Gisele Bundchen's absence from the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show renewal left fans deeply disappointed this week.
But the supermodel icon, 44, who was one of the brand's Angels between 1999 and 2006, was asked to recreate the underwear for the show, but turned down the offer as she will retire from the catwalk in 2020.
TMZ reports that Victoria's Secret agents 'politely turned down' Gisele's team on her behalf in June when they began airing the show, citing her retirement from runway modeling.
Emmanuelle Ault, former editor of French Vogue and stylist at the VS show, reportedly tried in vain to convince Gisele to come out of retirement.
Gisele last worked with Victoria's Secret in 2023, when she modeled for the brand's Icons campaign.
Gisele Bundchen's absence from the revived Victoria's Secret Fashion Show this week left fans extremely disappointed, and the reason for her absence has been revealed (pictured from 2005).
She told O'Globo in 2020: “I never said I would retire, I would never do catwalks again.” I will never stop working. My wish is to continue creating until the day I die.
She previously said: “My body automatically tells me if what I'm doing is worth it, it tells me to stop.” I respect my body and being able to stop it is a blessing. I learned to listen to my body.'
Sertaila and Blackpinklisa, Gigi and Bella Hadid, Adriana Lima, Alessandra Ambrosio and Ashley Graham walked the catwalk at the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in New York.
The fashion show was canceled in 2019 due to poor ratings and major controversies in an effort to be more inclusive.
The show was once a glamorous, star-studded affair that began in 1995 and featured a who's who of the modeling world, including Tyra Banks, Heidi Klum, Gisele Bundchen and more.
It featured performances by artists such as Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande and The Weeknd.
But the company canceled the show and relinquished the Victoria's Secret Angel title in 2019, amid criticism that the brand lacked models of all shapes and backgrounds.
TMZ reports that in June, Victoria's Secret contacted Gisele's team to start airing the show, citing her retirement from runway modeling.
The show was once a glamorous, star-studded affair that began in 1995 with Gisele, one of the brand's most famous faces, photographed alongside angels Karolina Kurkova, Tyra Banks, Heidi Klum and Adriana Lima.
She told O'Globo in 2020: “I never said I would retire, I would never do catwalks again” (pictured in 2005 wearing the $10 million Heavenly 70 Fantasy bra).
Other famous faces on the New York runway include Bella and Gigi Hadid.
Tyra Banks, 50, returned 19 years after her last appearance on VS in black crystal-encrusted leggings, a black and silver bustier, and a metallic cape.
A damning 2020 article in The New York Times included accusations of misogyny, bullying and harassment by former marketing director Ed Razek.
He also listed concerns about L Brands CEO Leslie Wexner's long friendship with convicted felon Jeffrey Epstein before he died in prison.
Epstein was awaiting trial on child sex trafficking charges at the time of his death.
A 2022 Hulu documentary, Victoria's Secret: Angels & Demons, shined a microscope on the lingerie brand's corporate culture.
The three-part series covers body shaming, misogyny and discomfort, a pink line aimed at tweens and teens that makes women feel bad about themselves.
Victoria's Secret was spun off from the parent company in 2021.
Now he wants to regain his reputation and his corner of the lucrative intimate market.
Now they have models of all origins and sizes, such as the Savage x Fenty campaigns and shows by the pioneer Rihanna.
