You may have heard the persistent rumour that Victoria's Secret 'Angels' are the ones allowed to wear 'wings' during the brand's annual fashion show. But that's not the full truth. In actuality, the only models who walk for the show and can also be called 'Angels' are the ones with signed contracts. Every other girl on the catwalk that night is just a plain, old model.
Let's break this down:
These are the 14 models who are currently under contract with Victoria's Secret and (for the most part) walking in the 2017 fashion show in Shanghai:
Adriana Lima
Alessandra Ambrosio
Behati Prinsloo
Lily Aldridge
Candice Swanepoel
Elsa Hosk
Jasmine Tookes
Lais Ribeiro
Martha Hunt
Romee Strijd
Sara Sampaio
Stella Maxwell
Taylor Hill
Josephine Skriver
These models have obligations to fulfill with the brand, meaning they have to be on call for photo shoots, appearances, and parties for VS throughout the year. Other models walking in the show (unless they are contracted with sister label VS Pink) do not.
Although most of the Angels will be wearing wings during the show, some models who aren't contracted with VS also get to wear them. Like Kendall Jenner and Gigi Hadid last year, neither of whom have Victoria's Secret contracts.
Although the aforementioned women aren't 'Angels' per se, there's no reason you can't call them 'Victoria's Secret models' generically, especially since they've appeared in more than one show.
There you have it. Go forth in the world with this knowledge, and do what you will with it.
