The lingerie company Victoria’s Secret has long been a place where women can buy sexy bras and panties in bulk. But over the last decade, it has struggled to shake off its reputation as a sexist sex factory. The #MeToo movement has emboldened consumers to seek out more diverse representation in their intimates, and newer entrants into the sexy-lingerie space like ThirdLove and Rihanna’s Savage x Fenty have chipped away at Victoria’s Secret’s share of the market. The brand’s annual fashion show drew less and less viewers. And in 2019 its marketing chief Edward Razek sent the internet into a tizzy over comments about plus-size models and transgender women.
This autumn, the company is bringing its high-profile models back to the runway for its annual show, after a hiatus of several years. The move is meant to counter the negative perception of Victoria’s Secret as a sexist sex machine, and it’s part of a bigger effort to change the way the company presents its products and represents itself in the world.
In the new Amazon Prime Video series Angels and Demons, Victoria’s Secret employees and some of its models describe how they’ve been trying to reshape the brand. They point to efforts to highlight fuller-figured women in ads and on store mannequins, and to expand into mastectomy bras and comfortable sports bras. And they’re working to recast the Angels as “ambassadors” of the brand, replacing them with a diverse collective of female artists and activists called the VS 20.
But even as Victoria’s Secret continues to push more body-positive messaging, it’s hard to imagine that its image will ever be restored to its former glory. As Sierra Mariela, a 20-year-old sophomore at the University of Pennsylvania, puts it, “I don’t think the message will be any different. It’s just that people are more receptive to it.”
Victoria’s Secret aims to present itself as a global brand for women of all ages, and the new series underscores that its customers are diverse and come from many walks of life. But if the company is to compete with more inclusive entrants, it will need to do more than just talk the talk.
The three-part series, which debuted on September 26, shows how Victoria’s Secret has tried to reverse the supercharged sexy image that left it irrelevant to some women and led to years of declining sales. The first episode focuses on the decision to replace the original “Angels” with a collective of women, including model Winnie Harlow and artist Phoebe Collings-James, dubbed the VS 20.
The story begins with a backstage scene at the annual fashion show, just minutes before it is to begin. A horde of photographers mill about, and the Angels — the brand’s name for its lingerie-clad supermodels — grin and pose. They have cascading curls, sculpted cheekbones and perfectly tan bodies, and they’re clad in skimpy lingerie and oversized wings that make them look more like superheroes than hookers.