Victoria’s Secret’s comeback style present portrays ‘tokenistic’ model identification

Within the early 2000s, Victoria’s Secret style exhibits oozed opulence and exclusivity — that includes Fantasy Bras bedazzled with hundreds of diamonds value as much as $15 million, extravagant wings that usually doubled fashions’ heights, and a troupe of skinny supermodels blowing kisses to star-studded crowds. 

The annual style present was designed to be aspirational, unattainable. In 2018, then-CMO Ed Razek infamously instructed Vogue that together with plus-sized and transgender fashions would smash the “fantasy” of the lingerie present, sparking boycott calls. The model in a short time fell out of favor for holding onto outdated beliefs. 

Victoria’s Secret’s issues didn’t finish there. Particulars emerged about Razek being repeatedly accused of inappropriate conduct. The corporate additionally had connections with sexual predator Jeffrey Epstein, with a New York Instancesarticle in 2019 detailing how Epstein sexually assaulted fashions in resort rooms.

Going through rising scrutiny, Victoria’s Secret Angels retired their wings in 2018 for a six-year hiatus. 

That was till Victoria’s Secret hosted its comeback 2024 present on Tuesday, that includes all-women performers together with Cher and Tyla, two transgender fashions and shoppable lingerie for customers (that meant no $15 million fantasy bra). Veteran Victoria’s Secret Angels Adriana Lima and Tyra Banks walked alongside a recent crop of fashions of assorted ages, races, sexualities and sizes. 

But whereas this yr’s present was essentially the most numerous but, it sparked criticism on-line for lacking the mark, with PR specialists describing the efforts as “tokenistic,” “performative” and “muddled,” in conversations with Marketing campaign US. Specialists claimed the model’s “performative” advertising and marketing is clear to customers.

“Victoria’s Secret continues to be residing in a slim lane of what magnificence is,” mentioned Katie Hankinson, Yonder Consulting’s U.S. managing director. “It’s onerous for the present and advertising and marketing to not seem performative when the model hasn’t carried out the deep work of realizing themselves and what they stand for.” 

Hankinson added that Victoria’s Secret’s controversies “run a lot deeper than pores and skin deep, and popping out with a glitzy present like nothing occurred is papering over the cracks.”

Ashley Graham and the present’s different plus-sized fashions appeared “extra lined” than non plus-sized fashions, mentioned Keisha Townsend Taitt, GSD&M’s chief inclusion officer. 

“It simply pushed the trope that when you’ve got rolls, it’s solely acceptable to be in a one-piece that’s masking up,” Townsend Taitt mentioned. “In the meantime, Savage X Fenty had pregnant ladies in lingerie pushing confidence and self value.”

Within the wake of Victoria’s Secret’s scandals and growing competitors from rising lingerie manufacturers like Savage X Fenty, Aerie and Skims, the model’s yearly internet gross sales have trended downward since 2018. Victoria’s Secret’s 2023 internet gross sales had been $6.2 billion, a 26% drop from $7.8 billion throughout 2016, one of many model’s peak years.

Victoria’s Secret is “taking from competing manufacturers’ playbooks” as a substitute of growing an impactful model picture, Townsend Taitt mentioned. She famous how Victoria’s Secret launched an adaptive line for customers with disabilities, however solely after Skims launched an analogous line the yr prior. Hankinson agreed that Victoria’s Secret’s branding “must be the reality, not the development.”

“Victoria’s actual secret is that she does not know herself,” Hankinson defined. “The model is sort of a youthful lady who must develop up and determine who she actually is.”

By attempting to please all customers — millennials who wished the nostalgia of seeing unique Victoria’s Secret angels, and GenZers pushing for extra numerous exhibits — the end result was an unclear model identification, Townsend Taitt mentioned, describing it as a present that “tried to do all the things and did nothing.”  

Nevertheless, Townsend Taitt credited Victoria’s Secret for “growing age range in a related method” by bringing the unique Angels again, and mentioned “inclusivity comes with progress, not perfection.”

Julie Oxberry, Family’s group CEO, mentioned Victoria’s Secret “didn’t leverage the second they took to take a look at their model and are available again with one thing significant. Nevertheless, she famous that Victoria’s Secret’s model can enhance if it “offers its advertising and marketing workforce some wings” to create a extra genuine and up to date identification. 

“It’s all about enjoyable and glitz and glam, however they will have that and nonetheless have one thing inventive and emotionally and visually significant, ” Oxberry mentioned.

This story first appeared on PRWeek U.S.