Victoria’s Secret revives original Angels at 2026 runway show
The brand cast original models Adriana Lima, Alessandra Ambrosio, and Heidi Klum alongside newer talent in a Los Angeles presentation, positioning seasoned performers as the show's centerpiece rather than nostalgic guests.
Victoria’s Secret presented a runway show in Los Angeles featuring original Angels alongside younger models in a casting choice that challenged conventional industry thinking about age and appeal. The presentation included Adriana Lima, Alessandra Ambrosio, and Heidi Klum—models who became synonymous with the brand’s identity—walking among a newer generation of performers. Guest performers Megan Thee Stallion and Tate McRae also appeared, with McRae wearing her hair in waves swept to one side as she performed her new single “Housewife.”
The prominence of seasoned models reflected a broader shift in fashion. According to Cosmopolitan, mature performers are increasingly appearing on major runways as designers cast cultural icons and recognize that women over 30 or with children remain compelling on stage. The 2026 show positioned original Angels not as throwback attractions but as the evening’s peak moments, signaling that desirability does not expire with age.
Rethinking the Angel legacy
The original Angels had long been bankable and iconic enough to sustain their presence despite fashion’s notoriously brief shelf life for talent. Cosmopolitan noted that the 2026 show departed from typical guest-star nostalgia by making these women the centerpiece. The brand was historically built on a narrow vision of femininity: young, thin, and largely white. The Angels who endured past their expected expiration dates became exceptions to those rules. The latest show suggested a different possibility—that such exceptions might no longer be necessary in how the industry casts women and thinks about appeal.
Hair and beauty on the runway
Guido Palau and his team styled the models’ hair for the evening, according to Harper’s Bazaar Beauty. More than a dozen models wore deep side parts, a style associated with the early 2000s and millennials. The side parts contrasted with the center-parted look favored by Gen Z in recent years, which that generation has promoted as more youthful.
Models including Barbara Palvin, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Ashley Graham, Caroline Trentini, and Paloma Elsesser wore the signature bombshell blowout with a side part. The voluminous waves required hours of roller work backstage, a technique familiar from the brand’s earlier runway eras. Palvin walked the runway six weeks postpartum, according to Cosmopolitan. Supermodels like Alex Consani and Adriana Lima opted for center parts instead, reflecting that the choice of part remains a matter of preference rather than requirement on the modern runway.
Megan Thee Stallion elevated her performance with a bombshell blowout styled with a bang swept over one eye, a classic look that lent movement to her appearance. Tate McRae’s golden waves flipped to one side, according to Harper’s Bazaar Beauty, created similar effect as she performed for the audience.
This article was compiled by the Glamorade editorial desk from the official announcements and reporting listed under Sources.
