Adam Selman On His New Victoria’s Secret—“Everything’s a Fantasy”
The Run-Through with Vogue
Vogue
4.1 • 765 Ratings
🗓️ 14 October 2025
⏱️ 40 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Sex and sensuality were big themes on the spring 2026 runways, but if there’s one place where sexy is a mode of being rather than merely a trend it’s Victoria’s Secret. The lingerie behemoth returns this year with its famous Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, this time with the American designer Adam Selman as its Executive Creative Director. Selman has decades of experience under his belt, but is perhaps best known for his work at Savage X Fenty, the lingerie brand founded by Rihanna, whom he has also often dressed, most memorably in 2014, when she accepted the CFDA’s Fashion Icon Award in a floor-length sheer tank dress embellished with Swarovski crystals of his design.
Selman joins Nicole Phelps on The Run-Through this week to talk about his career trajectory, and the challenges of heading up an independent label, and his plans to modernize the Victoria’s Secret brand while keeping its roots.
The Run-Through with Vogue is your go-to podcast where fashion meets culture. Hosted by Chloe Malle, Head of Editorial Content, Vogue U.S.; Chioma Nnadi, Head of British Vogue; and Nicole Phelps, Director of Vogue Runway, each episode features the latest fashion news and exclusive designer and celebrity interviews.
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| 0:00.0 | This episode of The Runthrough is brought to you by Bumble. I love seeing my friends get excited about meeting someone new. And I have to say, I have a lot of friends who have met their partners or friends on Bumble. And I always, whenever I am introducing two friends to each other who I know they both met their partner on Bumble, I'm very excited to lead with that. You both met on Bumble, other people. And it sounds confusing, but everyone's |
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| 0:49.5 | This is The Run Through. I'm Nicole Phelps. |
| 0:52.6 | Today, I'm joined by Adam Selman, the newly appointed |
| 0:55.5 | senior VP and creative director of Victoria's Secret. Adam ran his own eponymous brand, |
| 1:01.6 | worked as costume designer for stars, from Britney Spears to Lady Gaga, and famously collaborated |
| 1:07.0 | very closely with Rihanna on everything from her tour outfits and red carpet looks to her savage fenty line. |
| 1:14.4 | Tomorrow is Adam's first Victoria's secret fashion show. He dropped by the studio to share with us his vision for the brand, why this role is a dream come true for him, and of course a few Rihanna stories. |
| 1:28.7 | Adam Sleman, congratulations on your new role at Victoria's Secret. |
| 1:33.3 | Thank you so much. It's a dream come true. |
| 1:35.8 | Thank you for joining us on the run through. |
| 1:38.6 | This episode is going live a day before your first ever Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. So there's a lot to talk about. |
| 1:46.2 | No pressure. The emotions are high. Tell us what it was like stepping into this role. |
| 1:53.5 | To be completely honest, I think like stepping into this, it was so unexpected, actually. |
| 1:58.3 | Like, I never really like saw myself doing this, but it's actually |
| 2:02.9 | such a joy, and it makes so much sense if, like, I mean, you know my career pretty well. |
| 2:07.5 | Well, tell the listeners, please. In a nutshell. Yes. |
| 2:11.8 | Well, I started as a handyman, which is, like, the funny part, but then I was a pattern maker, |
| 2:17.0 | and then I was a costume designer. I worked for someone named Zaldi for 10 years. Um, love him in the Chelsea Hotel. So we go way back. And Zaldi actually did the costumes for the show last year. And then I broke off from Zaldi. I did world tours with Zaldi, like, over Michael Jackson and |
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