Last night, the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 2018 took over New York City as the likes of Gigi Hadid, Bella Hadid, Kendall Jenner, and Candice Swanepoel took to the runway in an array of rainbowtastic feathered wings and sultry lingerie.
During the night, there were several standout moments, from Adriana Lima's tearful farewell after a staggering 18 years as a VS Angel to The Weeknd's standing ovation for his girlfriend, Bella.
However, hours before the jubilation and frivolity, the show organisers faced a backlash from fans online as a result of one specific post on their official Instagram account.
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During the show's rehearsals earlier in the day, the Victoria's Secret Instagram account - which has a whopping 62.1 million followers - shared a photograph of models Gigi, Kendall, Bella and Josephine Skriver.
'The gang's all here,' read the image caption.
However, VS fans were less than impressed with the models chosen to promote the show, with several taking to the comments section demanding to see 'the Angels'.
'We want to see the angels!!!' wrote one follower. 'Hadids and kendall are not angels, they don't deserve to be on the show, just pay attention to the comments plzzzz,' wrote another.
'The nepotism of your brand is appalling and sad,' added one.
Another fan suggested the VS brand push the Hadids sisters and Jenner into the spotlight for the press instead of its 'veteran' stars. 'You only use them for publicity!' wrote one Instagram user.
For the VS uninitiated, out of the 47 models who walked in the fashion show, only 13 are Angels. So while Skriver is an 'official' Angel, models Gigi, Kendall and Bella aren't.
Angels are models who have special contracts with Victoria's Secret, meaning they have obligations with the brand that a runway model (like Jenner and Hadid) may not, according to This Is Insider. Previous Angels include Adriana Lima, Alessandra Ambrosio, and Gisele Bündchen.
Current angel Elsa Hosk previously explained: 'Becoming an Angel means you are officially part of the family of Victoria's Secret and you are a spokesperson for the whole brand, and that is such a cool thing because it's one of the biggest, most amazing brands in the world.'
Hours later, the Instagram account posted a photograph of some of its current angels including Martha Hunt, Grace Elizabeth, Adriana Lima, Stella Maxwell, and Jasmine Tookes.
VS heard what the people wanted and delivered.
Katie O'Malley is the Site Director on ELLE UK. On a daily basis you’ll find Katie managing all digital workflow, editing site, video and newsletter content, liaising with commercial and sales teams on new partnerships and deals (eg Nike, Tiffany & Co., Cartier etc), implementing new digital strategies and compiling in-depth data traffic, SEO and ecomm reports. In addition to appearing on the radio and on TV, as well as interviewing everyone from Oprah Winfrey to Rishi Sunak PM, Katie enjoys writing about lifestyle, culture, wellness, fitness, fashion, and more.
