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Victoria Spills Her Secrets for Second Year in a Row

On October 15, Victoria’s Secret returned with its seminal fashion show for the second time after its six-year hiatus. The brand again tried to give the impression that it's by women, for women. The models were more diverse than in previous years, with a significant number of BIPOC, plus-sized, and older models strutting their stuff. 

The cast list was stacked with supermodels, which ranged from current superstars like Bella Hadid and Anok Yai to old guard giants like Kate Moss and Carla Bruni. Adriana Lima, one of the original and most famous “angels” — VS supermodels who wear stylized wings on the runway — elicited an especially loud scream when she emerged on the catwalk. 

The multimillion dollar operation of Adriana’s years had started to decline by the late 2010s. At that point, the public began to see the show’s nearly all-white, size nothing cast less as inspirations and more as standard-bearers for body image issues. Transphobic and fatphobic comments from one of the brand’s executives only exacerbated the problem.

The show’s viewership dropped sharply afterwards, and it was canceled indefinitely in 2019. Understandably, its resurrection in 2023 generated substantial buzz. The resulting film was poorly received by critics and fans alike, who denounced its inauthentic reform and lack of trademark glamor. 

This year’s runway seemed like it attempted to address those issues. For one thing, it revived some of the glittery, girly, and vivacious essence of the original shows — Gigi Hadid opened it in towering pink wings, after all — but the designs themselves were somewhat lackluster. 

Gone were the diamond fantasy bras of old. Now, the admittedly more inclusive models sported simpler off-the-rack looks, which viewers could buy during the livestream. This tactic among others seems to hint at the company’s desire to be more accessible than aspirational. Whether that’s even possible for Victoria’s Secret, a brand built on a narrow definition of “sexiness,” remains to be seen. 

Standout Successes

1. Balkan Treat Box 🍬

   1. First of all, you should know this might be a stretch for students without cars.

   2. However, this spot was a sweet experience as someone who has friends with ZipCar privileges.

   3. The service is so amazing, and the food matters too!

   4. I had the lahmacun and it was absolutely delicious. It has just the right amount of favor without overdoing it or being too bare-bones.

2. Salt +  Smoke🧂

   1. For seasoned Midwesterners or Missourians(?), this place is probably just normal food.

   2. Still, as somebody who actively enjoys seeking out new experiences, the exquisite beauty of American barbecue was a great find.

   3. The flavors are rich, the options are vast, and the ambiance is lively; in my humble opinion, that’s everything you need.

   4. This restaurant is where I had toasted ravioli for the first time, and I must admit I’m more than ready to make the arduous journey back for more.

Cake, Coffee, and Caffeine

1. Meshuggah Cafe ☕

   1. Every college needs their quirky and cool coffee shop where all the cool people go.

      1. Speaking as somebody who spent four whole days at WashU, I say with certainty that this (might) be WashU’s cool people hotspot. 

   2. Anyway, that doesn’t matter. The ambiance in this coffee shop is so cozy. It’s small enough to enjoy a good intellectual read, but admittedly too small to get a ton of work done without getting distracted from the foot traffic.

   3. Coffee shops should strike a balance between classic drinks and fun, more uncommon drinks, and Meshuggah does just that. I had a terrific Thai iced coffee during my visit, and my friend enjoyed an equally wonderful lavender oat latte.

2. Clementine’s Naughty & Nice Ice Cream🍦

   1. Look away if you’re a current WashU student! I’m sure this comes as no surprise to you.

   2. A hot spot amongst WashU students is Clementine’s ice creamery, and I totally understand why. As mentioned, I’m a sucker for trying new things, so I love when ice cream shops dare to sell crazy flavors. Try the strawberry balsamic white pepper! I didn’t, but you should tell me how it is. 

🦇COSTUME INSPO👻

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Cult Classics

The Shining (1980) Stanley Kubrick

I am normally not one for horror movies. Surprisingly, though, I can watch psychological horror even though it’s arguably scarier because it’s more realistic. But I digress.

From the moment the film started, Jack Nicholson phenomenally played up an uncanny off-putting-ness. Nicholson has a certain Jim Carrey-esque grin, but whereas Carrey is a comedian, Nicholson portrays something more sinister. 

The Shining mastered audio as a way of building suspense and plot. The sound carried and differentiated what otherwise would be the mundanity of living in a hotel alone over three months. The most suspenseful scenes were ones when Danny was riding around on his tricycle and all the audience hears is the wheels rolling against the polished wood floor, then muffled by carpet, and so on, until Danny turns a corner and you, as the audience, brace yourself to see something. Yet, when Danny turns the corner and is confronted by nothing, the audience isn’t sure whether to feel at ease or not. 

The beauty of this film is that although it could have dragged, in the sense that there are only three main characters to follow, it seems as though the hotel takes on a life of its own and grows character as the film progresses. We never get a good picture of its layout, only the vague sense that it’s vast and can easily turn sinister as soon as someone has bad intentions. This alone propelled the film forward with an everlasting, chilling fright.

Tyler, The Creator Announces New Album, ‘Chromakopia’

Should New Music Drop During The Week?🎧

Tyler, The Creator’s new album ‘CHROMAKOPIA’ is releasing on Monday, October 28. Deviating from typical new music releases on Friday, Tyler’s been an advocate for the return of mid-week drops for a while now.

In an interview with Nardwuar last year, he explained why he feels dropping an album during the week is better than the weekend. “I think it’s a lot of passive listening [on the weekend],” he said. “If you put it out during the week… you really have that time to ‘dive in’ and really listen.”

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