Victoria’s Secret introduced the term “Angels” for its models in 1997.
The term came from a 1997 television commercial promoting the company’s Angels underwear collection. The advertisement featured supermodels Helena Christensen, Karen Mulder, Daniela Peštová, Stephanie Seymour, and Tyra Banks in a cloud-filled setting. Its imagery helped turn “Angel” from a campaign concept into a defining part of Victoria’s Secret’s identity.
The Angels were not simply every model who walked in a Victoria’s Secret show. Official Angels generally had broader promotional responsibilities, appearing in advertising, interviews, major runway events, and other brand campaigns. That distinction is why the phrase became associated with contracted spokesmodels rather than with the entire roster of runway participants.
The Angels made their runway debut at Victoria’s Secret’s fourth annual fashion show in 1998. Chandra North filled in for Helena Christensen at that show. The brand later made the Angels central to its annual fashion-show marketing, although Victoria’s Secret ended the formal Angels era during a later brand overhaul.