From Elsa Hosk to Helena Christensen: All the Scandinavian models who have walked the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show

The wings are coming out of retirement once again. The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show returns on October 18th 2026, this time taking its signature glitter-covered spectacle to Los Angeles. And among the names set to bring a little Scandinavian magic to the runway? Swedish supermodel and twice Vogue Scandinavia cover star, Elsa Hosk, has confirmed her appearance at this year's show.

For Hosk, the occasion marks a return to the runway that helped cement her status as one of fashion's most recognisable faces – let alone that she will be doing so mere months after giving birth to her second child. But she is far from the only Nordic beauty to have made Victoria's Secret history.

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Long before the elaborate wings, million-dollar Fantasy Bras and star-studded musical performances became synonymous with the brand, Scandinavian models were already making their mark. From Helena Christensen and Vendela Kirsebom in the '90s to Josephine Skriver, Kelly Gale and the new generation of runway favourites, the region has enjoyed a longstanding relationship with the American lingerie powerhouse.

As anticipation builds for the 2026 show, we look back at the Nordic models who have graced the Victoria's Secret catwalk over the decades.

Before the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show became the global extravaganza it is today, Finnish model Angelika Kallio was already helping establish its runway credentials. Kallio walked in the brand's inaugural show in 1995, held at New York's Plaza Hotel, when the event was still a rather intimate fashion presentation rather than a televised spectacle.

One of the original Victoria's Secret Angels, Danish supermodel and former Vogue Scandinavia cover star Helena Christensen helped define the brand's earliest runway era. She walked in the 1996 and 1997 shows before the event evolved into what we know it today.

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Norwegian-Swedish supermodel Vendel Krisenbom was another familiar face of the '90s fashion scene to take to the Victoria's Secret runway. She appeared in the 1997 show, joining a cast that included fellow Scandi, Helena Christensen, alongside some of the decade's most celebrated supermodels.

Swedish model Mini Andén was a regular presence on the Victoria's Secret runway during the early 2000's, appearing in the 2000, 2001, and 2003 editions of the show. Known for her effortless runway presence Andén belonged to a generation that saw Victoria's Secret transform from a fashion-industry event into a fgobal entertainement phenomenon.

Danish model Rie Rasmussen joined the Victoria's Secret runway in 2001, during a particularly memorable time for the brand. That year's show brought together some of the biggest names in fashion, including Gisele Bündchen, Tyra Banks, and Heidi Klum.

Swedish supermodel Caroline Winberg became one of the brand's most consistent Scandinavian runway fixtures, walking in seven consecutive shows between 2005 and 2011. Across the years, Winberg appeared in an array of the show's elaborate themed segments including 'Femme Fatale'', 'Age of Elegance', 'Wild Things', and 'Aquatic Angels'.

After launching her modelling career through Sweden's Elite Model Look competition, Dorothea Barth Jörgensen went on to become a fixture on international runways, including Victoria's Secret. The Swede appeared in the show's playful PINK segment twice, first in 2009 and then again in 2012.

Danish model Caroline Brasch Nielsen made her Victoria's Secret debut in 2011, taking to the runway during the PINK segment as Nicki Minaj performed her hit 'Super Bass'. She returned in 2013, this time walking to Neon Jungle's 'Trouble'.

Few models, let alone Scandinavian models, are as closely associated with Victoria's Secret as Swedish supermodel Elsa Hosk. Having made her debut in 2011, Hosk became a regular on the runway, earning her wings in 2015. She opened the show in 2016 and was selected to wear the elaborate Swarovski look in 2017. Her crowning moment came in 2018 when she was chosen to model the 'Dream Angels' Fantasy Bra made in collaboration with Atelier Swarovski, valued at $1 million. Now, in 2026, Hosk has once again confirmed her appearance at the show, marking an exciting new chapter in her relationship with the brand.

Before making her mark as an actress, Swedish model Frida Gustavsson enjoyed an impressive international runway career, including a memorable appearance at the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in 2012. Gustavsson walked in the show's 'Calendar Girls' segment, representing May in a colourful, ribbon-adorned ensemble as Bruno Mars performed 'Locked Out of Heaven'.

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Danish supermodel and Vogue Scandinavia digital cover star Josephine Skriver is undoubtedly one of the most recognisable Scandinavian faces in Victoria's Secret history. After making her runway debut for the brand in 2013, Skriver appeared in every show through 2018. In 2016, she was named one of Victoria's Secret's official Angels, cementing her place among the brand's most prominent ambassadors. That same year, she was selected to wear the coveted Swarovski look, one of the show's most elaborate creations. When Victoria's Secret revived its runway spectacle in 2024, Skriver was among the familiar Angels invited back.

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Swedish-Australian supermodel and former Vogue Scandinavia cover star Kelly Gale made her Victoria's Secret debut in 2013, beginning a six-year run that would see her walk in every show through 2018. Over the years, Gale appeared in some of the brand's most memorable themed segments, including 'Parisian Nights', 'Exotic Traveller', 'Mountain Romance' and 'Downtown Angel'.

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Norwegian supermodel Frida Aasen made her Victoria's Secret Fashion Show debut in 2017, joining the brand's runway cast in Shanghai. For her first appearance, Aasen walked in the ethereal 'Porcelain Angels' segment before returning the following year in New York for 'Flights of Fancy', complete with an elaborate winged ensemble.