Victoria’s Secret Show Returns After Five-Year Hiatus With Transgender and Plus-Sized Models

Five years after Victoria’s Secret canceled its supermodel-studded fashion show over a string of controversies, the VS “Angels” will be making their return to the catwalk next week, albeit with some changes — and people have mixed feelings about it. “We’ve read the comments and heard you,” Victoria’s Secret posted on social media back in May. “The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show is BACK and will reflect who we are today, plus everything you know and love — the glamour, runway, wings, musical entertainment and more! Stay tuned…it only gets more iconic from here.”The brand — which had, for the past few decades, exclusively hired ultra-thin and tall models — confirmed that the show had been updated “to reflect our values and brand mission of today.” In a Q&A posted on the Victoria’s Secret website, the company assured that the upcoming event will be “inclusive” and focused on “celebrating and supporting all women.” Georgia Fowler walks the runway during the 2018 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show. Noam Galai/Getty ImagesWhile the full model roster is yet to be unveiled, several rookie “Angels” have since been announced by Victoria’s Secret to be featured in the show, including, for the first time in the company’s history, two plus sized models — Ashley Graham and Paloma Elsesser. The lingerie brand is also set to showcase an openly transgender model on the runway for the first time. Brazilian model and actress, Valentina Sampaio, has worked with the company since 2019 when she became the first transgender model to be featured in a Victoria’s Secret catalog. There will still still be plenty of familiar faces, however. Numerous Victoria’s Secret fashion show veterans — including supermodels Behati Prinsloo, Gigi Hadid, Iman, Candice Swanepoel, and Tyra Banks — are all confirmed to walk in Tuesday’s show in Brooklyn, New York. Some of those models, along with others, starred in Victoria’s Secret campaigns that shaped the public’s perception of sexiness in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s. Victoria’s Secret will also host, for the first time, an all-female musical lineup, with performances from Cher, K-Pop star, Lalisa “Lisa” Manoban, and South African singer, Tyla. Kelly Gale strikes a pose during the 2018 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show. Noam Galai/Getty ImagesLong-time followers of the Victoria’s Secret fashion show, however, are mixed over the brand’s new approach. Some view the shift as a step in the right direction. Others express nostalgia for the camp-ish display of rail-thin, unattainable bodies.“I liked seeing the insanely thin bodies, in a sideshow kind of way. I also liked the fanfare of it all and hearing about the wild diets that I wish I could follow but never could,” said one Teen Vogue employee, Mandy Velez Tatti, in an interview with Teen Vogue about the show’s resurgence. “Sure, it came at the cost of feeling like shit about myself for a day, but it also felt like culture,” she added. Ms. Tatti acknowledges that during the rise of the “body positivity” movement she and many others began to question the public’s celebration of those kinds of “not normal” bodies. She said, however, that she remains “skeptical” of the show’s return. Different colors and styles flash across the catwalk during the 2018 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show. Noam Galai/Getty ImagesAnother Teen Vogue employee, Catherine Mhloyi, is embracing the new, diverse model lineup, though she defends the shows of years past. “Even with all its flaws,” she said, “the old Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show always felt like a celebration of women. Nothing about these models walking down the runway in drag-esque lingerie looks gave ‘this is for men’”The show’s return comes five years after the high-end lingerie brand found itself embroiled in controversy when its then-marketing chief, Ed Rezak, said during an interview that transgender models were unlikely to make the cut because the show is meant to be a “fantasy.” “It’s like, why doesn’t your show do this? Shouldn’t you have transsexuals in the show? No. No, I don’t think we should,” Mr. Rezak said during a 2018 interview with Vogue. “Well, why not? Because the show is a fantasy. It’s a 42-minute entertainment special. That’s what it is.”He added that the brand has considered including transgender and plus-size models in the catwalk lineup but that they ultimately “market to who we sell to, and we don’t market to the whole world.” Rita Ora performs as Stella Maxwell struts at the 2018 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show. Noam Galai/Getty ImagesFacing backlash, Mr. Rezak quickly issued an apology on the lingerie brand’s social media page. “My remark regarding the inclusion of transgender models in the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show came across as insensitive. I apologize,” he wrote. “To be clear, we absolutely would cast a transgender model for the show. We’ve had transgender models come to castings… And like many others, they didn’t make it… But it was never about gender. I admire and respect their journey to embrace who they really are.”By 2018, ratings for the once-widely watched Victoria’s Secret show had plummeted. The company soon decided to cancel its 2019 show in order to “rethink” the event, according to a memo obtained by Fox news. Soon after, Mr. Razek ended up resigning and Victoria’s Secret featured an openly transgender woman in its catalog for the first time. The brand, however, continued to draw criticism, largely over claims that it elevated unrealistic beauty standards. While many of the brand’s competitors had started to embrace the movement toward body positivity and develop marketing strategies focused on inclusivity, Victoria’s Secret continued to feature its signature ultra-tall, rail-thin models in its campaigns. The brand’s reputation took a further hit just a year later when a New York Times investigation claimed to expose the company’s fraught culture of “misogyny, bullying and harassment.” Mr. Razek, the Times wrote, faced numerous accusations of misconduct by models and had amassed a lengthy rap-sheet of complaints. Jourdana Phillips walks the runway during the 2018 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show. Noam Galai/Getty ImagesThe billionaire businessman behind the company, Leslie Wexner, reportedly dismissed the allegations and even retaliated against the models who came forward about the abusive behavior. Mr. Wexner, who was close with Jeffrey Epstein, faced publicity scrutiny after the sexual crimes of his financier buddy came to light. He stepped down from his post as chief executive and chairman of L Brands, the parent company of Victoria’s Secret and Bath & Body Works, in 2020. Since then, Victoria’s Secret has moved away from its former modus operandi of building campaigns around highly desired supermodels, turning instead to a marketing strategy that they claim is more inclusive and relatable. In a page on the Victoria’s Secret website entitled “Brand Values,” dated August 2023, the company announced that it had “moved from promoting an exclusionary view of what’s sexy, to celebrating all women throughout every phase of their lives.” Such changes include designing unlined bras and lingeries “designed especially for fuller figures,” extending sizes in its core collections, and doing away with mannequins that represent an “unobtainable beauty standard” in favor of more size-inclusive versions.

Victoria’s Secret Show Returns After Five-Year Hiatus With Transgender and Plus-Sized Models

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