American lingerie giant Victoria’s Secret has announced that its annual fashion show, scrapped in 2022 after declining viewership and a series of controversies, will return for the first time this fall. The company hopes to attract a younger audience who expects progressive social stances from the companies they support. The company has also begun incorporating more diverse models and redefining beauty to reflect a more nuanced view of femininity.
Victoria’s Secret was founded in 1977, when founder Roy Raymond decided to open a bra store after struggling to find a sexy lingerie set for his wife. In the early years of the business, it was a largely male-driven enterprise, but as the feminist movement took hold in America, Victoria’s Secret began focusing on female consumers. The brand became a hit, and by the early 2000s it had opened dozens of stores nationwide.
In 1995, the company aired its first Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, a sex-charged spectacle of lingerie worn by models that drew millions of viewers worldwide. The show was a key part of the marketing campaign for the lingerie line, and drew more viewers each year until it fell to just over 3 million in 2022.
During this period, the company’s iconic “Angels” – supermodels like Stephanie Seymour, Heidi Klum and Gisele Bundchen – were praised for their sexy physiques and bombshell allure. They were swooned by men and women of all ages and featured in high-concept commercials directed by the likes of Michael Bay.
But as the era of supermodels waned, the brand began to lose its sheen. In 2018, the chief marketing officer of parent company L Brands, Ed Razek, gave a controversial interview in which he said that Victoria’s Secret promoted a highly limited and stereotypical standard of beauty focused on slim, white models. He also expressed reservations about including plus-size and transgender models in the shows. The interview sparked public outrage and led to several Angels, including Kendall Jenner, Lily Aldridge and Karlie Kloss, writing Instagram posts in support of trans rights.
The company’s new strategy is to focus on its product and revamp the brand image to appeal to a younger, more diverse consumer base. The VS Collective, a group of trailblazing female athletes and activists, is the face of the brand’s new campaign. The VS Collective includes lesbian soccer champion Megan Rapinoe, plus-size model Paloma Elsesser and trans activist Valentina Sampaio. The lingerie brand has also reworked its marketing campaigns to include more diverse and nuanced views of femininity, including body-positive advertising that features curvy models. This may help the company reclaim its luster. However, it will be difficult to undo decades of ingrained sexism and negative stereotypes in just one season. This is a long-term challenge that will require ongoing efforts by both consumers and the company to push back against gender bias.