The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show returned for the first time in six years on Tuesday, with Alex Consani and Valentina Sampaio making history as the first transgender models to walk to VS runway.
“I’m so excited. It’s my first ever Victoria’s Secret show,” Consani said backstage to Paper Magazine. “I can’t believe it. I can’t believe I’m here.”
Consani wore a blue lingerie set with Victoria Secret’s signature angel wings, while Sampaio donned black lingerie with fishnet tights, along with a black bow on her back.
Sampaio told People before her debut: “This moment is one I will cherish for a lifetime. Today, the Victoria’s Secret family has shown the world that being trans is just as exceptional and beautiful as anyone else on that runway.”
The show was recorded live in New York City, and featured many familiar faces like Tyra Banks, Gigi and Bella Hadid and Adriana Lima. The show also had its first lineup of all-female performers, with Cher, Tyla and Blackpink’s Lisa all gracing the stage.
The more inclusive show marks a big departure for the lingerie brand.
Show organizer Ed Razek told Vogue in 2018 that he didn’t think “transsexuals” should be on the Victoria’s Secret runway. “The show is a fantasy. It’s a 42-minute entertainment special.”
He later apologized after facing backlash, but Victoria Secret’s brand continued to suffer. When Jeffrey Epstein was arrested for sex trafficking in July 2019, it was revealed that Epstein used his connection to Victoria’s Secret president Les Wexner to pose as a recruiter to traffic women.
Amid plunging ratings, falling sales and criticism on all sides, the show was canceled in 2019. It returned in some iteration for “The Tour ‘23,” a runway show-documentary combo aired on Prime Video.
Consani was previously featured on “The Tour ‘23” and Sampaio began modeling for Victoria’s Secret sister brand Pink in 2019.
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