Ashley Graham made her debut at the 2024 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show as the underwear brand returned to the runway after a six-year hiatus.
The participation of the curvaceous 36-year-old model, who shared her BTS preparation for the event, was announced four days before.
In a joint Instagram post, Graham and the line of intimates wrote in a caption: ‘Did you think we were over? Not even close. @ashleygraham will join the iconic cast of the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show.
Fans had mixed reactions to the news, and social media users took to the comments to share their thoughts.
Before the event, Ashley said People magazine, “I feel very excited.”
Ashley Graham made her debut at the 2024 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show as the underwear brand returned to the runway after a six-year hiatus.
The curvaceous 36-year-old model’s participation in the event was announced four days before.
She explained: ‘I’m not nervous and everything is very safe; We’re not putting anything out, which makes me feel good to be able to strut it and honestly, I’m more excited for the full performance that’s going to happen during the show.
Graham, who shares three young children with husband Justin Ervin, requested a look with more coverage after she was initially given a skimpy outfit.
He has twins Malachi and Roman, two years old, and his firstborn Isaac, four years old.
“The first thing they gave me was these tiny underwear and I said, ‘Hey, I just had three kids,'” the mother of three explained.
She added: “Even though it was like two years ago, I was like, ‘Is there anything else we can wear?’ So I bought a bodysuit and I feel really sexy in it, and then when the wings came out, that’s when I was like, ‘Oh Yes, I feel like an angel. “This is sexy.”
Graham appeared on the runway in a skin-tight black lace bodysuit over a matching thick band thong.
She added a long, skinny matching robe and delicate black wings with gold floral decals all over them.
The ensemble was completed with custom black strappy heels by designer René Caovilla.
Fans had mixed reactions to the news, and social media users took to the comments to share their thoughts.
One person on Instagram wrote of the beauty’s debut: ‘Ashley is paving the way’
Someone else said: “Sorry, but I prefer the old VS program with slim models.”
One person on Instagram wrote of the beauty’s debut: “Ashley is paving the way.”
And another complained: ‘Come on… we want Adriana Lima and all the Brazilian bombshells!’
Another agreed: “Sorry, but I prefer the old VS program with slim models.”
And someone else criticized Victoria’s Secret, writing: “It’s hypocritical that a brand that fired Barbara Palvin from modeling in the past because they found her too curvy is now trying to gain the sympathy of plus-size models.”
Palvin was cast alongside Ashley on this year’s show.
a fan on unknown She came to Ashley’s defense, writing, “People are so upset that Ashley Graham is gone, but honestly, if she was skinny it would be completely different.”
And another wrote of the beauty’s debut: “Ashley is paving the way.”
Graham appeared on the runway in a skintight black lace bodysuit over a matching thick banded thong.
LR Jasmine Tookes, Paloma Elsesser, Barbara Palvin and Ashley backstage at Tuesday’s show
Victoria’s Secret made its runway debut in 1995, with Tyra Banks taking the stage with the first pair of angel wings three years later.
Ed Razek, former chief marketing officer of VS parent company L Brands, once described the show as a “fantasy,” excluding transgender and plus-size models from the “42-minute entertainment special.”
The controversial statement landed the brand in trouble and led to Razek’s resignation in 2019 and the show’s cancellation due to backlash and low ratings.
Victoria’s Secret then pivoted to promote diversity by including larger models in subsequent campaigns.
Valentina Sampaio, the company’s first transgender model, was also hired to star in a VS Pink campaign following Razek’s departure.
