If you had asked me five years ago what I thought of Victoria’s Secret, I would have probably said iconic.

Today, the word that comes to mind: irrelevant.

Victoria’s Secret, a popular lingerie and clothing brand, dominated women’s underwear throughout the 90s and early 2000s. Victoria’s Secret as a brand has undeniably shaped society’s perception of beauty standards for women. But, because of numerous scandals, the brand ended its quintessential annual fashion show.

In early 2020 Victoria’s secret came out: A demon ruled this angelic empire of Swarovski diamonds.

A New York Times investigation revealed dozens of complaints against company executives from Victoria’s Secret employees, ranging from questionable to illegal. The complaints included allegations of harassment, workplace bullying and the complete absence of accountability. It seemed like Victoria’s Secret could only go in one direction: down.

The shiny, feathered veneer couldn’t cover up the past. Victoria’s Secret as a brand has long been criticized for promoting unrealistic and toxic beauty standards, leaving young women with body image issues. These longstanding criticisms came to a head in 2022 when the simultaneous release of a scathing song, sordid documentary and social media outlash plummeted the Angels and the brand into new depths of disgrace.

Then, in 2023, Victoria’s Secret’s fashion show returned, reimagined.

Its first show since 2018 struggled more than Gigi Hadid with her mechanical wings. Victoria’s Secret chose to clip the Angels’ wings, discontinue the legendary “fantasy bra” and turned the fashion show into a documentary-style film, which toured four major cities: Bogota, Lagos, London and Tokyo.

The event focused on promoting inclusivity in terms of body size diversity. Victoria’s Secret’s head creative director, Raul Martinez said the brand wanted “The Tour ’23” to “celebrate the individuality of women’s stories and perspectives.” In the words of Cher from “Clueless”, a 2000s icon who’s aged much better than Victoria, “As if.” The rebrand felt like a Hail Mary attempt to win back customers who were long gone.

Like an angel without wings, this show fell flat.

In contrast, the 2024 revival of the classic fashion show redeemed Victoria’s Secret, to a degree. In the light of dissatisfaction with “The Tour ’23”, Victoria’s Secret reverted to the original fashion show format. They brought back the wings, had artists like Tyla and Lisa of Blackpink sing, and brought back former angels.

Although, they may have overdone the nostalgia. Victoria’s Secret has always targeted the young, female consumer, so it made me wonder what they were thinking bringing back all of their now 50-odd-year-old models. Don’t get me wrong, original 90s Angels like Adriana Lima, Gisele Bundchen and Tyra Banks will forever be iconic, but that doesn’t change the fact that they are 50. What teenager would be rushing to Victoria’s Secret to buy clothes modeled by someone old enough to be their mom?

I’ll give Victoria’s Secret this: They seem determined to claw their way back to fashion heaven. The 2024 fashion show had its issues, but if it’s any sign of the direction the brand will take, I might dare to say the Angels might just have a chance to ascend back to the top.