Victoria’s Secret brings back its fashion show as it tries to rebuild its cultural cachet
Bombshell’s back… Last night Victoria’s Secret held its first fashion show in six years, wings and all. The show was canceled in 2019 as VS faced backlash for its lack of inclusivity and comments by a top exec about not casting plus-size or transgender models. By then, the brand’s popularity had already passed its peak. VS said it wanted this year’s show to reflect “who we are today” and added plus-size models like Ashley Graham and Paloma Elsesser and openly transgender model Valentina Sampaio to its runway (alongside returning stars like Candice Swanepoel and Tyra Banks).
Strut: The show, which hit its zenith in 2012 with 12M viewers clad in Pink sweatpants, aired last night on Amazon Live and featured an all-women lineup of musical acts including Cher and Tyla.
It’s no secret… that VS’s wings got clipped in the late 2010s. Execs at then parent co L Brands had been accused of perpetuating a misogynistic culture rife with inappropriate conduct. The brand had been steadily sliding from its 2016 sales record of nearly $8B as it failed to adapt to a new era of inclusivity and comfy bralettes. In 2020, L Brands spun VS off into a private co valued at $1.1B. VS went public again in 2021, and has yet to make its Y2 comeback. Last year, sales fell 3% and VS forecast they’ll drop again this year. But it’s been working on a makeover:
5 undies for $25: classic mall throwback. As VS shutters mall stores, it’s opening locations with size-inclusive mannequins and techy fitting rooms.
Shakeup: VS recently poached the CEO of Rihanna’s trendy lingerie co Savage X Fenty.
VS needs to pull an Abercrombie… Abercrombie’s downfall was similar to VS’s: controversies surrounding its then CEO paired with its failure to adapt to more inclusive times. But Abercrombie has made a fierce comeback, nabbing record sales as it wins over zillennial shoppers. Victoria’s Secret could grow back its wings, too, if it strikes the right pose.