Tyra Banks, Heidi Klum & More Who Started as Victoria’s Secret Angels

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The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show is returning soon! You can watch it live on Prime Video, Amazon Live, and Victoria’s Secret’s social media channels on October 15th at 7 p.m. EST.

This is the second televised show since Victoria’s Secret brought it back after canceling it in 2019. This year’s show promises both stunning fashion and a fantastic lineup of performers, including Missy Elliott, Karol G, Madison Beer, and TWICE.

Alongside the incredible fashion, several well-known faces will be showcasing the iconic wings. Newcomers Precious Lee, Yumi Nu, and WNBA star Angel Reese will be joining returning Angels Ashley Graham, Anok Yai, and Alex Consani, along with other stars like Gigi Hadid, Barbara Palvin, and Stella Maxwell.

Several other iconic models will also be walking in the show. Joining them are Lily Aldridge, Adriana Lima, Joan Smalls, Candice Swanepoel, Alessandra Ambrosio, and Doutzen Kroes – all longtime Victoria’s Secret Angels reuniting for this event.

Doutzen is thrilled to be back for her ninth Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, having first walked the runway in 2005. What she’s most looking forward to is seeing her friends, especially Candice, Joan Smalls, and Adriana. Over the years, they’ve become close, sharing experiences like starting families and supporting each other through similar life events. She’s excited to reconnect and catch up with them.

Before the stars walk the pink carpet, discover how some of them—and other models—first became Victoria’s Secret Angels.

Tyra Banks broke barriers when she first walked in a Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show in the mid-1990s. In a 2021 Instagram post, she reflected on being the first Black model to sign a contract with Victoria’s Secret, appear on their cover, and achieve many other milestones with the brand. She emphasized that being first is important to pave the way for others, but it must be followed by a wave of diversity and inclusion.

After retiring from modeling in 2005, Tyra pursued a diverse career, including acting in films like *Life-Size*, hosting television shows such as *America’s Next Top Model*, *The Tyra Banks Show*, and *Dancing With the Stars*, and even launching her own ice cream brand. The mother of son York Banks Asla recently returned to the Victoria’s Secret runway in 2024 to close out the show, continuing her legacy of breaking boundaries.

In 2000, Gisele Bündchen signed a $25 million, five-year contract with Victoria’s Secret. At the time, she wasn’t sure if it was the right decision, as the brand wasn’t as popular yet, and there wasn’t much overlap between high-fashion runway work and catalog shoots for models. She told British Vogue in 2023 that she worried about the longevity of her career, having seen many models quickly disappear from the industry. Despite her concerns, she decided to take the risk because the pay was exceptionally high.

That risk proved successful, and she remained with Victoria’s Secret until 2007. By 2018, she explained to Refinery 29 that she felt ready to pursue other interests by age 27, even though the brand accounted for 80% of her income.

Gisele stepped away from runway modeling in 2015 to focus on raising her children with her now-ex-husband, Tom Brady. Since then, she has continued to model, published books like Lessons and Nourish, and is expecting a baby with her boyfriend, Joaquim Valente, in early 2025.

Heidi Klum began her career with Victoria’s Secret in 1997, and the show significantly boosted her fame. In a 2008 interview, she explained that appearing on the Victoria’s Secret runway made her a recognizable name worldwide.

After 13 years as a Victoria’s Secret Angel, Heidi moved on in 2010, continuing her modeling work, becoming known for her elaborate Halloween costumes, and appearing on television shows like *Project Runway* and *America’s Got Talent*. Her children, Leni and Henry (two of her four kids with ex-husband Seal), have also begun modeling.

Though Heidi has always valued her time with Victoria’s Secret, she’s pleased with the recent changes the company has made, particularly its increased focus on diversity and inclusivity. In a 2021 interview, she stated that these changes were long overdue and a positive step forward.

Before becoming a world-famous model, Adriana Lima seriously considered a life of religious devotion. Growing up in Catholic school, she was extremely shy and didn’t envision herself having a boyfriend, leading her to believe becoming a nun was her calling. However, her life took a different turn when she walked her first Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show in 1999. She continued to model for Victoria’s Secret for nearly two decades, until 2018.

The Brazilian model, who has three children – two daughters with her ex-husband Marko Jaric and a son with her current husband Andre Lemmers – shared in 2023 that her time with Victoria’s Secret coincided with many personal changes. She felt celebrated throughout her journey, from her teenage years to motherhood, and appreciated the brand’s support of women.

Adriana recently returned to the Victoria’s Secret runway in 2024 and is scheduled to walk in the 2025 show.

Alessandra Ambrosio first walked the Victoria’s Secret runway in 2000. She continued to be a part of the show for several years, and in 2004, she became the face of Victoria’s Secret’s Pink line.

In a 2022 interview with *Glamour*, Ambrosio explained that her work with Pink led to her becoming a Victoria’s Secret Angel and receiving her first contract. She continued to model in every Victoria’s Secret runway show until she retired in 2017.

The mother of two, who shares her children with Jamie Mazur, made a return to the VS runway in 2024 and is scheduled to appear for the 19th time in 2025.

Miranda Kerr began her journey with Victoria’s Secret in 2006, becoming the first Australian model to join the ranks of the Angels the following year. After six years, she decided to leave the Victoria’s Secret runway to focus on raising her son, Flynn, with her then-husband, Orlando Bloom, and explore new career paths.

She explained to *The Sunday Morning Herald* that she was simply moving into a new chapter of her life after modeling since she was a teenager. Becoming a mother made her realize she needed to prioritize her time.

As Miranda expanded her businesses, including her skincare line Kora Organics, and grew her family – welcoming sons Hart, Myles, and Pierre with her second husband, Evan Spiegel, the founder of Snapchat – she found she didn’t want to return to the Victoria’s Secret runway.

In a 2024 interview on the *Not Alone* podcast, she shared that while she cherished her time with Victoria’s Secret and the fun she had with the team, her priorities had shifted. As a mother of four boys, her life had moved in a different direction, and she felt ready to focus on that.

Lily Aldridge cherishes the memory of her debut Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show in 2009. She described it as a surreal experience, recalling how her legs felt both shaky and incredibly heavy as she walked the runway. Despite the nerves, she made it through and remembers the feeling as exhilarating.

Lily earned her Victoria’s Secret Angel wings in 2010 and continued to model for the brand until 2016, while also maintaining a working relationship with them since.

Though she’s been busy with modeling and raising her two children, Dixie and Winston, with her husband, musician Caleb Followill, Lily announced in 2025 that she would be returning to the Victoria’s Secret runway after a nine-year hiatus.

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2025-10-15 13:17