The evolution of Victoria’s Secret, a brand that once defined the pinnacle of exclusive high-fashion spectacle, is reaching a significant new milestone this autumn. After years dedicated to a rigorous and highly publicized rebuilding of its corporate image and brand identity, the company is preparing to unveil its latest iteration of the iconic Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show. This year, the event is set to take place in Los Angeles on Sunday, October 18, signaling a departure from the traditional runway formats of the past and embracing a strategy centered on community, inclusivity, and direct consumer participation.
The upcoming show represents the second major production under the guidance of Elizabeth Preis, the brand’s Chief Marketing and Customer Officer. Preis, who joined the executive leadership team in May 2025, has been a driving force behind the company’s efforts to modernize its relationship with its global audience. Under her tenure, the brand has sought to dismantle the barriers that once made the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show an elite, invite-only affair, transforming it instead into a communal experience that prioritizes the bond between the brand and its customers.
The decision to lean into a more accessible format was not accidental. According to Preis, the strategy for this year’s event was heavily influenced by the behavior of the brand’s own community during the 2025 show. While observing how fans engaged with the brand’s content, the leadership team noticed a recurring theme: the fashion show was no longer just a broadcast to be consumed passively; it was an occasion for social gathering. Fans were organizing their own viewing parties, sharing real-time reactions, and celebrating the event as a collective experience.
Preis noted to ADWEEK that these observations became the blueprint for the current year’s planning. The goal for the Los Angeles show is to ensure that the event feels more participatory, framed not just as a display of new collections, but as a night of fun and friendship. This shift reflects a broader trend in the retail and fashion industries, where legacy brands are increasingly looking for ways to foster genuine community engagement in an era where digital connectivity defines the consumer experience.
To achieve this level of accessibility, Victoria’s Secret is leveraging a multi-platform digital strategy that ensures the show can be viewed by anyone, anywhere. The event will be streamed globally on YouTube and across the brand’s various social media channels. However, the engagement does not end when the final model leaves the stage. In a first for the brand, Victoria’s Secret will host a post-show TikTok Live, allowing for immediate interaction and a "behind-the-curtain" look that caters to the preferences of a younger, digitally native demographic. This move toward real-time, interactive content is a cornerstone of the brand’s effort to remain relevant in a fast-moving social media landscape.
Beyond the digital broadcast, the brand is introducing tangible ways for the public to get involved in the spectacle. One of the most significant changes this year is the introduction of ticket drops, a move that democratizes the live experience. By offering opportunities for fans to attend the show in person through these drops, Victoria’s Secret is moving away from the era of strictly curated celebrity guest lists and toward a model that rewards its most loyal supporters. This approach mirrors the "drop" culture prevalent in the streetwear and luxury markets, creating a sense of urgency and excitement while maintaining a focus on the customer.
Perhaps the most symbolic element of this brand transformation is the nationwide search for a new Angel. For decades, the "Angel" title was one of the most exclusive and coveted designations in the modeling world, reserved for a select few who represented the brand’s specific, and often criticized, standard of beauty. By opening up a nationwide search, Victoria’s Secret is effectively reclaiming and redefining the term. This initiative suggests a move toward a more inclusive and representative selection process, allowing the brand to discover talent that reflects the diversity of its actual customer base. It bridges the gap between the brand’s storied legacy and its modern, more progressive mission.
The transition from the old Victoria’s Secret to the new has been a multi-year journey. For a long period, the brand struggled to reconcile its historic marketing tactics with a rapidly changing cultural climate that demanded more authenticity and body positivity. The "rebuilding" phase mentioned by the brand involves more than just a change in aesthetic; it involves a fundamental shift in how the company perceives its role in the lives of women. The move to Los Angeles for this year’s show further emphasizes this fresh start, providing a vibrant, West Coast backdrop that contrasts with the traditional New York City settings of the brand’s past.
The role of Elizabeth Preis has been pivotal in navigating this transition. Joining the company in mid-2025, she arrived at a time when the brand was already deep into its transformation but needed a cohesive strategy to translate its new values into large-scale consumer events. Her focus on "participatory" marketing suggests a belief that the future of the brand lies in its ability to act as a facilitator of social connection. By framing the fashion show as a "night of fun and friendship," the brand is attempting to pivot away from the "male gaze" criticisms that dogged its previous iterations and instead position itself as a brand by women, for women.
The integration of TikTok Live as a post-show platform is particularly telling of the brand’s current priorities. TikTok has become a primary hub for fashion discourse, where trends are born and brand reputations are often tested. By hosting an official live event on the platform immediately following the show, Victoria’s Secret is taking control of the narrative and inviting its audience to participate in the conversation directly. This level of transparency and immediacy is a far cry from the highly edited, tape-delayed television specials that once defined the brand’s media presence.
The logistics of the Los Angeles event also reflect a more streamlined and modern approach to fashion production. While the scale remains grand, the focus has shifted toward how the content will live online. In the past, the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show was a massive television event that required months of post-production. Today, the value lies in the "live" aspect—the ability for a fan in a different time zone to feel as though they are part of the moment as it happens. The choice of YouTube as a primary streaming partner ensures a high-quality, stable viewing experience for a global audience, while the social media channels provide the "water cooler" space for discussion.
As the brand prepares for the Sunday, October 18 event, the industry is watching closely to see if this new, more "communal" approach will resonate with the public. The success of the "new Angel" search and the public’s response to the ticket drops will be key indicators of whether Victoria’s Secret has successfully bridged the gap between its past and its future. The brand is betting on the idea that while the era of the untouchable supermodel may be over, the desire for glamour, celebration, and community remains as strong as ever.
The emphasis on "friendship" and "participation" serves as a reminder that Victoria’s Secret is no longer just selling a product or a specific look; it is attempting to sell a sense of belonging. By making the show more accessible and inviting the audience to be part of the process—whether through a nationwide talent search or a TikTok comment section—the brand is hoping to secure its place in the modern fashion landscape.
The Los Angeles show stands as a testament to how far the brand has come since its decision to overhaul its image. It is a strategic attempt to blend the high-energy excitement of the classic Victoria’s Secret shows with a modern sensibility that values the customer’s voice. As October 18 approaches, the focus remains on whether this new, inclusive vision can capture the imagination of a global audience and successfully redefine what it means to be a "Victoria’s Secret Angel" in the 21st century.
