The Pink segment of the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, explained

If you’re a faithful Victoria’s Secret fan then you presumably know the significance of the annual show’s Pink segment, which generally takes place somewhere around the middle of the televised event and features approximately 14-15 fresh-faced models. 

While the Pink brand—which serves as a sister line of underwear created by the lingerie giant in an effort to reach a younger target market—launched in 2002, it didn’t feature as a segment in the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show until 2006, when it was opened by none other than Canadian model Jessica Stam. 

The line is comprised of underwear, swimsuits, sleepwear and loungewear that is far more cute than it is sexy, as it’s aimed at women as young as 15, and even features a collegiate collection that is supported by partnerships with over 100 American colleges. 

In the same way that the Pink brand is seen as a way for young women to transition from loungewear to Victoria’s Secret intimates, the Pink segment is also understood to be the segment that sees new faces make their Victoria’s Secret debut, before joining established models in more extravagant lingerie. 

While some models are cast in the main show without ever having walked in the Pink segment and others (read: Gigi Hadid in 2015) have had the pleasure of walking in both segments within the one show, many models start off walking the Pink runway in these ensembles before making the transition.  

The significance of the transition stands true for campaigns as well as the show itself. In 2015, current Victoria’s Secret Angel Elsa Hosk touched on the importance of being cast to model for Victoria’s Secret after having featured in Pink campaigns for a total of three years.

In a video shared to the lingerie giant’s YouTube channel, Hosk confessed: “Pink has been my family for so long that coming here feels like a big step but I realise it’s like family here as well.”

Graduating from a Pink model to an official Victoria’s Secret model also means you’re one step closer to becoming a fully-fledged Angel—meaning there’s no reason not to watch the faces that take the Pink segment by storm come the 2018 Fashion Show.