What does wearing wings in the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show actually mean?

As the annual Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show comes around, a number of questions inevitably come to mind. And while we’ve all questioned why the show is filmed twice, what the significance of the Pink segment is and whether or not you can actually purchase tickets to the show, the question we’re still yet to have answered is what the honour of being selected to sport a pair of wings actually means for a model. 

The rumour that the difference between Victoria’s Secret Angels and regular models is that only Angels get to wear wings is just that–a rumour. The difference between the two is in fact the high-paid contract Angels are invited to sign–one that comes with certain obligations such as photo shoots, campaigns and special appearances.

Whatever you do, don’t make the mistake of calling a model with wings an Angel, because while each Angel is guaranteed at least one pair of wings before the others are divided up between the models cast that given year, a number of regular models then receive the honour of being selected to wear a pair on the runway.

And although these models with wings aren’t to be called Angels, the honour of being chosen to wear one of the show-stopping creations—that can take hundreds of hours to make—is no small feat and a significant milestone in a model’s Victoria’s Secret career. Similarly, the size and grandeur of the wings a model is assigned to wear can also be seen to signify a certain level of success in itself. 

However, the crop of models selected to wear wings each year can cause quite the controversy, for while some models have waited years to earn their first pair of wings—Josephine Skriver hadn’t worn a pair until she was made an Angel in 2016, five years after she made her Victoria’s Secret debut—others (read: Bella Hadid) were chosen to wear a pair when walking in the show for the very first time. 

Victoria’s Secret wing-maker Marian Hose spoke with Vogue UK ahead of the 2017 show, revealing that models aren’t assigned their wings until the final two weeks of production. And while a model who has been assigned her wings is fit up to three times in the lead up to the show, it’s the fit models that wear the wings around eight times throughout the course of production. 

“A fit model can eventually get her own wings,” Hose added. “I have been privileged to make wings for two of our fit models, who work very hard to help make all the models look their best.”

As for the secrecy surrounding those who have been selected to wear wings on the big day, Skriver previously revealed that code words are used during fittings—meaning only a small number of people know who will be wearing wings before they are revealed on the runway.