Victoria’s Secret announced that Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese will take the runway at the 2025 fashion show on Oct. 15, becoming the first professional athlete to do so in history. While it comes as no surprise given her affinity for fashion and beauty, repeat Met Gala appearances, and “Vogue Magazine” cover, her VS runway debut is still a significant moment for Black women in sports.
It’s important for the younger generation to see a Black woman athlete recognized for the beauty icon she is — within our community and by mainstream brands alike.
I grew up with a long list of Black women athletes as my personal style icons. I marveled over Flo Jo’s intricately-embellished nails and Venus and Serena Williams’s signature braid beads — both treasured beauty staples that were ubiquitous in our community. But it took decades before the rest of the style industry caught on, and it was rare to see those athletes celebrated or credited as trendsetters on the world stage. Now to have Victoria’s Secret — a brand historically associated with desirability and beauty — cast a Black woman athlete is powerful and quite frankly overdue. And it comes at a time when people are finally acknowledging the wonder and ingenuity of their style, from Sha’Carri Richardson’s ornate nail designs to Coco Gauff’s cool take on sportswear.
That’s not to say that outside validation is needed; we’ve always known how fashion-forward and creative Black women athletes are. But you can’t deny the impact of representation on the Victoria’s Secret runway. The lingerie behemoth reported 2.67 million peak viewers on its YouTube stream for the 2024 fashion show, and boasts a global footprint of over 1,300 stories in nearly 70 countries. That kind of visibility is far-reaching and meaningful.
It’s important for the younger generation to see a Black woman athlete recognized for the beauty icon she is — within our community and by mainstream brands alike. And it’s even more meaningful when you consider all the forces that say the opposite. We’ve witnessed racist and sexist criticism hurled at Black women athletes like Serena Williams, who was body shamed for her muscles at the same time that her curves were praised within the Black community. These attacks stem from age-old stereotypes that Black women are hyper masculine and undesirable while thin, pale white women are framed as the epitome of femininity and beauty.
Likewise, Black women athletes who participate in fashion and beauty are told they need to choose a lane, as if being stylish and athletic is mutually exclusive. Angel Reese experienced this herself when a commenter on X (formerly Twitter) suggested she had to pick between being an “IG model” or a “WNBA player.” Her appearance on the Victoria’s Secret runway is a bold rejection of such ignorance. She proves once and for all that Black women can be “fine and play” sports and win titles and championships.
Angel Reese’s big runway debut coincides with Victoria’s Secret’s shift toward greater inclusivity after years of exclusionary practices. For their 2024 runway show, the first after a six-year hiatus, the brand casted plus-size and transgender models on the catwalk as well as models of different races and ages. The casting received mixed reviews as some felt it constituted tokenism and was a hollow attempt at remaining relevant. As someone who has covered and lamented the lack of diversity at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show for ten years, I’m grateful to see some progress and hopeful for more. And Angel Reese’s presence on the 2025 runway is another step in the right direction.
Jessica C. Andrews (she/her) is an award-winning editor and writer who currently works as the senior style director of PS, overseeing beauty, fashion, shopping, and identity content. With more than 15 years of experience, her areas of expertise include fashion, shopping, and travel. Prior to joining PS, Jessica held senior roles at Teen Vogue, Refinery29, and Bustle and contributed to The New York Times, Elle, Vanity Fair, and Essence. She’s appeared on “Good Morning America,” NBC, and Fox 5 New York and spoken on various panels about fashion, hair, and Black culture.
