After a six-year pause, the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show made a triumphant return on a Tuesday evening in Brooklyn, signaling a significant shift in the brand's narrative. The event was a testament to the brand's commitment to being shaped by women, with a female-centric approach that was evident throughout the show. The production boasted an all-women musical lineup and a diverse array of models donning more sophisticated and, in some instances, more comfortable lingerie, such as leggings and sheer overlays.

The event commenced with a performance by Lisa from the renowned K-pop group Blackpink, setting the tone for the evening. Gigi Hadid made a dramatic entrance, emerging from the floor amidst a runway that merged the aesthetics of a "Barbie" movie set with the retro charm of an '80s video game. Along with other models, Hadid sported the brand's iconic angel wings, this year presented in faux feather versions that received PETA's approval.

The runway showcased a more inclusive representation than ever before, with a significant number of models of color, many sporting natural hairstyles, alongside plus-sized and older models. The audience roared as Adriana Lima, a veteran Victoria's Secret "Angel," strode down the runway alongside top models like Bella Hadid, Alex Consani, and Paloma Elsesser. A notable moment was Kate Moss's debut at the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show at the age of 50, with her daughter Lila also participating as a model.

The evening reached its climax with Cher's unforgettable performance, delivering powerful renditions of "Believe" and "Strong Enough," which stole the show. Fashion journalist Roxanne Robinson remarked that the models could have been unclothed, and the audience would have been none the wiser, such was the impact of Cher's performance.

For years, Victoria's Secret had been the epitome of sex appeal, dominating American malls in the '90s with products like the "Miracle" pushup bra. The brand had defined femininity through its catalogs and campaigns, featuring barely-clad supermodels. The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, first streamed online in 1999 and then televised in 2001, became a globally watched spectacle, with performances by the likes of Destiny's Child, Justin Timberlake, and Kanye West.

However, the brand's traditional approach, featuring predominantly White, slender models, began to wane in the late 2010s. Victoria's Secret faced accusations of sexism, ageism, and a reluctance to cater to women of all shapes and sizes, especially after a marketing executive at its then-parent company, L Brands, made derogatory comments about transgender and plus-size models in 2018. By this time, the show's viewership had drastically dropped from 9.7 million in 2013 to a mere 3.3 million.

Newer brands, such as Rihanna's Savage X Fenty, began to challenge Victoria's Secret's market dominance by offering inclusive sizes and diverse casting in their campaigns and events. In 2019, L Brands decided to indefinitely cancel the show. However, in the following year, Victoria's Secret, now a publicly traded company, attempted to revive the format with the documentary "Victoria's Secret: The Tour," which highlighted four collections by independent designers and artists from Lagos, Bogotá, London, and Tokyo.Narrated by Gigi Hadid, the film featured models like Naomi Campbell, Quannah Chasinghorse, and Winnie Harlow.

Two years prior, the brand had tried replacing "angels" with "ambassadors," assigning these new roles to figures like soccer player Megan Rapinoe and actor Priyanka Chopra Jonas. Fashion and beauty journalist Chantal Fernandez, who chronicled the rise and fall of the lingerie giant in the book "Selling Sexy" with co-author Lauren Sherman, noted that the brand's attempts at reinvention had resulted in a muddled message.

Fernandez added in a video interview that for a company known for its upbeat and glamorous imagery and tone, their new approach made them indistinguishable from other mall brands. She highlighted the difficulty in modernizing the concept of sexiness in today's context.

Tuesday's multi-ethnic, multi-size, and multi-generational cast represents Victoria's Secret's latest attempt at rebranding, while also bringing back some of the kitsch and camp of the once-iconic show, now streamed live on social media platforms instead of being heavily edited for television. Sarah Sylvester, Victoria's Secret's Executive Vice President of Marketing, described this as an acknowledgment of the brand's DNA while also evolving to be more modern and inclusive.

Critics have accused the brand's efforts at projecting inclusion as inauthentic. When asked if the show was a response to the negative press since 2019, Janie Schaffer, the brand's Chief Design and Creative Officer, confirmed that it was. She stated that Victoria's Secret was listening to its customers, who were eager for the show's return, claiming that they were well-positioned to deliver it with a team of experienced and strong women in the industry.

While it's too early to determine the success of Victoria's Secret's strategy, early signs suggest that the show resonated well. Celebrity stylist Law Roach mentioned that seeing Tyra Banks, who closed the show, was nostalgic and considered the company's rebranding a work in progress, but a good start.

At the Brooklyn Navy Yard's Duggal Greenhouse, where the show was held, former Victoria's Secret Angels walked alongside models representing body types, ages, and sizes not previously seen in the brand's shows. Plus-size model and body positivity advocate Ashley Graham made her debut at the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, expressing her excitement about the show's "full representation" and the brand's willingness to accommodate her requests for more coverage.

Victoria's Secret, founded in 1977 by American businessman Roy Raymond and later acquired by billionaire Leslie Wexner in 1982, became an American lingerie empire by the early 1990s, generating $1 billion in annual revenue. The brand adeptly shifted its marketing and product offerings through the culturally conservative Reagan era to the '90s and '00s, where sexuality became increasingly commercialized.

Its marketing campaigns were highly effective in making high fashion more approachable and commercialized. However, the brand faced criticism for promoting unhealthy beauty standards, especially as social media amplified these voices in the late 2010s. The brand's former leadership was accused of ignoring the need to evolve with its consumers, focusing on sexiness over comfort, which ultimately hurt its sales.

The brand's image was further damaged by Wexner's business ties with Jeffrey Epstein, a financier and convicted sex offender. Wexner ended his relationship with Epstein in 2007 and later apologized for the association, but the damage was done. Wexner stepped down as CEO in 2020 when Victoria's Secret was valued at just $1.1 billion, a significant drop from $28 billion five years prior.

The brand has spent the last four years overhauling its hyper-sexualized image to regain cultural relevance and appeal to younger consumers. While the monoculture that the retailer navigated so adeptly in the past no longer exists, there is a desire to see Victoria's Secret achieve relevance again, a task that is more challenging than ever in the era of social media and fragmented consumer habits.