Arts and Culture

St. Paul Olympian Suni Lee walks in 2025 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show

Asian woman in a bralette and shorts walks runway
Sunisa Lee of St. Paul joined the 2025 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in New York City on Wednesday. The Olympic gold medalist represented the company's PINK brand on the runway and took the stage with another pro athlete, two-time WNBA All-Star Angel Reese.
Courtesy of Victoria's Secret

Sunisa Lee, a renowned Hmong American gymnast from St. Paul, rocked the runway Wednesday at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show in New York City.

The Olympic gold medalist represented the company’s PINK brand in a very early-2000s, sporty-but-flirty look.

Lee took the stage with another athlete, Angel Reese. The Chicago Sky forward and WNBA All-Star is the first professional athlete to model as a “Victoria’s Secret Angel,” according to a Victoria’s Secret media page.

In an interview with Marie Claire, Lee said joining the fashion show “felt like a dream outside of my comfort zone.”

The magazine reports the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show has leaned into inclusivity since its return last year, and that shift resonated with Lee.

“Growing up, I didn’t see many girls who looked like me in spaces like this. To now be here as an athlete, as someone who’s worked so hard to achieve her dreams, it feels powerful,” Lee told Marie Claire. “I want young girls to know they don’t have to fit into just one box. You can chase Olympic gold and still own your femininity.”

Members of the K-pop girl group TWICE provided the musical backdrop to Lee’s debut on the Victoria’s Secret runway. The full show is available on YouTube (with Lee walking starting at 1:08:22).