The Victoria’s Secret brand has undergone many changes in recent years, including a change in leadership. Before the acquisition of Covid, the company had a $7 billion business. Former chief executive Cynthia Fedus-Fields has stepped down and been replaced by Raul Martinez as creative director.
In the early 1990s, Victoria’s Secret became the largest lingerie retailer in the United States. By the end of the decade, the company had grown to more than 350 stores. Under Wexner’s leadership, the brand was able to cement its image as an affordable underwear line. It also introduced a televised fashion show featuring supermodels, such as Heidi Klum and Gisele Bundchen.
The fashion show is not without controversy. Some critics have accused Victoria’s Secret of using racist imagery and abusing sequins. The brand has also been criticized for promoting a culture that views women as unattractive. However, it is clear that Victoria’s Secret has made major changes in its marketing and advertising.
The company has also changed the face of its brand, changing its Angels for a new set of activist and entrepreneurial women. The company’s recent history has also come under scrutiny from a three-part documentary on Hulu. The series exposes Wexner’s relationship with a former executive of the company, Robert Epstein. Epstein had posed as a recruiter for the brand.
In the past decade, Victoria’s Secret has been linked to a former convicted sex offender. In fact, Wexner’s money manager, Jeffrey Epstein, was indicted on federal sex trafficking charges in January 2019. Wexner has repeatedly denied knowledge of Epstein’s criminal activities.
In addition to being the world’s largest intimates specialty retailer, Victoria’s Secret also produces prestige fragrances and body care. It has more than 1,350 retail stores worldwide and a workforce comprised of mostly females. The company also boasts the largest team of bra fit specialists in the world. The brand’s mission is to empower women around the world and advocate positive change.
Several factors contributed to Victoria’s Secret’s decline in the past couple of years. The company’s image was outdated, and it was losing market share to newer companies. In 2008, the company’s CEO, Michael Razek, made a controversial comment in an interview with Vogue magazine. Razek said that the company should not feature transgender models in its ads. Nevertheless, he later made an official apology online. Some critics called for him to step down.
In addition to the negative publicity the brand received, there were numerous other scandals surrounding the brand. In one case, the company did not acknowledge the fact that its products were sold to a woman who was pregnant. In another case, the company ignored the demands of mothers. It did, however, change their strategy and began to work with new partners, including Chopra Jonas and other celebrities.
Despite the difficulties, the brand still remains the top-selling lingerie brand in the U.S. Despite its recent struggles, the brand remains the best-selling lingerie brand worldwide. Despite this, the company’s valuation has declined significantly. The next stage in Victoria’s evolution is a change in leadership. L Brands’ founder Les Wexner will step down as CEO, and the company will split itself into two separate companies.