What was once the sexiest and most outrageous night in fashion was yesterday reduced to a model in pyjamas as Victoria’s Secret went ‘woke’.

Fans slammed the new Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show’s comeback following a six-year absence – branding it ‘boring’ and lacklustre.

The evening event also marked the first walk down the Victoria’s Secret runway for Brazilian model Valentina Sampaio, who was the first transgender model to represent the brand in 2019.

In addition to Sampaio, transgender model Alex Consani was walking on the runway as the lingerie brand expanded on its efforts to be more inclusive.

It was a far cry from the event’s heyday, when outrageous walks and outfits dominated the fashion world for weeks after appearing on the show – before the company was hit by scandals including claims of a ‘toxic’ workplace culture.

Victoria’s Secret has also seen sales slide, with critics suggesting that moves towards more ‘inclusivity’ in recent years – including using plus-sized models – have failed to appeal.

Cher served as last night’s headline performer along with Blackpink alum Lisa and rising star Tyla — making it the show’s first ever all-woman musical line-up.

But there has been a backlash on X, formerly Twitter, with criticisms of what were seen as toned-down production values lacking glitz and ‘woke’ efforts.

The lingerie brand was famed for its sultry catwalks which featured the likes of Cara Delevingne and Miranda Kerr as its ‘Angels’.

Models were seen in the past strutting down the catwalk in 10ft white feathered wings, thongs and basques – yet the new show has been viewed as a letdown by many.

‘Victoria’s Secret came back with the most boring show ever’, said one poster, while another wrote: ‘The Victoria’s Secret show looks so modern and boring now, I’m disappointed.’

A separate commenter said: ‘Victoria Secret has yet to listen to our public demands. This is not the show we wanted. Everyone’s hair is flat, no extremely tall models, the entire production is different.’

Another remarked: ‘Victoria Secret really said go woke, go broke.’

Other comments included: ‘The new Victoria’s secret fashion show feels so SOULLESS omg… and like why are they playing fake crowd cheering sounds? where’s the iconic runway???’

Another viewer posted: ‘This was cute but it wasn’t enough… we need to bring back the glitter runway, more lively performances!

‘What happened to the dedicated sets per look, close up of the looks, backstage chaos let’s get back to our roots #VSFashionShow2024! The inclusion was okay but I guess…

‘The OGs chewed a lot the new girls, we were missing plots like who was new [Angels], who were the old, why should we fall in love with them?.. etc. A lot of no personality haute couture walking this is #VSFashionShow2024 where are the smiles, kisses and waves?!’

Airing live on Amazon’s Prime Video, the runway show was held at the Victoria’s Secret flagship store in New York City after a six-year hiatus.

The 2024 show saw the return of Victoria’s Secret vets Alessandra Ambrosio, Tyra Banks and Adriana Lima as well as next-generation icons Taylor Hill and Barbara Palvin.

It comes three years after the lingerie brand’s controversial body-positive rebrand in 2021.

Victoria’s Secret’s iconic Angels were replaced by ‘ambassadors’ such as soccer star Megan Rapinoe – and the company axed its long-time CEO in wake of falling sales and a bombshell exposé that accused the company of misogyny, sexual harassment and bullying.

The company was founded in 1977 by US businessman Roy Raymond, who set up a small chain of boudoir lingerie shops.

Five years later he sold the firm to clothing magnate Les Wexner for $1million – a fraction of its current value. Raymond later took his own life by jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.

He had chosen the name Victoria after Queen Victoria, thinking it sounded refined, and added Secret to refer to what was hidden under the clothes.

Eventually, hundreds of stores opened coast to coast, but it was the glitzy launch of Victoria’s Secret’s first blatantly sexy catwalk show at the Plaza Hotel in New York in 1995 which made the difference.

Broadcast on network TV to 185 countries, millions tuned in to see supermodels including Naomi Campbell, Helena Christensen, Tyra Banks and Karen Mulder.

But eventually the tide began to turn in recent years when the event was judged to look like a relic of the past in the #MeToo era.

It was further plunged into controversy when marketing chief Ed Razek came under fire for saying that the firm would not cast plus-sized or ‘transsexual’ models because the show was meant to be a ‘fantasy’.

His statement got the brand in trouble and led to them cancelling the show in 2019 – the same year he made the comments and resigned.

