Gigi Hadid is proud of her role as a Victoria’s Secret “Angel.”
Hadid, 30, opened up about returning to the 2025 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, which is scheduled for October 15, via an Instagram video shared on the brand’s page on Friday, October 10. While filming behind-the-scenes clips at one of her fittings, Hadid got candid about walking in her first show in 2015 — and the backlash she faced after making her debut.
“I tried out two or three times before I got it, so you can imagine what I felt when I got my first show. Oh my God, my heart’s racing [just thinking about it],” she gushed. “I’m just so happy for her, like she just wanted it so bad,” Hadid said about her younger self while tearing up.
She continued, wiping a tear from her eye, “And like, I was thinking about it earlier today and I look back at pictures of that time and the world was so hard on her — and not just me, it is hard on girls. And you look back at pictures and you’re like, ‘I deserve to be there.’”
After walking in her first show, Hadid clapped back at criticism surrounding her figure via Instagram.
“No, I don’t have the same body type as other models in shows. No, I don’t think I’m the best at any given shows. Yes, I want to have a unique walk but I also know I have to improve. No, I’m not the first or the last model of my type in this industry,” she wrote at the time.
“You can make up all the reasons you think I am where I am, but really, I’m a hard worker that’s confident in myself, one that came at a time where the fashion industry was ready for a change,” she fired back at naysayers. “I’m just doing my job. I represent a body image that wasn’t accepted in high-fashion before, and I’m very lucky to be supported by the designers, stylists, and editors that I am: ones that know this is fashion, it’s art; it can never stay the same.”
She added, “Yes, I have boobs, I have abs, I have a butt, I have thighs, but I’m not asking for special treatment. I’m fitting into the sample sizes.”
“Your mean comments don’t make me want to change my body, they don’t make me want to say no to the designers that ask me to be in their shows, and they definitely don’t change the designers’ opinions of me,” Hadid continued. “If they want me in their show, I’m in it; if they don’t, I’m not.”
During her fitting, Hadid added that she’s “so happy for that girl that got the first show” and for her “teenage self” who used to admire the models hitting the runway in lingerie with their trademark angel wings.
“I think the VS show is still one of those things that still makes my heart beat really fast,” she gushed. “I look back and I feel like with each show, I’m a different, new version of myself. I’ve always felt so inspired by VS, and it’s not what people think. It’s not just about lingerie and looking hot.”
“You didn’t think this year’s show would happen without @gigihadid, did you? This full-circle moment is for everyone who’s ever dreamed of wings,” the brand captioned the post. Fans were quick to share their excitement that Hadid will be featured in the 2025 runway show in the comments section.
“Welcome back, Gigi!!! You deserve this 🥹💖,” one wrote, while another gushed, “You are a living Barbie ❤️.” A third commented, “Welcome back Queen Gigi 🩷🪽.”
Last year, at the 2024 show, Hadid opened the runway in a bubblegum silk romper featuring a plunging neckline and hot shorts. She added even more drama to her ensemble with massive mechanical wings that opened and closed as she walked.
