The legendary singer, 78, turned back time, bringing back the excitement the VS Fashion Show used to inspire as she headlined the show’s first-ever all-women musical lineup, which also included BLACKPINK’s LISA and Tyla.
Taking center stage on the Victoria’s Secret runway in New York, Cher delivered live renditions of two of her greatest hits, “Strong Enough” and “Believe.”
The Oscar winner got an introduction befitting an icon, with the catwalk going dark as images of Cher throughout her many eras filled the giant screen at the back of the runway.
The singer kicked off with “Strong Enough,” wearing glittery black cargo pants and a sparkling corseted black jacket.
The final musical act of the night, Cher inspired cheers from the crowd and even model Adriana Lima was lip-syncing along as she walked down the runway.
And fans were loving it too. “CHER’S PERFORMANCE SOMEONE PINCH ME,” one person posted on X.
Another wrote, “CHER IS SO ICONIC.”
“That Cher Opening? Masterpiece thank you,” a third person said of the singer’s intro.
Cher was humble on the VS pink carpet before the show.
“Don’t expect that much!” she told pre-show host Olivia Culpo. “I’m gonna go out there an do my best.”
When asked what part of the show she was most excited for, Cher said, “I really am most excited about all the women, that it’s only women, and they’re great.”
Speaking of the show’s models, the singer shared, “I met them all and we had a great time the last of couple days. And I’m really proud of it [and] proud that women are finally being able to in many ways — not in all ways, but in some ways — to find their own destiny.”
As for her look, she underplayed what the audience could expect. “It’s not much,” she said. “It’s not a big deal.”
Victoria’s Secret revealed Cher would be the fashion show’s headliner in an Instagram post on Sept. 17.
“It’s a woman’s world, so it’s understood that you can’t have a fashion show without the mother of fashion herself—@Cher! We’re beyond excited to announce she will officially be performing at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show 2024 on October 15,” the brand captioned a montage, including clips from the singer’s “Believe” music video and title cards proclaiming her an “icon” and a “legend.”
Cher is the latest A-list star to headline the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show. Past performers included Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran, Ariana Grande, The Weeknd, Lady Gaga and Selena Gomez.
Victoria’s Secret 2024 Fashion Show was a return to form for the underwear empire. The live runway show was the brand’s first since 2019, when VS shuttered the program following plummeting ratings and criticism over the type of bodies celebrated on – and excluded from – the catwalk.
Last year, VS tried to reinvent their show, releasing a pre-taped “fashion event” they called “Victoria’s Secret The Tour ’23.” Filmed in Barcelona, Lagos, Bogotá, London and Tokyo, the show, which streamed online, included familiar VS models such as Adriana Lima, Gigi Hadid, and Emily Ratajkowski strutting their stuff – but without audiences or the brand’s signature angel wings (which were struck from stores in 2021).
Then, in May, Victoria’s Secret announced the live fashion show which once turned heads and made headlines would be returning. “We’ve read the comments and heard you,” the brand captioned a post on Instagram. “The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show is ✨ BACK ✨ and will reflect who we are today, plus everything you know and love—the glamour, runway, wings, musical entertainment, and more! Stay tuned…it only gets more iconic from here.”
Amping up fans’ excitement even more, in August, VS shared that Tyra Banks would be returning to the company’s runway for the first time in 19 years. The model has walked in in nine shows for Victoria’s Secret over the course of her career.
Once again taking to Instagram, the brand declared, “Sorry, couldn’t write a caption, we were too busy picking up our jaws off the floor at @tyrabanks and @gigihadid delivering VSFS invites. You understand.”
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