Getting lingerie brand Victoria’s Secret sexy again: that is the big challenge for director Hillary Super. One of the assets to make this happen is the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show. A sensational underwear performance that returns tonight after six years. The spectacle is organized in New York.
For decades, the American brand set the tone in the field of ‘outspoken lingerie’, as ING economist Dirk Mulder describes Victoria’s Secret products.
The company was founded in 1977 by Ray Raymond, who was embarrassed to buy lingerie for his wife. He therefore opened a store that also had to be accessible to men. The name refers to the Victorian era and the ‘secret’ beneath the clothing.
Klum and Kroes
From the 1990s onwards, the annual shows in particular caused a stir. Well-known models such as Heidi Klum, Gigi Hadid and Doutzen Kroes, who were renamed ‘angels’ for the occasion, spread their wings and walked the catwalk in the latest collections. Artists such as Justin Timberlake, Taylor Swift and Harry Styles have provided the spectacle with even more cachet over the years.
The shows came to a temporary end in 2018. Something related to the less dominant role that the company has come to play in the lingerie market. The numbers support this. The turnover fell from $8.1 billion in 2018 to $6.2 billion last year. There was also a slump on the stock exchange.
Clumsy statements
According to fashion journalist Arno Kantelberg, ‘Internal unrest and some clumsy statements from managers’ are the basis for Victoria’s Secret’s dip. He is referring, among other things, to statements made by then director Ed Razek in 2018, who did not see fit to allow transgender people and plus-size models to walk on the catwalk.
According to Kantelberg, this is related to the main reason: “The lack of diversity.” According to him, the company has been criticized for the models being too thin and too white.
“There was already discussion at the time about whether all this was possible,” Mulder refers to the spirit of the times. “MeToo was alive and diversity was already a theme then.”
The company changed course. The annual shows disappeared and diversity became more of a priority. This did not bring about any change. “They have sold off the old target group and they are still known in a certain way to the new one,” says Mulder about how difficult it is for Victoria’s Secret to adopt a modern image.
Savage X Fenty
Super’s task is to give the company a modern look that fits. Expectations are high. She had already gained a lot of experience in the fashion world when she became director of Savage X Fenty in June 2023, the lingerie brand founded by singer Rihanna and the major competitor of Victoria’s Secret.
Savage In August of this year, Super switched to Victoria’s Secret to give this company wings again.
With the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show she is bringing back at least one of the old showpieces. The question remains whether she will be able to dust this off successfully again. Kantelberg comes up with some advice for tonight: “Plus size models should participate. It would be unusually foolish if Victoria’s Secret did not do that.”
Victoria’s Secret: Can They Make Lingerie Sexy Again?
Well, well, well, if it isn’t the grand return of the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show after a lengthy six-year hiatus! Let’s dive into the absurdity of it all, shall we? Hillary Super, the newly-minted director, has her work cut out for her. The woman has taken on the Herculean task of reviving what was once the pinnacle of ‘outspoken lingerie’—a brand so big it made even the most repressed Victorian blush.
From ‘Secret’ to ‘Secretly Struggling’
Founded in 1977 by Ray Raymond—who, bless his heart, was too shy to buy knickers for his wife—this brand has had its ups and downs. The name? A tip of the hat to the Victorian era—a time when underwear was as scandalous as a politician with a foot-in-mouth moment! However, it seems the “secret” today is all about dwindling sales figures, dropping from a staggering $8.1 billion in 2018 to a mere $6.2 billion last year. Ouch! That’s not just a dip, that’s a full-on belly flop!
The Fashion Show: A Lift Off or a Stumble?
The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show was a runaway success for decades—think Heidi Klum and Gigi Hadid strutting their stuff like they owned the place, backed by performances that could give a Spice Girls reunion a run for their money. But then, like a badly timed punchline, the show went dark in 2018. And what was the culprit? Oh, just the little issue of being outpaced by more inclusive competitors like Savage X Fenty. Have you seen Rihanna’s crew? They’re like a variety show where every act is a hit!
Clumsy Statements Galore! Who Needs Enemies?
Of course, we can’t ignore the verbal missteps that left consumers cringing harder than they do at a bad dad joke. Remember Ed Razek’s catastrophic remarks about not having plus-size and transgender models on the runway? Oh sweet summer child! In a world where diversity is not just a buzzword but a demand, their “exclusive” vibe didn’t just age badly; it practically expired with moldy bread.
Arno Kantelberg, our resident fashion oracle, boldly declared that Victoria’s Secret lost its edge because “the lack of diversity” was akin to bringing a rubber chicken to a gourmet dinner. With conversations surrounding MeToo and representation gaining serious momentum at the time, Victoria’s Secret was like that friend who shows up to a party dressed as a ‘magician’ but can’t even pull a rabbit out of a hat!
Hillary Super: Savioress or Just Another Super?
Enter Hillary Super, who switched gears faster than a teenager on TikTok, moving from Savage X Fenty to Victoria’s Secret with the speed of a catwalk rush. If anyone can sprinkle modern fairy dust on this lingerie giant and give it the wings it lost somewhere between the angels and the runway, it’s her. But will it be enough to breathe life into a fashion zombie? Only time—and perhaps a horde of plus-size models—will tell!
The Weight of Expectations
As the Night of the Show approaches, the air is thick with anticipation. Kantelberg has a simple suggestion—how about featuring some plus-size models? Mind-blowing, right? Because, frankly, it would be “unusually foolish” not to tap into the wonderful diversity of the human form!
So there you have it! Victoria’s Secret is dusting off its corsets and shaking up its image. Will this Fashion Show be a triumphant return to form or just another episode of “What Not to Do in Fashion”? Grab your popcorn, folks; it’s going to be one heck of a spectacle!
