Model Romee Strijd has revealed the harsh realities of the fashion industry after being left devastated when she learned she would not be walking in this year's Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, despite months of preparation. Romee walked the runway between 2014 and 2018, but was informed she was "not a good fit" for this year's show, showing just how ruthless the business can be.
Casting and the waiting game
Romee attended a casting in New York in September but was left in suspense for weeks, waiting to learn whether she had secured a spot for Sunday's show in Los Angeles. Meanwhile, Adriana Lima, Gigi Hadid, Candice Swanepoel and Ashley Graham have all been confirmed to strut in the eagerly awaited event.
In a heartfelt video posted on social media, Romee revealed how she had been left in uncertainty while awaiting news about her participation. She said: "I went to New York to do the casting because there's a whole new team. I knew the casting director already. I knew a couple of people already from the shoot that I did with them, but, I don't know, I still had to come in..."
"I thought I was gonna know soon after if I was gonna do the show or not, but I didn't hear anything for weeks. And I think I was on some sort of maybe list. It's Monday now, the show is on Sunday, and I still haven't heard anything. So, I kept asking my agency for updates, but apparently I'm still on that maybe list. It's already five weeks after the casting."
Training and uncertainty
Romee, who shares two daughters with husband Laurens van Leeuwen, revealed she had invested considerable effort into preparing for the show over the summer months. She explained: "I trained for it this summer because I had to put a bit more energy in it since I've got two kids and you know how it goes - your body needs a little bit more working out than before. I felt like I wanted to do the show again even after kids because it felt like the right timing."
With the event rapidly approaching, Romee confessed she suspected she wouldn't make the cut but remained hesitant to abandon her preparations in case of an eleventh-hour invitation. She revealed: "The show is on Sunday and they haven't cancelled, they haven't confirmed and I think it's gonna be a no. But I also keep training and continue training cause you never know, like in fashion and in modelling, it's all very last minute. I would love to, I've done everything I could. I went to the casting, I trained, and now it's out of my hands."
The final answer and frustration
Yet in a second video posted just hours afterwards, Romee confirmed she had finally got her answer. She added: "It's a no, which is fine, because rejection is part of modelling, and that's totally fine." Recreating her chat with her agent, the model revealed she had been told: "You were great, but they thought you wouldn't fit in the show this year."
While Romee acknowledged that rejection was simply part of the modelling world, she was frustrated by how long she'd been left waiting for news. She said: "If it's a closed chapter, I just would love to know. And now they kept me in the dark, like, not knowing for so long that I got a lot of mental stress from it."
Despite her letdown, Romee said she believes the show will be a triumph. However, she remains uncertain about whether she'd audition for Victoria's Secret again. She said: "Either way, it's a closed chapter and it's probably gonna be a good show. I don't think I'm gonna cast anymore in the future because I don't like the way it went. I don't like how the whole process went. I don't like the way I was treated, and I would love to keep the positive memories, obviously."
