Bye Victoria’s Secret Angels, hello VS Collective: from Priyanka Chopra to Heidi Klum and footballer Megan Rapinoe, meet 14 models for the lingerie brand from then to now
- Tyra Banks was the brand’s first black model who then started America’s Next Top Model, while Miranda Kerr is now married to Snapchat’s Evan Spiegel
- Plus-size model Paloma Elsessor, who has worked with Nike and Rihanna’s label Fenty Beauty, joins VS Collective alongside LGBT talent too
On June 16, 2021, Victoria’s Secret officially announced that they will be ending its Angels’ runway event. The sexy show paused in 2019 after a slew of controversies including claims of a lack of diversity. Now that pause has been made permanent.
After Victoria’s Secret started suffering decreasing show ratings and declining sales, they decided to shift gears by updating their marketing to reflect what the modern woman wants to see. The company has overhauled its executive team and all except one of the board of directors’ seats are now held by women.
Replacing the Angels is the VS Collective, seven women who will appear as Victoria’s Secret’s new faces in advertisements and promote the brand through Instagram.
But as we embrace the new era, let’s take a look back at seven of the most iconic Angels who ever graced the runway, before turning to the future and meeting VS Collective, seven representatives of Victoria’s Secret’s next, more representative chapter.
Angels
Alessandra Ambrosio
The Brazilian-born beauty twice wore the brand’s Fantasy Bras that were worth US$2.5 million – 2012’s Fantasy Bra and the Dream Fantasy Bra in 2014 – and donned 30-pound wings while she was pregnant. She has her own beachwear brand and is an ambassador for the US National Multiple Sclerosis Society.
Gisele Bündchen