I’ve been watching the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show since I was 16. Without disclosing my age, let’s just say I’ve witnessed several generations of wings, and have opinions about their return.

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This year? Someone appears to have read the group chat.

Glitter. Streamers. Sparkle. Wings with absolutely no interest in fitting through a standard doorway.

The 2026 show leaned into the delicious excess that made Victoria’s Secret appointment viewing in the first place.

And frankly, it suited her.

Pastels and garden greens brought a softer fantasy, while the continuing procession of colour kept things playful.

The visual shifts suggested a journey through the seasons: blooming, heating up, cooling down, then finding another excuse to sparkle.

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For a brand whose most recognisable colour is practically a personality trait, it was satisfying to see pink punching again.

The strongest ingredient, though, was attitude.

Then came Kylie Jenner’s runway debut in the returning Fantasy Bra. Subtle entrance? Hardly.

A very effective way to make sure the show escaped the fashion feed and entered everyone else’s? Absolutely.

Which brings us to the slightly awkward question beneath all that glitter: whose star power counts?

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Romee Strijd publicly described disappointment over her unsuccessful casting and the communication surrounding it. Victoria’s Secret told Vanity Fair that it had formally released her through her representation on 6 September.

The larger tension is fascinating. Bring back familiar faces and you activate the audience’s emotional attachment.

Leave out another favourite and that same attachment becomes a casting audit.

Nostalgia comes with receipts.

Rosie Huntington-Whiteley’s return delivered precisely that recognition factor: the pleasure of seeing someone who already belongs to the show’s mythology step back into its world. Her comeback was confirmed ahead of the event.

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Barbara Palvin’s appearance carried a different talking point. She returned around six weeks after giving birth. Her decision deserves respect without becoming a stopwatch for anyone else’s recovery.

We can celebrate her presence without turning motherhood into another performance category.

And with Adriana Lima, the interesting conversation is her command of the runway.

Assessing whether she looks “healthier” simply repeats the scrutiny that has followed her. Presence, expression, experience: there is plenty worth discussing without treating her body as the evening’s progress report.

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My verdict? A win.

The colour, theatrical styling, soundtrack and runway personalities brought back the pleasure of watching something gloriously overdone.

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The supersized wings also supplied a useful reminder that spectacle still needs to let its wearer move.

Whether this proves Victoria’s Secret has listened is a bigger question than one show can answer.

But creatively, the message felt clearer: revisit the strengths, restore the fun and give people something worth staying up—or waking up—for.

Victoria got the memo.

Now, about that guest list.

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Images: Getty Images.