Inside the Victoria's Secret fashion show with Cher, Lisa and more

How do you evolve and bring back to life an event that more than a few critics had said might have passed its peak? Leaning heavily into what originally made it great is a good start, especially when it's topped with elements that feel decidedly right for the moment. It also helps if the resulting combination simply looks joyful.

The Victoria's Secret team, which last presented its signature show in 2019, took the time to reconfigure the event in the face of plummeting TV ratings and the impact of the #MeToo movement. But what was presented Tuesday night at the Duggal Greenhouse at New York's Brooklyn Navy Yard felt truly celebratory, current and completely female-focused — not just on the runway and backstage, but also in the front row, a guest list that included Cardi B, Jodie Turner -Smith and Queen Latifah.

Past Victoria's Secret shows have added men to the mix through musical performances, but not this year. The decidedly “no boys allowed” vibe at Tuesday's event included a trio of female artists who felt both level-headed and high-wattage: Tyla, Blackpink's Lisa and finally Cher, who was easily among the most expected of the evening. “I would be lying if I didn't say Cher is one of the biggest thrills for me,” said Janie Schaffer, the brand's chief creative officer and head of design. The Hollywood journalist on the pink carpet of the event before the show. “We saw her try yesterday, and it was a moment we couldn't believe was happening.”

In the end it was the group of supermodels who perhaps best highlighted this event's newfound commitment to focusing completely on a theme of female empowerment. Gigi Hadid opened the show, while sister Bella appeared later, and among the roster continued to read like a who's who of the fashion industry: Carla Bruni, Kate Moss, Irina Shayk, Doutzen Kroes, Joan Smalls, Isabeli Fontana, Ashley Graham, Candice Swanepoel, Paloma Elsesser, Behati Prinsloo and many others.

To drive home the point, Tyra Banks, a Victoria's Secret Angel since 1997, emerged from retirement to walk the finale. Banks is 50, while Eva Herzigová, who also showed on Tuesday night, is 51, and the public's response to seeing them – and their equally iconic colleagues – on the catwalk was nothing less than rhapsodic. “It's a little crazy, because it's been over twenty years since I last did it,” Herzigova said backstage before the show. “It's great to be back, also because Victoria's Secret is my family. It's also just nice to see that the brand is committed to growing, becoming more inclusive, and celebrating women as they are, with all ages, all shapes, all colors. It's nice to see it and it's nice to be surrounded by that kind of beauty. Perhaps the best example of this idea: a pair of transgender models, Alex Consani and Valentina Sampaio, walking the runway for the first time.

For 28-year-old Imaan Hummam, a decade between her two Victoria's Secret appearances allowed her to embrace a sense of perspective Tuesday night. “I first did the show when I was 18, and that's so young. You're trying to figure out who you are and what you stand for,” he explained THR. “Ten years later, I am stronger and much more confident. I feel like I know why I'm here, and I feel really powerful and exciting.

The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show was traditionally conceived as the company's biggest sales opportunity of the year, airing in early December between 2001 and 2018 to put the brand and its products front and center early of the Christmas shopping season. Fast forward to 2024, and the sales model has also changed, with the brand teaming up with Amazon to present the event, broadcast live on Amazon Prime Video and featuring shoppable looks available in its Amazon Fashion store.

Given the night's star power, the dresses never felt like anything new. The looks were equal parts elegant and sexy and most often framed by the oversized wings that became another signature of the show. But instead, the news was about all the women who appeared on the catwalk: from the trio of talented artists to the 50 gorgeous models, dozens of backup dancers and the all-female choir that opened Cher's performance.

The men present, meanwhile, were happy to take a backseat, and one in particular, to play cheerleader for his wife. Dylan Sprouse arrived at the show carrying signs he made with large photos of Klaus Von Sprouse and Piggy Cow, the cat and dog he shares with his wife, model Barbara Palvin. Upon her entrance, he stood up and waved them cheerfully, and it was clear that Palvin noticed from the smile on his face. “I'm always impressed and proud of her,” Sprouse said before the show. “He worked really, really hard for this.”

Before the show, many attendees were asked: What does female empowerment mean to you? Not surprisingly, it was Cher who offered the best response of the night: “Everything.”