The Shocking Truth About The VS Fashion Show 2022: Why It Was Canceled And The New 'VS World Tour'

The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show 2022 did not happen. For fans eagerly awaiting the return of the iconic runway spectacle, the year 2022 was marked by a conspicuous silence, a strategic pause in the brand’s global presentation calendar that was far more significant than a simple cancellation. This absence was a direct consequence of a massive, multi-year rebranding effort that saw the lingerie giant completely dismantle its controversial "Angels" image in favor of a new, more inclusive, and globally conscious identity. The quiet of 2022 was the calm before the storm—a pivotal year of preparation that ultimately led to a completely reimagined, documentary-style fashion event that premiered the following year.

As of today, December 12, 2025, understanding the events of 2022 is crucial to grasping the brand’s modern direction. The traditional show, renowned for its extravagant wings, celebrity performances, and supermodels like Adriana Lima and Tyra Banks, had been officially canceled since 2019 due to plunging viewership and significant cultural backlash. The 2022 void was not a sign of the show's imminent return in its old format, but rather a clear indication that Victoria's Secret was deeply entrenched in an overhaul designed to regain cultural relevance and compete with modern, inclusive rivals like Savage X Fenty.

The Truth About the VS Fashion Show 2022: A Year of Silence and Strategy

The question of "Where was the VS Fashion Show 2022?" is best answered by looking at the brand’s corporate strategy. After the final traditional show in 2018 and the official cancellation in 2019, Victoria’s Secret spent the next few years focusing on a radical internal and external transformation. The year 2022 was a transitional period, a bridge between the controversial "Angel" era and the launch of their new global concept.

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Why the Traditional Runway Show Was Not Possible in 2022

The decision to skip 2022 was not just about logistics; it was a matter of brand survival. The old format, which promoted an unattainable standard of beauty, had become a cultural liability. The brand recognized that a simple return to the runway without a fundamental change would be met with scorn. Key factors contributing to the 2022 pause included:

• The Death of the "Angels" Concept: The brand officially retired the "Angels" in 2021, replacing them with the VS Collective. A traditional runway show would have felt hollow without the iconic "Angels."
• The Focus on the VS Collective: 2022 was spent solidifying the new VS Collective, a group of diverse women acting as brand ambassadors, consultants, and collaborators. This required a different marketing focus than a single, highly-produced event.
• Preparation for "The Tour '23": The brand was secretly developing a completely new, high-concept, documentary-style fashion film, which required extensive, global production throughout 2022 and into 2023. This project, later titled "The Victoria's Secret World Tour," was the true successor to the show.
• Cultural Relevance: Rivals like Savage X Fenty had successfully captured the market with diverse, inclusive, and boundary-pushing fashion presentations. Victoria’s Secret needed a fresh, unique, and non-traditional approach to compete, and 2022 was the year for planning that launch.

The temporary financial recovery of Victoria's Secret in 2022 can be attributed to the rebrand strategy announced in June 2021, which marked a significant commitment to body inclusivity and cultural relevance.

From Angels to Activists: The VS Collective and the Rebrand's New Faces

The most profound change that defined the 2022 era was the formal establishment and expansion of the VS Collective. This initiative directly addressed years of criticism about the brand's lack of diversity and its narrow focus on a single body type. The Collective members were no longer just models; they were activists, athletes, artists, and entrepreneurs who represented a broader spectrum of womanhood.

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The founding members of the VS Collective, many of whom were featured prominently in the brand’s 2022 campaigns, included:

• Megan Rapinoe: World Cup champion and LGBTQ+ activist.
• Priyanka Chopra Jonas: Actress, producer, and entrepreneur.
• Paloma Elsesser: Plus-size model and body positivity advocate.
• Adut Akech: Model and former South Sudanese refugee.
• Valentina Sampaio: Transgender model.
• Eileen Gu: Olympic freestyle skier.
• Bella Hadid: Supermodel who returned to the brand with a new, authentic perspective.

This shift signaled a move away from the male gaze and towards female empowerment, making 2022 a year of strategic marketing and repositioning. The campaigns and social media presence during this period focused heavily on promoting new product lines, like the inclusive Body by Victoria collection, and sharing the personal stories of the Collective members, rather than a single, annual runway spectacle.

The Phoenix Rises: How the 2022 Rebrand Led to 'The World Tour '23'

The ultimate result of the 2022 strategic silence was the launch of "The Victoria's Secret World Tour," which premiered in September 2023 on Amazon Prime Video. This event was the official, non-traditional replacement for the old Fashion Show format. It was a groundbreaking, hybrid presentation billed as a "part spectacular fashion event, part documentary."

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Instead of a single runway in a major city, the World Tour was a feature-length film that celebrated global creativity and female trailblazers. The core of the film centered around the VS20 Collective, a group of 20 emerging artists and designers from four major cities around the globe.

Key Entities and Concepts of The Tour '23

The World Tour was a showcase of international talent, demonstrating Victoria’s Secret's commitment to a global, diverse perspective. The film followed four creative groups from different cultural hubs:

• Lagos, Nigeria: Featured fashion designer Bubu Ogisi and creative director Korty.
• Bogota, Colombia: Included fashion designer Melissa Valdes and filmmaker Cristina Sánchez Salamanca.
• London, United Kingdom: Focused on a group of diverse artists and designers.
• Tokyo, Japan: Highlighted local artists and creatives, including artist Kom-I.

Each creative group was tasked with designing a capsule collection that reflected their local culture, which was then showcased in a stunning fashion fantasy sequence. This shift from a single, centralized show to a decentralized, documentary-style celebration of global fashion and female storytelling was the direct, revolutionary outcome of the 2022 rebranding strategy. It was a bold move that aimed to redefine what a fashion show could be in the modern era, focusing on the creative process and the designers' stories over the traditional runway spectacle.

What's Next for the Victoria's Secret Runway? (2024 and Beyond)

While 2022 was the year of the strategic pause, the brand’s evolution did not stop there. The success and cultural conversation generated by "The Victoria's Secret World Tour" paved the way for the next phase of the brand's resurgence: a return to the live runway.

Following the 2023 Tour, Victoria’s Secret confirmed that the traditional runway show format would officially return in 2024, promising a blend of the iconic glamour of the past with the new, inclusive vision established by the VS Collective. The subsequent 2025 show, announced to be returning to New York City, continues this hybrid approach, featuring both beloved supermodels, such as Adriana Lima, and new faces from the world of fashion and activism.

In essence, the VS Fashion Show 2022 was a necessary sacrifice. It was the crucial moment of silence that allowed the brand to shed its outdated image, embrace body positivity, launch the VS Collective, and develop the innovative World Tour concept. The absence of the show that year was not a failure; it was the most important strategic step the brand took to secure its future relevance in the competitive global lingerie market.