Victoria’s Secret has always understood the power of an OG. Adriana Lima, Alessandra Ambrosio, Heidi Klum: these women have become synonymous with the brand, their faces as recognizable as the wings and bubble bras themselves. For years, keeping a beloved angel beyond the fashion industry’s notoriously short lifespan was less an act of rebellion than a smart business decision. They were bankable, iconic and capable of transforming a sequinned bra and costume wings into a cultural event. But at the 2026 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, the OGs, now all women of a certain age, were the absolute pinnacle of the viewing experience.
It’s one thing to bring back a familiar face for a nostalgic hit; it’s another to embrace the idea that sexiness doesn’t expire. It was absolutely refreshing to see the mix of seasoned faces amongst the younger ones.
And VS isn’t the only one to hit this target recently. Mature models are appearing more and more on the big catwalks. Creators are revisiting familiar faces, casting cultural icons and recognizing that a compelling woman doesn’t suddenly become less interesting after age 30 or when her children are out of the toddler phase. (For what it’s worth, motherhood was a major theme of the show last year, and this year we also saw Barbara Palvin postpartum for six weeks.)
The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show was built on an almost comically narrow fantasy of femininity: young, thin and largely white. The Angels who broke this mold did so largely because they became exceptions, famous enough to survive the rules. Now, the more interesting possibility is that perhaps there is no need for there to be exceptions.
There’s something undeniably sexy about confidence that’s lived a little more life. Especially when so many corners of the internet focus on femininity through the strict constraints of girlish figures and faces, something as simple as a sprinkling of women over 40 on the runway is a bender. If Victoria’s Secret is still in the business of selling fantasy, the fact that Hot doesn’t have an expiration date is the first thing that has interested me in a while.
Aiyana Ishmael is the style editor at Cosmopolitan review. In her work, Aiyana focuses on fashion culture and how it intertwines and shapes the zeitgeist. She is an award-winning journalist from Miami, Florida, and a graduate of the historically black university, Florida A&M. She is a Forbes 30 Under 30: Media 2024 honoree, and her debut romance novel, PASSING GAME, is scheduled for release in March 2027 (831 Stories/Simon & Schuster).
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