Why Tyra Banks returned to the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show after 19-year hiatus

Tyra Banks is again on top in her return to the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show runway.

The supermodel made her comeback at the star-studded fashion show Tuesday night after a nearly 20-year-retirement. Stunning in a black bustier corset with a matching cape that gave the appearance of shattered glass, dazzling leggings and strappy black heels, the former talk show host closed out the show, which also featured Gigi Hadid and Adriana Lima, and performances from Cher and Tyla.

Banks, 50, hasn't been on the runway since 2005.

In September, Banks told Harper's Bazaar that her return to the catwalk felt like an "out-of-body experience."

"When I decided to retire, Victoria's Secret had come to me and had another contract on the table," the businesswoman said. "And I decided that 'No, I need to be a talk show host, and I need to be trusted for my words. I don't think I can be taken seriously if I am still a model,' and maybe that was true at that time."

But now, she said, "the world has evolved in such a way that I can be a businesswoman and have my ice cream company and speak at business institutions and get my certificate from my Harvard course and teach at Stanford and, yes, be a Victoria's Secret model."

The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show returns: What to know about the show

She reflected on the increased diversity on the Victoria's Secret runway: "I feel like I cracked it open, and now that they're burst open, I'm so excited," she told the outlet.

She also didn't rule out more runway appearances in the future, telling the outlet that after the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show she will "assess all of this other stuff and figure out what I want to do and what I don't want to do."

It was also a comeback for Victoria's Secret, which brought back its fashion show for the first time since 2018.

The retailer announced the return in an Instagram video in May, saying, "We've read the comments and heard you" in response to its six-year hiatus.

A Victoria's Secret spokesperson confirmed the news in a statement to USA TODAY, saying the 2024 fashion show "will deliver precisely what our customers have been asking for — the glamour, runway, fashion, fun, wings, entertainment — all through a powerful, modern lens reflecting who we are today."

L Brands, the former parent company of Victoria's Secret, canceled the show in 2019, citing its decision to end the fashion show at the time to "evolve the marketing of Victoria's Secret" amid declining ratings and criticism about body positivity.

Gigi Hadid, Kate Moss, Cher: Victoria's Secret Fashion Show gets star-studded runway and performances

The fashion show also saw high-profile models like Bella and Gigi Hadid, Lima, Kate Moss and Joan Smalls rock the catwalk.

Gigi Hadid, 29, was angelic in pink as she opened the show, sporting short, slicked-back hair and letting her silky, plunging one-piece and angel wings take center stage.

Moss, 50, meanwhile, sported a black lace, see-through dress with a black bra, panties and matching peignoir. Her 22-year-old daughter, Lila Moss, also hit the runway.

The retailer previously announced it would have its "first-ever, all-women lineup" of performances, which included Cher, Tyla and Blackpink's Lisa.

Dylan Sprouse adorably supports wife Barbara Palvin at Victoria's Secret show

Dylan Sprouse was in attendance at the fashion show to support his wife, Hungarian model and actress Barbara Palvin, with oversized cardboard cutouts of their "children," aka their black and white French bulldog and gray cat.

Sprouse told pre-show host Olivia Culpo on the pink carpet that he made the cutouts for Palvin in hopes it would "make her smile."

"It's gotta be nerve-racking up there in your underwear and stuff," the actor said.

Alex Consani, Valentina Sampaio are first trans models to walk Victoria's Secret show

The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show was a historic night, as transgender models Alex Consani and Valentina Sampaio walked the runway.

Sampaio became Victoria's Secret's first transgender model in 2019, and the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue's first transgender model in 2020.

"This moment is one I will cherish for a lifetime," the Brazilian model told People Tuesday. "Today, the Victoria's Secret family has shown the world that being trans is just as exceptional and beautiful as anyone else on that runway. Inclusivity is crucial to the world we are building, and I'm honored to walk with pride, love and the hope of inspiring the next generation."

This story has been updated to include additional information.

Contributing: Jay Stahl

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Victoria's Secret Fashion Show: Tyra Banks, Kate Moss, Cher, more stun