Photo courtesy of Paul Bayfield, Wikipedia
This year’s Victoria’s Secret Fashion show took over Shanghai with stunning looks on the runway and celebrity appearances. All of the Victoria’s Secret Angels walked in the show sporting their signature styles with plenty of new additions.
There was an array of musical guests for this year’s show. One of the bigger names included, notorious ex-boyfriend of some of the models, was singer Harry Styles. Styles rocked the stage while dancing away most of the night. Other major artists that performed were Chinese pop star Jane Zhang, Leslie Odom Jr. and Miguel.
The show itself consisted of six main sections, each with a different theme. The show opened with one of the most well-known and iconic models for Victoria’s Secret, Candice Swanepoel. She wore a plaid ensemble with matching black and red wings, and the studded belt she wore gave some edge to the look. This went along with the first theme of the show, “Punk Angel.” Returning angel Karlie Kloss also walked in this section as well as a later one.
The following part of the show was “Goddess,” featuring warrior-meets-Greek goddess ensembles. The gold accents in the wings and other accessories helped to draw out this theme. Bella Hadid was the star of this theme, sporting two separate looks in the section. The $2 million Fantasy Bra was also showcased during this part of the show. Lai Ribeiro wore the gold and sapphire bra with stunning gold wings to match.
One of the fan-favorite sections of each year’s show is the VS Pink section. This apparel’s theme was “Millennial Nation.” Jane Zhang performed during this sporty section of athletic style clothing. The runway was filled with cropped puffer jackets and bold colors. Flashy neon accessories were also worn to accent the angel wings.
Other themes included “Winter’s Tale” and “Porcelain Angel.” Both of these sections had their own established color scheme that was highlighted specifically through the models’ looks.
One of the more memorable moments happened during “Winter’s Tale” when Shanghai’s own Ming Xi tripped on her long flowing cape and fell mid-walk on the runway. The model walking behind her quickly came to assist her back up after the fall that took place in front of her own family. Xi made a post about it on Instagram stating, “As many of you may already know, I fell during my 5th year walking at the Victoria’s Secret show yesterday. It was no doubt one of the hardest moments I have ever had to go through in my career, especially since the show was taking place in my hometown, in front of my mother’s and my people’s eyes. However, the support I received from everyone yesterday was incredible and I am truly grateful to everyone who was there for me.” Including the fall in the edited broadcast was a debatable decision made by CBS.
Victoria’s Secret took the cultural path in their closing with the theme “Nomadic Angels.” Model Alessandra Ambrosio ended the show with a kiss goodbye as she ended her 17-year career as an angel on the runway for the brand. The worldly closing allowed the audience to reflect on how far the show itself has come over the years.
amass@ramapo.edu
