Nothing says redemption quite like returning eight years later with wings big enough to overshadow your most viral fall. Chinese supermodel Ming Xi made her first Victoria's Secret Fashion Show appearance in eight years on Sunday, 18 October, marking a long-awaited return after last walking for the lingerie giant in 2018. Yet for longtime viewers, it was impossible not to think back to the 2017 Shanghai runway where one misstep turned Ming Xi into global headlines.
Nine years later, the 37-year-old did more than just get her wings back. She returned in a hypnotic gold pair that looked almost lighter than air, turning one of the most memorable falls in Victoria's Secret history from viral to victorious.
Ming Xi's Gold Wings Almost Looked Weightless
For her grand return, Ming Xi walked in an elegant floral corset beneath sheer gold layers that floated around her body. Then the real showstopper stretched several feet behind her.
Her enormous translucent wings caught the runway lights like sheets of molten gold, bending, curling, and rippling through the air with every step. Despite their dramatic scale, their sheer construction made them appear almost impossibly weightless. From some angles, it looked less like Xi was carrying a pair of wings and more like she painted the air gold with every fierce stride.
While the ethereal gold ensemble was strong enough to start her own queendom, she also stormed the runway in romantic pink lace and an intricate pink headdress. The two looks could hardly have been more different, but together, they showcased the duality of a supermodel in her comeback era. She went from falling on the runway to making the whole world fall in love with her again.
Ming Xi's 2017 Fall Became Viral Victoria's Secret Lore
Xi's comeback carries extra weight because of what happened the last time Victoria's Secret brought its fashion show to her home country. While walking the 2017 show in Shanghai, Ming Xi accidentally stepped on the train of her flowing outfit and fell to her knees on the runway. Fellow model Gizele Oliveira, who was walking behind her, stopped to help her back to her feet before encouraging her to finish her walk. Despite the fall, the audience and her co-models cheered her on.
The moment later became part of the televised show, including footage of an emotional Ming Xi crying backstage as Lily Aldridge comforted her. Ming Xi reportedly called the fall one of the hardest moments of her career and promised to pick herself back up and keep going. And pick herself up she did.
Ming Xi's Biggest Fall Was Far From Her Final Landing
A lot can happen between falling and finding your wings again. Ming Xi returned to Victoria's Secret as a wife, mother of two, and Executive MBA graduate. She married Mario Ho, son of casino tycoon Stanley Ho, in 2019, and the couple have since welcomed a son and daughter.
Following this year's show, Ming Xi described seeing the Angel wings again as feeling like 'returning home.' Her husband celebrated the moment too, praising his wife as a 'real-life angel' and expressing his pride in her comeback.
Nine years ago, this Victoria's Secret Angel promised to pick herself up from where she fell. Consider that promise kept. If your fall in front of the whole world goes viral, you might as well get back up and make your comeback legendary.