Victoria’s Secret turned to promoting diversity by including larger models Paloma Elsesser and Ali Tate-Cutler in their campaigns.

They also hired Valentina Sampaio, their first transgender model, to star in their new VS Pink campaign after Razek left.

And the lingerie giant’s parent company L Brands confirmed in November 2019 that its annual show would not take place – with the decision being part of a move to ‘evolve the messaging of [the company],’ Fortune reported at the time.

Purchases by women aged 18 to 49 had been declining for several years prior to the move – but the firm has been hoping the return of the show will help boost fortunes.

Performers at previous shows, before it was cancelled, included pop stars such as Taylor Swift, The Weeknd, Harry Styles and Ariana Grande. 

Last night’s event was kicked off by Lisa’s performance of her hit Rockstar, which saw her ride into the venue on a motorcycle as models got hyped up backstage.

Surrounded by leather-clad dancers, the singer flashed her toned tummy in a black vinyl bra shaped like angel wings.

Gigi Hadid then opened the event — which originally had its debut in 1995 — wearing pastel pink wings and a glittering pink costume.

Adriana Lima walked to the beat of Chappell Roan’s Super Graphic Ultra Modern Girl, with the Brazilian model wearing a glittery pink and blank plaid bodysuit as well as pink holographic wings.

Gigi and Adriana’s section also saw the return of Victoria’s Secret vet Doutzen Kroes, 39, who donned silver metallic wings and a tiny pastel pink bra and panty set.

Taylor Hill dazzled in a crystal-covered bra and loose pants with wings covered in beaded tassels, before Tyla graced the runway while clad in an ultra busty silver and gold look with dramatic white feather wings.

Victoria’s Secret favorite Candice Swanepoel also made her long-awaited catwalk return, in a sparkly bra and thong underwear – styled with wings that spelled out ‘Victoria’s Secret’ in elegant cursive lettering.

Kate Moss’ lookalike daughter Lila, 22, made her Victoria’s Secret debut alongside Candice and Leonardo DiCaprio’s model girlfriend Vittoria Ceretti, who wore a skimpy iridescent bodysuit.

The next section of the show had a sexy ‘rock ‘n’ roll’ theme that opened with legendary 1990s supermodel Kate Moss.

The 50-year-old sizzled in black feather wings and a sheer, black lace dress over a skimpy bodysuit, while also wearing sky-high heels.

Adam Levine’s model wife Behati Prinsloo, 36 – who became an Angel in 2009 – appeared in an a black skirt with a thigh-high slit, tie-wrap heels and silver chrome wings.

Valentina Sampaio – Victoria’s Secret’s first trans model – graced the runway in a G-string and a fishnet skirt.

Mother-of-two Alessandra Ambrosio – returning after appearing in the last show six years ago – appeared in sparkly gold wings and an ultra sexy black lingerie outfit.

Also on the catwalk, after taking time off from modeling to focus on her Lyme disease battle, Bella Hadid strutted down the runway in an all-red outfit.

Hours before storming the 2024 catwalk, the models allowed cameras backstage as hairstylists and makeup artists transformed them.

Victoria’s Secret had previously announced the return of its annual fashion show with an Instagram post, promising the 2024 event would ‘reflect who we are today, plus everything you know and love—the glamour, runway, wings, musical entertainment.’

The popular early aughts mall brand previously returned with a ‘reimagined’ Victoria’s Secret World Tour Prime show in 2023 that was not well received – people called the show boring.

Many former fans watching at home called for the return of former Victoria’s Secret Angels like Gisele Bündchen, Heidi Klum, Molly Sims, Tyra Banks, Adriana Lima and more.

That was far from the biggest issue with the brand, as Victoria’s Secret has dealt with multiple controversies over the last few years.

In 2020, a bombshell report in The New York Times claimed that Victoria’s Secret owner Les Wexner mocked the retail industry’s efforts to champion women of different body types.

The Times interviewed more than 30 executives, employees, contractors and models, and looked at court filings to find a toxic culture of sexual harassment.

Employees said Wexner mocked the retail industry’s efforts to embrace a variety of body types by allegedly saying, ‘Nobody goes to a plastic surgeon and says, ‘Make me fat.’

Wexner was said to also berate employees about their weight, including fat shaming an employee for getting seconds at a buffet.