Nevertheless, an alternate opportunity presented itself through an Instagram ad. Victoria’s Secret was hosting a complimentary watch party at the “Penn District,” no RSVP required. When I arrived at 6 p.m. for the 7 p.m. show, lively music filled the air, and the pavilion was already bustling with attendees eager to discover the event’s offerings. Jacob’s Pickles had a stand, as did Pastrami Queen. Several walls were adorned in pink featuring the brand’s logos and wings. While inspecting the chairlift photo opportunity, I encountered a mother and her adolescent daughter from New Jersey who were preparing to depart. Her daughter, a fan of Lisa, the Korean pop star performing at the show, decided to leave upon realizing Lisa wouldn’t be physically present at Penn Station. “I can watch this from anywhere,” she expressed in Spanish. Understandable.

I strolled around and met another teenager, Nicole, accompanied by her mother and friend, Isabella, perched on the pavilion’s edge with an ideal view of the large screens, eagerly awaiting the commencement of the show. Isabella made her first Victoria’s Secret body spray purchase around the age of 10 and grew up watching the show. Nicole shared similar sentiments. “It was inspiring because I adored the outfits and colors,” she remarked, recalling the year when Gisele Bündchen emerged from a colossal Christmas gift on stage. Both were particularly keen on seeing Adriana Lima and were impressed by her youthful appearance in backstage photos circulating on social media. “She looks so young!” Isabella exclaimed unironically. “I had hoped they would bring back Bella Hadid,” added Nicole. When informed that Bella was expected to make an appearance, their excitement soared. Their mother remained silent but filmed our interaction as I interviewed them. Isabella labeled the show as “iconic.” I bid them farewell and continued mingling, encountering another mother and daughter from Germany, Portuguese university students, and a pair of charming Dutch women in their early twenties who professed to be “obsessed” with Victoria’s Secret.

As showtime arrived, the music intensified, capturing the attention of nearly all attendees fixated on the screens for the 40-minute spectacle. Initially, I mistook the applause surrounding me for the live audience responding to each model’s runway appearance. Yet, the applause was pre-recorded in synchronization with the soundtrack. Noteworthy cheers erupted for the performers (Lisa, Tyla, and particularly Cher) and the illustrious models: Adriana Lima, Gigi and Bella Hadid, Behati Prinsloo, Tyra Banks, and Kate Moss, whose surprise appearance had not been announced beforehand. Carla Bruni or Eva Herzigova’s presence didn’t elicit the same reaction. (Perhaps the wrong audience.) While some individuals engaged in conversations, particularly a group of young finance professionals who seamlessly integrated with a cluster of corporate women and conversed throughout the show, the majority remained captivated by the screens, occasionally whipping out their phones upon spotting a famous model.

The revamped Victoria’s Secret show struck me as more refined than its flamboyant, bronzed, and toned 2010s predecessor — featuring less ostentatious costumes, reduced cleavage, and a decline in voluminous teased extensions. More casual, less contrived. (At least in essence. Consider the exorbitant cost of reuniting all these Angels!) Nevertheless, the overall presentation felt somewhat distant to me — failing to evoke the nostalgic excitement of bygone shows that remain larger than life for individuals like Nicole and Isabella. Personally, witnessing Ashley Graham grace the runway didn’t feel as significant, despite acknowledging her past rejection due to her size.

Following the conclusion of the show, I encountered three women in their early twenties: Orla, Abby, and Danae, co-workers who had recently relocated to New York from Scotland, the U.K., and Ireland to pursue careers in finance. Their fervor for Victoria’s Secret was palpable, evident by their early arrival three hours prior to showtime and an hour-long wait to access the members’ lounge. “The moment Kate Moss stepped out, the crowd erupted in cheers,” recalled Orla. “I’m elated that it’s back; halting it made no sense,” voiced Danae, the most unabashed fan of the trio. “They motivate me to stay healthy, exercise, maintain physical fitness and appear attractive. You want to look pretty when you see them,” she affirmed. While Orla welcomed the newfound inclusion of diverse ages and body types among the models, she appreciated that it wasn’t overly emphasized. “It felt authentic, devoid of excessive virtue signaling,” she remarked. “This was a tad more genuine, still Victoria’s Secret, but in a 2024 context.” Abby, however, refrained from showering the brand with excessive praise. “I believe they are merely meeting the minimum requirements with diversity, body shapes, no offense,” she opined. “Nevertheless, I enjoyed seeing all the veteran models; it evoked a strong sense of nostalgia.”