Victoria’s Secret is no longer just a lingerie company; it now produces bathing suits, perfume, beauty products and womenswear as well. It’s a global brand that’s sold in more than 90 countries. Its annual fashion show is a televised extravaganza, and its models are some of the most sought after in the world. The brand has even become a cultural icon, with the show often used as an indicator of trends in women’s clothing. Its model roster has included Gigi Hadid, Adriana Lima and Paloma Elsesser. The company has also launched an array of limited-edition holiday and anniversary collections that are available only in stores and online.
The show is narrated by “Victoria,” who’s introduced in the episode as “the most important person in the history of the brand.” The series goes on to explain that Victoria’s Secret’s founder, Roy Raymond, wanted his company to be more than just another mall store. He wanted it to be a force that was synonymous with femininity, glamour and luxury. That’s why he made the decision to have Victoria’s Secret stores located in shopping malls, rather than standalone malls or on main streets. It was a move that helped to set Victoria’s Secret apart from its competitors and make it a place of aspiration.
It also set it apart from the drab, utilitarian clothing found in most stores. The series explains that in the early ’90s, when Victoria’s Secret first hosted its fashion show, it was a spectacle of titillation and glitz. The lingerie was a backdrop for the performers, a cast of adolescent supermodels who mingled with the raucous audience and smirked as they walked the runway in their sexy outfits.
The televised shows were an instant hit and helped to bolster the company’s image as a major player in the fashion industry. But in the last half-decade, calls for increased representational inclusivity in terms of body size and race/ethnicity have chipped away at the company’s dominance. More overtly inclusive lingerie companies like ThirdLove and Rihanna’s Savage X Fenty have begun to nibble into the Victoria’s Secret market, and its attempts to rebrand itself as a sexy but more diverse company have been met with mixed results.
Despite these changes, Victoria’s Secret continues to operate at a loss, and the company has been forced to cut costs by closing some of its physical stores and relying more heavily on online sales. The company has also been facing backlash over its use of stick thin models in its ads, and many women strongly disagree with the idea that only certain body shapes are beautiful. This has led to a smaller target market for the brand, and it’s likely that Victoria’s Secret is slowly losing its luster. If the company doesn’t start embracing a more realistic depiction of beauty, it may soon find itself on the verge of extinction.