Irina Shayk looks back on her (pregnant!) Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show debut, 10 years later: ‘I felt very proud’

Irina Shayk made her Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show debut in 2016, and was about five months pregnant at the time. Penske Media via Getty Images

It’s been exactly a decade since Irina Shayk walked in her very first Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show — while secretly pregnant with her first child, no less.

And backstage before the 2026 runway extravaganza in Los Angeles, the Russian stunner told Page Six Style that “carrying [her] daughter down the runway” was her favorite memory from that special day.

“That was really fun. I felt very proud being Mama,” she recalled.

The Russian stunner told Page Six Style that “carrying [her] daughter down the runway” was her favorite memory from that special day. Getty Images for Victoria’s Secret
“I felt very proud being Mama,” she recalled. Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images

Shayk shares daughter Lea De Seine with ex Bradley Cooper. And asked how she’d respond if her now-9-year-old asked to try her hand at modeling, she joked: “We’ll talk about it later. That’s what I’m gonna tell her!”

After making her VS debut in 2016 in two looks — a fringed and beaded bodysuit and a gray lacy lingerie set topped with a trench coat, both of which expertly concealed her budding baby bump — Shayk returned to the show in 2024 and 2025, and today will mark her fourth go-round. So what keeps her coming back?

“Sexy push-up bras, beautiful fluffy wings, girls, and [having] fun backstage,” she quipped.

We caught up with Shayk backstage before this year’s show — her fourth with the brand. Variety via Getty Images
As for what keeps her coming back? “Sexy push-up bras, beautiful fluffy wings, girls, and [having] fun backstage,” she told us. Variety via Getty Images

Other models set to hit the runway this year include fellow VS vets like Gigi Hadid, Alessandra Ambrosio, Candice Swanepoel and Adriana Lima, plus newcomers like Natalia Bryant.

Barbara Palvin is also returning, just six weeks after welcoming her first baby with husband Dylan Sprouse.

The 2026 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show will stream live for free at 7:30 p.m. ET on YouTube and across the brand’s social media channels.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *