catwalk, there were some familiar faces noticeably absent—including one of the brand’s most iconic models, Gisele Bündchen.
Bündchen, who graced the Victoria’s Secret runway from 1999 to 2006, was among the many former angels who declined the opportunity to participate in the brand’s comeback event. Reports indicate that the Brazilian supermodel received an invitation to walk but graciously declined, citing her retirement from runway shows.
“I never said I would retire, just that I would no longer do runways,” Bündchen explained in a previous interview. “I will never stop working. My desire is to continue creating until the day I die. I love the creativity that exists within me; I want to learn new things.”
Bündchen’s decision to sit out the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show is understandable, given her stated discomfort with the revealing outfits and the brand’s past controversies. In a 2022 interview, Bündchen admitted, “I always made sure to cover my back because it just made me uncomfortable walking on a runway with my butt hanging out.”
But Bündchen was not the only high-profile angel missing from the catwalk. Other notable absentees included Heidi Klum, Kendall Jenner, and Karlie Kloss, each of whom had played a pivotal role in shaping Victoria’s Secret legacy over the years.
Klum, who first donned her iconic angel wings in 1999, has since moved on to other endeavors, including a burgeoning ambassadorship with the lingerie brand Intimissimi. Similarly, Jenner has shifted her focus to her Calvin Klein campaigns, while Kloss has been vocal about her feminist beliefs and the need for change within the industry.
“The reason I decided to stop working with Victoria’s Secret was I didn’t feel it was an image that was truly reflective of who I am and the kind of message I want to send to young women around the world about what it means to be beautiful,” Kloss explained in a 2019 interview.
These absences highlight the evolving landscape of the fashion industry, where models are increasingly asserting their agency and aligning themselves with brands that better reflect their values and aspirations.
In a recent interview, Klum said, “As a model, you go there, you’re happy you have a job… you do what they tell you.” However, upon reflection, I realize that it’s about time. Good.’ Indeed, we must adapt to the changing circumstances. They have been changing, but it’s been taking too long.”
After a hiatus that began in 2018, many saw the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show’s return as an opportunity for the brand to address its past mistakes and embrace a more inclusive and diverse representation of beauty. And to its credit, the 2024 event did feature a more diverse cast of models, including a triumphant return of Tyra Banks, who closed the show.
But the absence of some of the brand’s most iconic angels serves as a reminder that the road to true transformation is not an effortless one. Although Victoria’s Secret has made progress, it still needs to restore the confidence of its models and audience.
As Bündchen, Klum, Jenner, and Kloss continue to forge their own paths, their decisions to step away from the Victoria’s Secret runway send a powerful message about the changing priorities and values of the modern supermodel.
“I love the creativity that exists within me; I want to learn new things,” Bündchen said. And it seems that for these former angels, the opportunity to explore their creativity and authenticity outside the confines of the Victoria’s Secret brand has become a far more alluring proposition than a return to the catwalk.
The fashion industry is in a state of flux, and the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show’s comeback is a testament to the brand’s resilience and adaptability. But as the next generation of models and consumers continue to demand more from the brands they engage with, the true test of Victoria’s Secret’s transformation may lie in its ability to not just adapt but to truly evolve and embrace the changing tides of the modern world.