Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show Returning After 4 Years

The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show is coming back in a brand new way. After a four-year hiatus from the event, the brand is considering reforming the formerly annual event, announced  Timothy Johnson, the company’s chief financial officer, during the 2022 earnings call on Friday, first reported by Retail Dive. “We’re going to continue to lean into the marketing spend to invest in the business, both at top-of-funnel and also to support the new version of our fashion show, which is to come later this year,” Johnson said. A Victoria’s Secret & Co. spokesperson told PEOPLE on Saturday that the company is dedicated to championing women and is “always innovating and ideating in all spheres of the business to continue to put our customer at the center of all we do. “As we’ve previously shared, our new brand projection and mission will continue to be our guiding principle,” the statement read. 

“This will lead us into new spaces like reclaiming one of our best marketing and entertainment properties to date and turning it on its head to reflect who we are today. We’re excited to share more later this year.” As a result of criticism that the brand failed to embrace models of all sizes and backgrounds, the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show was canceled in November 2019, around the same time the Victoria’s Secret Angel title was dropped. Also, due to a report published by The New York Times in February 2020 accusing former CEO Ed Razek of sexual harassment, bullying, and creating a misogynistic culture, the company suffered backlash. During that time, Rasek denied the accusations, telling the Times in an email: “the accusations in this reporting are categorically untrue, misconstrued or taken out of context,” adding, “I’ve been fortunate to work with countless, world-class models and gifted professionals and take great pride in the mutual respect we have for each other.” 

Initially held in August 1995, the fashion show ran 23 times in the coming years, except for 2004. Katy Perry, Maroon 5, Jay-Z, Kanye West, Taylor Swift, Harry Styles, Ariana Grande, Ed Sheeran, Rihanna, Justin Bieber, Bruno Mars, Destiny’s Child, Usher, Justin Timberlake, and others performed on the show during its two-decade run. Since 2001, a performance element has been incorporated into the runway.

Following the cancellation of Victoria’s Secret’s fashion show, Hulu‘s July 2022 exposé docuseries Victoria’s Secret: Angels and Demons brought to light a history of sexism and body-shaming under former owner Leslie Wexner. According to the brand’s statement at the time, it has evolved since becoming a stand-alone company in 2021. “The company featured in this docuseries does not reflect today’s Victoria’s Secret & Co. When we became a stand-alone company in August 2021, we set out to regain the trust of our customers, associates, and partners,” a Victoria’s Secret spokesperson told PEOPLE last year. “Today, we are proud to be a different company, with a new leadership team and mission to welcome, celebrate, and champion all women. This transformation is a journey, and our work continues to become the Victoria’s Secret our customers and associates deserve — where everyone feels seen, respected, and valued.”