Romee Strijd walked Victoria’s Secret for years. This fall she flew to New York to cast, waited on an answer, and found out through her agency that she’d already been released. The only explanation she got: they thought she “wouldn’t fit the show this year.”
On the same runway, Kylie Jenner closed the night in the Fantasy Bra. Kylie has walked exactly two other runway shows.
So did influencers replace the Angels? Kind of. And if you make content for a living, you should care about why.
What actually happened
The 2026 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show aired Sunday, October 18, from Los Angeles. It didn’t air on network TV. It streamed free on Victoria’s Secret’s own YouTube channel. Megan Thee Stallion and Tate McRae performed. Adriana Lima walked her 21st show and Alessandra Ambrosio her 20th.
But the conversation wasn’t about the veterans. It was about who was missing. Romee Strijd and Frida Aasen weren’t selected. Romee said it plainly: “I can live with a no, but I just would like to know.” Meanwhile the announced lineup included creators like Quenlin Blackwell and Gabi Moura, plus celebrity kids like Amelia Gray, Lisa Rinna’s daughter. Fans started using words like “boycott.”
Then came the Fantasy Bra. It’s valued at $50 million, has 4,410 natural diamonds and took over 1,000 hours to make. It hadn’t appeared in eight years. Kylie is the first non-Angel to ever wear it.
One stylist called it “tone-deaf.” Another said we’ve shifted to a world where “celebrities now become models rather than models becoming celebrities.” A third said people feel Kylie “skipped the line,” and that the backlash itself is free marketing.
And where was Kendall? I don’t think that Kylie “took” her sister’s spot like some are claiming but it would’ve been very cool to see them both in the show. Why do you think Kendall didn’t walk? Was she not invited? Or did she choose not to attend / participate? Let me know in the comments!
Why brands cast audiences now
Three reasons, and none of them are about how anyone looks in wings.
First, distribution. A model walks the runway. A creator walks the runway and posts the GRWM, the behind the scenes, the reaction and the recap. Every creator in that lineup brought their own audience with them.
Second, the show is content now. When your biggest night of the year streams on YouTube, it gets judged like a YouTube video: views, watch time, clips. Talent that drives views wins the casting.
Third, controversy is reach. Every think piece about Kylie in the Fantasy Bra is another headline with Victoria’s Secret in it.
I see this every day from the brand side. When brands reach out about creators, they ask about average views, audience demographics and content quality long before they ask what someone looks like.
The counterpoint
There’s a real cost here. Victoria’s Secret built a billion-dollar image on Angels being untouchable. Creators make the brand relatable, but relatable isn’t always aspirational. If anyone with an audience can wear the Fantasy Bra, does it still mean anything? That’s the brand’s risk to manage, not yours.
What this means for you
If a lingerie brand is paying for audiences, your audience is an asset. Price it like one.
That means two things. Charge for distribution, not just the video. And when a brand reuses your content anywhere besides your own page, that’s usage, and usage is billed separately. Go open your last brand deal. If they ran your content on their page or in ads and you got one flat fee, you left money on the table.
And you don’t need a runway to start. This week on Brand Deal School I’m breaking down How To Make Your $1,000 With UGC and How To Get Paid From TikTok Shop Affiliate.
One more thing: Dylan Sprouse is winning the husband game
Barbara Palvin walked about six weeks after their daughter Sylvie was born, and Dylan was front row posting “Built different.” Barbara called six weeks a normal U.S. return-to-work window. For creators, there’s no paid leave at all. If you’re planning one, batch content ahead, lean on evergreen affiliate links, and put delay language in your contracts so a life event doesn’t breach a deal.
The bottom line
Victoria’s Secret didn’t stop caring about beauty. It started caring about reach. That’s the same math every brand in your inbox is doing, whether you have 5,000 followers or 5 million. The creators who win this era know what their audience is worth and say the number out loud.
So here’s your homework: look at your last deal, find what you gave away for free, and price it next time. If you want help getting there, start with this week’s two new Brand Deal School videos. I’ll see you in the next issue.
“The runway isn’t a runway anymore. It’s a content shoot with wings.”