‘90s Victoria’s Secret Angel Makes Surprise Appearance at 57

frederic meylan / Sygma via Getty Images The first Victoria’s Secret model to ever wear the Angel wings made a surprise appearance at the brand’s 2026 show.

Dutch fashion icon Karen Mulder stunned fans at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show in Los Angeles, California, on Oct.

18.

The 57-year-old, who retired from modeling and disappeared from the spotlight in the early 2000s, wore a black satin Victoria’s Secret gown with a matching blazer.

Mulder accessorized with sparkling black pumps, sheer black gloves, a clutch, and a House of Emmanuele diamond statement necklace.

Her chest-length blond hair was curled, and black eyeliner accentuated her blue eyes.

Victoria’s Secret launched its fashion shows in 1995 and introduced the concept of a Victoria’s Secret Angel in a 1997 ad campaign.

Mulder was one of the original Angels alongside supermodels Helena Christensen, Daniela Peštová, Stephanie Seymour, and Tyra Banks.

In 1998, Mulder opened the show in a white underwear set with feathers and a pair of white wings.

Several of the models who followed her down the runway also wore wings.

Mulder, one of the highest-paid supermodels of the ‘90s, disappeared from the spotlight in the early 2000s and made only one appearance in 2007 on Dior’s Haute Couture runway.

In August 2026, Mulder made a triumphant return to modeling when she posed for the cover of Vogue Germany after almost two decades away from the fashion world.

In her cover interview, Mulder said she was not only the first Victoria’s Secret model to wear wings, but also the person who came up with the concept.

Mulder said she was inspired by the TV series Charlie’s Angels and pitched the wing idea to executives.