Angel Reese, the 23-year old WNBA star playing for the Chicago Sky, made history on October 16, 2025, by becoming the first professional athlete to walk the runway at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show. The event took place at Steiner Studios in Brooklyn, New York, marking a significant milestone for both Reese and the brand’s ongoing transformation.
A Dream Come True
Reese’s appearance was a manifestation of a goal she publicly declared just one year earlier. After attending the 2024 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show as a front-row guest, she posted on her Instagram Story stating, “I’m gonna be a Victoria’s Secret model one day”. She expressed surprise at how quickly her dream materialized, telling media backstage, “I didn’t know it was gonna come this fast”.The basketball star revealed that this moment had even deeper roots in her childhood, sharing with Vogue, “I have a video of me, when I was younger, dancing in Victoria’s Secret sweatpants and a hoodie. It’s a full circle moment for me”.
Her Runway Looks
Reese stunned audiences in multiple outfits throughout the evening. Her first look featured a pink floral bra and underwear set with a matching belt, accessorized with a luxurious pink fur shawl adorned with flowers. Her second ensemble included a neon-pink cut-out top paired with silver heels and, of course, the iconic angel wings that symbolize her status as one of the brand’s Angels.To prepare for her runway debut, Reese worked with runway coach Alexander Aleson, who came out of retirement specifically to train her. His advice was simple but powerful: “Be confident, be yourself, have fun. Know that you’re that girl. Just own it”.
Historic Lineup and Inclusivity
Reese walked alongside an impressive roster of supermodels, including Gigi and Bella Hadid, and returning Victoria’s Secret legends like Adriana Lima, Candice Swanepoel, and Alessandra Ambrosio. The show also featured Olympic gymnast Sunisa Lee, who appeared in a “halftime show” for Pink, Victoria’s Secret’s youth-oriented brand, wearing a sports bra, black shorts, and a pink zip-up hoodie with mini-angel wings.The 2025 show emphasized diversity and inclusivity, featuring plus-size models like Ashley Graham, Paloma Elsesser, and Yumi Nu, as well as transgender model Alex Consani. In a groundbreaking moment, Jasmine Tookes became the first Victoria’s Secret model to walk the runway while visibly pregnant, wearing stunning nude lingerie with intricate metal detailing and a gold macramé dress with pearl embellishments and clam shell-shaped wings.
Brand Transformation
Reese’s participation reflects Victoria’s Secret’s significant rebranding efforts under CEO Hillary Super, who took the helm in August 2024.Super personally encouraged Reese to embrace the opportunity, telling her, “You belong here. You’re an athlete, you have an amazing body, and you’re incredibly confident”.The fashion show, which originally ran from 1995 to 2018 before being canceled in 2019 due to criticism over outdated beauty standards and lack of inclusivity, returned in 2024 after a six-year hiatus. The original show had seen viewership plummet from 9.7 million in 2013 to just 3.3 million in 2018, reflecting public backlash against its narrow representation of beauty .Reese emphasized the importance of this new inclusive direction, telling CNN, “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”.
Fan Reactions
Social media erupted with praise for Reese’s runway debut. Fans celebrated her historic achievement with comments like “She’s the first professional athlete to walk in VS show. Didn’t know she had all that behind her. But yeah… She was glowing”. Others noted, “Little to no experience and still ate btw,” and “Angel Reese IS the moment”. The event represents not just a personal triumph for Reese but also signals Victoria’s Secret’s commitment to celebrating diverse body types, professional achievements, and redefining modern beauty standards in the fashion industry.
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