Fandemonium
There is a particular kind of nostalgia surrounding the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show – provided you don’t look in too closely.
The 2026 edition of the Show, staged at Sony Pictures Studios in Los Angeles County on 18th of October, was headlined as “Fandemonium”, a title that quite frankly turned out to be too literal.
“ a title that quite frankly turned out to be too literal.”
Here are the 7 things I had to pen down while watching the show so that I could digest them later.
One
Bella Hadid Opening;
Adriana Lima Closing
Adriana Lima closes the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, 2026.
The casting was a dream guest list. Bella Hadid opened, while Adriana Lima, who first walked for VS in 1999, closed the show. Alessandra Ambrosio celebrated her 20th VS show, while Candice Swanepoel and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley returned as VS veterans. Walking beside them were the faces of the brand’s new era: Ashley Graham, Paloma Elsesser, Alex Consani, Anok Yai and, making her debut, Indian model Ravleen Varghese. Supermodel glamour and a far broader idea of beauty, sharing one runway? It turns out they get along rather well.
“ Supermodel glamour and a far broader idea of beauty, sharing one runway? It turns out they get along rather well.”
Two
Adam Selman’s
Organisation of the Runway
Adam Selman’s vision was to orchestrate the runway around the seasons: spring, summer, autumn, and two winters (because one is simply not enough). But I have some notes on the PINK Segment. I understand that the VS Pink brings a younger, more playful connotation to the OG Victoria’s Secret family, but does it not look like a 2016 Pinterest board has jumped to life? It simply lacked the poise and precision, standing out quite starkly against the glamour and glitz of the rest of the runway. Don’t get me wrong, I love the idea of ‘Girls Gone Wild’, I just do not feel like it was necessarily needed.
“ does it not look like a 2016 Pinterest board has jumped to life?”
Three
Was KATSEYE Just Blocking the View?
Yoonchae Jeong, Megan Skiendiel, Lara Raj and Daniela Avanzini of KATSEYE perform on stage at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, 2026.
Continuing on the PINK Segment, I love the concept of fashion meets music. Performance as a concept is such an integral part of both the worlds. And KATSEYE brought their pop-star energy to the Show’s “Fandemonium” aspect, performing ‘Pinky Up’, ‘Animal’ and more. But here is what I have to say: it is still a fashion show at the end of the day. I want to see the artwork that the outfits are and I don’t want to be having to 0.5x it to find them. KATSEYE arguably had the most underwhelming outfits (I do not know if that was a purposeful choice) and coupled with the camera cuts and choreography were certainly taking over most of the frame. It almost came off as a music festival with lingerie interludes.
This, of course, isn’t a criticism of the group doing their jobs. Their performance and energy were an exceptional addition to the air of the Show. My critique lies in the visual balance. Let the singers have their moment, yes, but let the clothes too. I do not think it is fair for either party to be fighting for attention on such a global stage as the VS Fashion Show. It somehow brought back the very familiar debate of ‘pitting women against women.’
“ Let the singers have their moment, yes, but let the clothes too.”
Four
“You are doing amazing sweetie!”
Or Is She?
And In The Fantasy Bra That Too?
Kylie Jenner at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, 2026.
Before I begin, I would like to say that Kylie looked stunning and delivered exactly the pop culture moment that VS was probably searching for with the “Fandemonium” theme.
But did it have to be the Fantasy Bra? Really.
What is the Fantasy Bra? For the uninitiated, it is exactly what it sounds like, a bra made not of lace but of precious stones, created periodically with a renowned jeweller and worn by a single chosen model as the show’s grand centrepiece. Claudia Schiffer wore the first, worth $1 million, in 1996; Gisele Bündchen’s $15 million Red Hot Fantasy Bra held the record for years. Being picked to wear one was long considered the highest honour an Angel could receive. This esteemed piece reportedly vanished for eight years following Elsa Hosk’s runway walk with it in 2018, whereafter she went on a hiatus.
