Meet the Latina models walking the 2026 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show

Paloma Elsesser has made a name for herself in an industry that hasn't always made room for different body types. The Los Angeles-raised model is the daughter of an African American mother and a father of Chilean Swiss descent.

Modeling wasn't something Elsesser had always imagined doing. In a 2021 Vogue profile, she explained that agencies initially turned her away.

Everything changed when makeup artist Pat McGrath chose her for imagery for her beauty brand. She went on to appear in fashion campaigns and work with major designers, including walking in the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show in 2024 and 2025.

She's also been candid about how difficult it was to find her place in an industry that doesn't always appreciate curves. An advocate for change, Elsesser believes representation isn't just about seeing different women on a runway. It also comes down to whether designers make clothes for them and whether they get the same opportunities as everyone else.

Joan Smalls has established herself as one of the industry's most sought-after runway models all while embracing her Puerto Rican roots. Born in Hatillo, Puerto Rico, she moved to New York in 2007 after graduating from college to pursue modeling. 

Her big break came with Givenchy’s 2010 couture show, and she went on to work with some of fashion's biggest names, becoming the first Latina model to front an Estée Lauder campaign. She first walked in the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show in 2011, then returned when the show came back in 2024 and again in 2025.

She's also been open about what being Afro-Latina means to her. “I am a proud Afro-Latina because my culture, my family, and everything around me shaped me into the woman I am today,” she said in an interview with the Council of Fashion Designers of America. The 38-year-old has also opened up about facing discrimination because of her skin tone and hair, and has been an advocate for change. 

Devyn Garcia grew up in Miami and is half Cuban. She made her Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show debut in 2024 and returned in 2025.

When it comes to her Latinidad, in a 2023 interview with Harper’s Bazaar, Garcia talked about some of the traditions she grew up with, including celebrating Nochebuena with her family. She also shared that she loves cooking with her grandmother, especially making malanga fritters.

The 25-year-old also revealed that some of her favorite shoots are the ones where she's wearing little or no makeup. She prefers images that show “the person rather than the mannequin.”

Born in Salvador, Bahia, Adriana Lima has been one of the brand's most recognizable faces for years. She entered Ford’s Supermodel of Brazil competition at 15 after a friend asked her to, and she won. She went on to place second in the Ford Models Supermodel of the World competition before moving to New York to pursue modeling.

The 45-year-old made her Victoria’s Secret runway debut in 1999 and became an Angel the following year. She walked in 18 of the brand's fashion shows before stepping away in 2018. After a brief hiatus, the show returned in 2024, and so did Lima, walking again in 2025. 

Gabriela Moura's path to the Victoria’s Secret runway started on social media. Born in Niterói in Rio de Janeiro, the Brazilian began posting online in 2021, sharing comedy videos and dance content before branching out into lifestyle content and modeling.

She eventually moved to the United States to pursue more opportunities and made her Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show debut in 2025. She made sure to celebrate her Brazilian roots afterward.

After the show, she took to social media to share how hard it was to believe she'd made it to the runway, adding “Vai Brasil” in a shout-out to her home country.