I needed nothing greater than to activate my tv and return to the adolescent pleasure I had for this present, however I’m older now and I realise that, whereas I believed being an angel meant one thing then, the actual that means was a legacy of upholding unrealistic and unique magnificence requirements, one the corporate continues to revenue from whilst they attempt to broaden their scope. The truth is, due to my countless analysis and deep dives again into this world, I used to be served TikTok movies on the Victoria’s Secret Runway Present. I used to be so deep into the lore I ended up on an unfamiliar aspect of the net — the pro-ana believers who nonetheless, in 2024, wish to uphold the narrative that the VSFS can solely be nice when skinny is the usual. “Victoria’s Secret LISTEN we don’t need plus-size fashions, we don’t need males on the VS runway, PLEASE LISTEN we wish the outdated iconic 2000s reveals.” A whole bunch of feedback reiterating the identical factor: “actual, it’s not about being inclusive, it is about trying good.”
Whereas the unique VS ethos created these believers, the brand new and “improved” Victoria’s Secret workforce can’t be held accountable for these random web folks spreading this poisonous narrative. I’ll take their phrase at face worth, that the workforce needed to provide a extra inclusive present, consultant of a extra inclusive model. However the proof is within the pudding, and other than just a few “plus” fashions (who, it’s price noting, principally match into straight sizes), the runway was overwhelmingly skinny.
We had been handled to Paloma Elsesser and Ashley Graham’s angel debuts, however these attractive and well-loved fashions appeared markedly completely different from their thinner friends. They had been extra coated up, sporting brief clothes and physique fits, in comparison with the string bikini underwear and bras of fashions just like the Hadid sisters. The spotlight of the evening for me was seeing Graham’s uncovered thighs proudly owning the runway, seen for the world to see — and one thing Graham herself has been advocating for for practically 10 years. However, for a present that was positioned as extra inclusive than the model’s previous, it felt like a intestine punch that there have been not simply very, only a few plus fashions, however that they weren’t given the identical therapy when it was their time to shine.