$1,000,000
The Million Dollar Miracle Bra
1996
Claudia Schiffer
$15,000,000
Red Hot Fantasy Bra
2000
Gisele Bündchen
$50,000,000
Jacob & Co. Fantasy Bra
2026
Kylie Jenner
The 2026 Fantasy Bra, created by Jacob & Co. for the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, 2026.
But it has now returned, and on Kylie Jenner, nonetheless. Created with Jacob & Co., it reportedly features more than 4,400 natural diamonds centred around a 75.54-carat yellow diamond and is valued at an eye-watering $50 million. It surpasses the brand’s own previous designs, becoming the most expensive bra VS has ever produced.
With all due respect, Kylie Jenner should have been one of the last people to be asked to don that kind of a piece with such heavy historical and mythical significance. The Fantasy Bra, historically, has been viewed as an honour bestowed upon VS Angels, making the model as well as the design the spotlight of the show. Not only that, but it also has close connotations to mythology of the Angels that needed to adhere to.
Maybe that is the point of Victoria’s Secret Reinvented? Maybe the $50 million Fantasy Bra is supposed to be on a figure so controversial like Kylie Jenner so that the entire world stops scrolling? But one still showered in the nostalgia of the days the Fantasy Bra felt like the pinnacle of achievement for supermodels.
“ Maybe the $50 million Fantasy Bra is supposed to be on a figure so controversial like Kylie Jenner so that the entire world stops scrolling?”
“ Perhaps the most interesting thing about fashion is not what changes, but what continues to capture our imagination.”
Five
Brown Girls Dominate The Runway
Ravleen Varghese makes her Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show debut, 2026.
Neelam Gill walks the runway at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, 2026.
This was definitely not just another runway moment for me when South Indian model Ravleen Varghese made her runway debut for the VS Show. It healed something very specific in me.
“ It healed something very specific in me.”
Growing up seeing the VS runways throughout my teenage years felt like a holy experience. The Angels felt like otherworldly beings (the spectacular wings did not necessarily help). And so did the lingerie, the perfect figures, the glitz, all felt like they existed in a world about which I could only dream. And while the Show has evolved through the years of scrutinization, seeing a woman of my colour felt special on another level.
Six
Barbara Palvin’s Return
Sparks A Lot Of Conversations
Barbara Palvin Sprouse walks the runway in pink lingerie at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, 2026.
Barbara Palvin Sprouse wears elaborate white angel wings at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, 2026.
Barbara Palvin Sprouse took to the runway that evening after just six weeks of having given birth. And so of course, all the musings around her became immediately about her body.
“ she got her body back.”
Instagram comment sections
All Instagram comment sections were flooded with ‘she got her body back’ and ‘OMG GOALS.’ But that is not the conversation we should be having. Yes, she is a supermodel who just gave birth and so it is a great feat to have done what she did. More power to her. But that does not make her the scale all women, especially new mothers, should be measuring themselves to. Childbirth is an extraordinarily individual experience and all women who do it are tremendous. You do not necessarily have to perform a runway walk in lingerie on world’s one of the most scrutinised runways to feel like you have achieved something.
With that being said, Barbara, we need the routine please.
Seven
Tate McRae The Woman You Are
Tate McRae performs at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, 2026
Tate McRae and the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show make the perfect sense to me. After her viral Lollapalooza gold paint moment, returned to stun audiences once again.
In fierce red lingerie and wings, she performed hit after hit, ending with an ICONIC walk down the runway to her song ‘Sports Car.’
I was genuinely left speechless and may have rewatched that more times than I would care to admit.
With this I have come to the conclusion that there is only one way to watch the Victoria’s Secret Show – a little nostalgia, a little incredulity, and a whole lot of self-assurance to know that this is just a silly little world and nothing really matters that much. But for that hour, with popstars and supermodels galore, in the dramatic wings, the ridiculously huge diamonds, and the intricate lingerie, you are submerged into a dream world.
“ for that hour, with popstars and supermodels galore, in the dramatic wings, the ridiculously huge diamonds, and the intricate lingerie, you are submerged into a dream world.”
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