If you close your eyes and think about the peak "Angel" era, you probably see big wings, a lot of glitter, and the blue-eyed Dutch powerhouse that is Doutzen Kroes. She wasn't just another girl on the runway. Honestly, for many of us who grew up watching the annual Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, she was the standard.
She had this athletic, "tomboy" energy that felt somehow more grounded than the ultra-high-fashion waifs of the early 2000s.
Doutzen Kroes Victoria's Secret journey is one of the most successful runs in the brand's history, spanning from her 2005 debut to her return for the 2024 and 2025 revivals. But there’s a lot of noise about why she left in the first place and how she managed to stay a top-five earner in the world for over a decade.
The Making of a Supermodel: 2005 to 2014
Doutzen didn't grow up dreaming of the runway. She was a speed skater from Friesland. She literally sent snapshots to an agency in Amsterdam just to make some extra cash. By 2005, she was walking the Victoria's Secret runway. By 2008, she was officially an Angel.
She was the second Dutch model to ever get those wings, following in the footsteps of Karen Mulder.
It's wild to think about, but she didn't even know what Victoria's Secret was when she first moved to New York. She just showed up and did the work. Between 2008 and 2014, she became a staple. You’ve seen her in the "Supermodel Obsessions" campaign. You've seen her on the covers of Vogue (she’s had dozens).
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During those years, she was consistently pulling in between $5 million and $8 million a year.
Forbes had her ranked as the fifth highest-paid model in the world multiple times. That kind of longevity in an industry that usually chews girls up and spits them out by age 22 is basically unheard of.
What Really Happened in 2014?
When the news broke in early 2015 that Doutzen was leaving, people freaked out. It was right around the same time Karlie Kloss announced her departure, so the rumor mill went into overdrive. Was there drama? Was it about the pay cuts?
Ed Razek, the brand's former CMO, eventually had to go on Instagram to clear the air because the gossip was getting out of hand.
Basically, Doutzen had a massive "lucrative opportunity" in Europe that would have clashed with the heavy schedule Victoria's Secret required. Think about it: an Angel contract back then wasn't just a one-day gig. They had to commit at least 50 days a year to the brand—commercials, store openings, catalogs, and the big show.
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She was also a brand ambassador for L’Oréal Paris and had two young kids, Phyllon and Myllena, with her husband Sunnery James.
There wasn't some huge blowout. Her agency asked for her to be released from the contract so she could pursue other things, and VS said yes. It was a business decision. Simple as that.
The Career Shift and "Wonder Woman"
After hanging up the wings, Doutzen didn't just disappear into the Dutch countryside. She pivoted. Most notably, she joined the DC Extended Universe as Venelia, one of the Amazons in Wonder Woman and Justice League.
She actually did her own stunts.
Coming from a background of speed skating and being a self-described tomboy, playing a warrior felt more natural to her than perhaps the "glamour" side of modeling ever did.
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Doutzen Kroes Victoria's Secret Return: The 2024-2025 Comeback
The brand changed. A lot. After the "VS Collective" era and the hiatus of the televised shows, Victoria's Secret brought back the runway format in late 2024. Seeing Doutzen walk that runway again in Brooklyn felt like a full-circle moment for fashion fans.
She didn't look like she’d aged a day.
In October 2025, she was back again for the latest show in New York. The 2025 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show featured her alongside other "OGs" like Candice Swanepoel and Behati Prinsloo. It's a different vibe now—more inclusive, less about the "fantasy" and more about the women—but Doutzen still brings that same powerhouse walk that made her famous.
What We Can Learn From Her Career
Doutzen’s path shows that you don't have to be a "nepo baby" to make it to the very top. She was a girl from a small village who used her athletic discipline to build a global brand.
If you're looking at her career for inspiration, here are the real-world takeaways:
- Diversification is Key: She never relied solely on VS. Her long-standing L’Oréal contract and her acting roles provided a safety net.
- Know Your Worth: She left VS when the contract no longer served her business interests in Europe, even though it was a "dream job."
- Physicality Matters: Her "fit" look was a precursor to the wellness-focused modeling we see today. She proved that being strong is just as marketable as being thin.
She’s still working, still earning in the millions (estimated around $6 million in 2025), and still one of the most respected names in the game. Doutzen Kroes didn't just walk for Victoria's Secret; she helped define an era that the brand is now desperately trying to recapture.
To see the evolution of the brand yourself, you should check out the archive of her 2005–2014 runway walks compared to her 2024/2025 comeback; the difference in the show's production and the model's confidence is a masterclass in industry history.