Angel Reese Makes History As The First Professional Athlete to Walk The Victoria’s Secret Runway

On Wednesday, Oct. 17, WNBA player Angel Reese made history as the first professional athlete to walk the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show runway. At only 23 years old, she is currently the Forward for the Chicago Sky. 

Reese’s Journey To Success

Before her career in the WNBA, Reese was the first-team All-American selection for Louisiana State University. She was awarded Most Outstanding Player after leading her collegiate team to a national championship.

During the 2024 WNBA draft, she was chosen by the Chicago Sky as the seventh overall pick. Reese was then named a WNBA All-Star in her rookie season. 

At LSU, Reese became known for her fashionable outfits and style, earning the nickname “Bayou Barbie.” She soon collaborated with a variety of brands such as Juicy Couture, Reebok and CoverGirl. In January of 2025, she graced the cover of Vogue, where she explained:

“It’s always been both: basketball and fashion” – Angel Reese

After attending the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show in 2024, she expressed her dream of walking in the show on social media, writing on her Instagram story: “I’m gonna be a Victoria’s Secret model one day.” 

Through her career, Reese has grown into both a sports and fashion icon, encouraging young women to pursue their dreams. 

Her Runway Looks

For her first look, Reese wore a pink rose-embellished lingerie set with a matching robe. 

Her second look included a cropped pink T-shirt that read “Angel” and silver wings. 

Victoria’s Secret Rebrand

Victoria’s Secret has faced backlash over the years for promoting beauty standards that many viewed as exclusionary and outdated. By only highlighting thin supermodels, the brand was criticized for its lack of authentic and inclusive representation. 

This led to a steep decline in sales. For example, annual sales fell from $7.7 billion in 2015 to $5.4 billion in 2020. The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show also experienced a decrease in viewership. In 2010, over 10 million viewers tuned in to the program. This dropped to 3.3 million viewers only eight years later. The fashion show was ultimately cancelled in 2019. 

Victoria’s Secret faced even further criticism in 2020 after the New York Times published a report titled “‘Angels in Hell: The Culture of Misogyny Inside Victoria’s Secret.” The piece exposed years of bullying and harassment towards employees, greatly hurting the company’s public reputation.  

To combat this criticism, the brand launched the VS Collective in 2021. The collective included a diverse group of brand ambassadors who collaborate to promote inclusivity. The goal of this initiative was to enforce female empowerment, rather than glamorizing unattainable beauty ideals. After a five-year hiatus, the Fashion Show returned in 2024. 

Through these marketing changes, Victoria’s Secret focused on prioritizing body positivity and diversity. The 2025 show embodied this transformation, featuring pregnant, transgender and plus-size women. It also featured Olympic gymnast Suni Lee.

“Everybody looks different, but they’re all beautiful. That’s the inclusivity of being a Victoria’s Secret model and knowing that you can look beautiful in many different shades, sizes, lengths, heights – tall, short —- you can be here” – Angel Reese 

Reese’s runway debut signifies a new era of representative beauty standards, not only within Victoria’s Secret but in the fashion industry as a whole. 

What did you think of the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show? Tag us, @VALLEYmag,  and let us know! 

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