Victoria’s Secret, the pink empire of bras and lingerie that once made its name with a televised fashion show featuring sexy, tanned models, is trying to change its image to attract a younger, more diverse audience. The company is now the largest underwear retailer in North America, and it is trying to make a comeback after a rocky couple of years that saw same-store sales decline and a loss of market share to upstart competitors.
The company was founded in 1977 by entrepreneur Ron Raymond, who opened the first store in San Francisco and began to publish catalogs that featured models wearing the brand’s designs. It became a national brand in the 1980s, and by the 1990s it was selling over $2 billion worth of merchandise a year. During this time, Victoria’s Secret became famous for its annual fashion shows, which turned supermodels like Tyra Banks, Heidi Klum, and Gisele Bundchen into household names. The company was also known for its risqué, sexually suggestive marketing, as well as for its body-positive message.
But in recent years, Victoria’s Secret has struggled to adapt to shifting cultural attitudes. The #MeToo movement emboldened women to look for brands that celebrated a more positive message about the bodies they had, and the emergence of upstart competitors that prioritized diversity helped Victoria’s Secret lose ground. In 2019, the company’s long-time marketing chief Edward Razek resigned and founder Leslie Wexner apologized for his ties to the late financier Jeffrey Epstein, who was indicted on sex trafficking charges. The same year, the company announced it would rethink its annual fashion show.
In 2021, the company rebranded itself as an independent public company and separated from its parent company L Brands. It has since revamped its stores and its lingerie collections, and it has reworked its branding and marketing to appeal to a new generation of consumers. It has introduced its first plus-size model in over a decade, and it has started to feature more black, Latinx, and Asian models.
In its new campaign, Victoria’s Secret is promising to be “infinite and unconquerable” and to celebrate women of all shapes, sizes, and colors. The VS Collective, which features women such as MMA fighter Rose Namajunas, refugee model Adut Akech, and trans activist and soccer player Megan Rapinoe, represents an important shift in the company’s approach to inclusivity.
The brand’s new advertising is a sharp departure from the bombshell images that dominated its marketing in the past, and it’s an attempt to reclaim its reputation for being body-positive. The campaign is a huge gamble, but it could pay off big if the company can win over its core audience of young, wealthy women.
If you are interested in purchasing Victoria’s Secret merchandise, it is best to go through a global eCommerce company called eShopWorld. This company handles everything from checkout to payment processing to delivery for Victoria’s Secret international orders. eShopWorld will show you the total cost, including any applicable duties and taxes, before you place your order. You can choose to pay the duties upfront or have them billed to your credit card later.