Ashley Graham made her debut at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show in 2024 as the underwear brand returned to the runway after a six-year hiatus.
The 36-year-old curvaceous model’s participation – who shared her BTS prep for the event – was announced four days earlier.
In a joint Instagram post, Graham and the row of intimates wrote in a caption, “You thought we were done? Not even close. @ashleygraham joins the iconic cast of the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show.’
Fans had mixed reactions to the news, with social media users taking to the comments to share their thoughts.
Before the event, Ashley said People magazine: ‘I’m very excited.’
Ashley Graham made her debut at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show in 2024 as the underwear brand returned to the runway after a six-year hiatus
The 36-year-old curvaceous model’s participation in the event was announced four days earlier
She explained, “I’m not nervous, and everything is very safe; There’s nothing that’s going to come out that makes me feel good so I can show it, and I’m honestly more excited just for the full representation that’s going to happen on the show.”
Graham, who shares three young sons with husband Justin Ervin, requested a look with more coverage after initially being given a small outfit.
She has twins Malachi and Roman, two, and firstborn son Isaac, four.
“The first thing they gave me was this little tiny pair of underwear, and I said, ‘Hi, I just had three kids,'” the mother of three explained.
She added: ‘Even though it was two years ago, I thought, “Is there anything more we can put on?” So then I got a bodysuit and I feel really sexy in it, and when the wings came out I was like, “Oh yeah, I feel like an angel. This is hot.”
Graham graced the runway in a figure-hugging black lace bodysuit, layered over a matching thong with thick straps.
She added a matching long, thin robe and delicate black wings with gold floral stickers all over.
The ensemble was completed with custom black strappy heels from designer Rene Caovilla.
Fans had mixed reactions to the news, with social media users taking to the comments to share their thoughts
One person on Instagram wrote of the beauty’s debut: “Ashley paves the way”
Someone else said: ‘Sorry but I prefer the old VS show with thin models’
One person on Instagram wrote of the beauty’s debut: “Ashley is paving the way.”
And another complained: ‘Come on… we want Adriana Lima and all the Brazilian toppers!’
Another agreed: ‘Sorry but I prefer the old VS show with thin models.’
And someone else called out Victoria’s Secret, writing, “It’s hypocritical that a brand that fired Barbara Palvin from modeling in the past because they thought she was too curvy is now trying to curry favor with plus-size models.”
Palvin was booked on the show this year alongside Ashley.
One fan on X Came to Ashley’s defense, writing, “People are so upset that Ashley Graham could walk, but honestly it would be completely different if she was skinny.”
And another wrote of the beauty’s debut: “Ashley paves the way.”
Graham graced the runway in a figure-hugging black lace bodysuit layered over a matching thong with thick straps
L-R Jasmine Tookes, Paloma Elsesser, Barbara Palvin and Ashley backstage during Tuesday’s show
Victoria’s Secret made its runway debut in 1995, when Tyra Banks took the stage three years later wearing the first set of angel wings.
Ed Razek, former head of marketing for VS’s parent company L Brands, once described the runway show as a “fantasy,” with transgender and plus-size models excluded from the “42-minute entertainment special.”
The controversial statement landed the brand in hot water and led to Razek’s resignation in 2019 and the show’s cancellation due to backlash and poor ratings.
Victoria’s Secret then pivoted to promote diversity by including larger models in subsequent campaigns.
Valentina Sampaio, the company’s first transgender model, was also hired to star in a VS Pink campaign after Razek’s departure.