October 15, 2024, Victoria’s Secret (VS) held an event at the Duggal Greenhouse in Brooklyn, New York, to present the end of their six-year hiatus. After VS released their runway show on streaming sites, viewers voiced their dislike of the show for several reasons, with several fans noting the cheap-looking theme of the stage and the lack of props in the show. The internet wishes for the original vibe that the untouchable angels possessed, but this year’s show did not showcase that.
Back when VS originally began to gain recognition in 1995, the media exploded with admiration at the seemingly perfect models who strutted down the catwalk. Throughout the late 1970s, VS showcased legendary fashion shows and the company rose in fame. VS tours around the world, offering a surfeit amount of career opportunities for potential models, molding them as icons of their time. The shows caused a sensation amongst the public, causing people to look up to angels and create trends based on them. All trends eventually fade, and VS — a dated pleasure — now stands as one of them.
VS continues to experience backlash for their past beliefs, which they attempt to cover up with the new models on the walkway. In 2017, the Chief Marketer of the company, Ed Razek, refused to include diverse models, such as transgender and plus-size women, in previous shows, stating that they could not portray the fantasy that they stood for. After that statement, outrage surfaced among viewers causing the following show to drop from 5 million views to 3.3 million. Since 2017, a multitude of VS stores began to shut down gradually and 250 locations closed their stores permanently in 2020 alone. VS’s reaction to this included implementing new faces onto the runway — transgender model Valentina Sampaio and British plus-size activist Paloma Elsesser. A majority of fans believed that the addition of diversity brought acceptance to the stage, which created an inclusive show compared to the discriminatory ones in the past. After VS brought Sampaio and Elsesser onto the stage, viewers appreciated the refreshing body types added to the show, commenting on the diversity that they sought, but a majority of viewers perceived it as a performative act to save the brand and increase sales. The company continues to face bankruptcy while trying to climb back up to the top, attempting to use inclusive models.
“When I saw the Victoria’s Secret show I had mixed feelings about it because I was expecting a lot after the 2018 one and what happened with social media bombarding them and whatnot. I definitely liked that Adriana Lima and Candace Swanepoel were in the show but the slick backs were not and two models didn’t even have wings which didn’t make sense. In future Victoria’s Secret shows I would like to see a theme in the outfits and on the stage as well as bigger and more presentable wings,” sophomore Tania Gutierrez said.
Alongside the incident that occurred in 2017, the discovery of the abuse the models faced appeared in the news. Past VS Angels came forward mentioning the years of normalized abuse they endured by the company’s executives. The harsh treatment that the models endured turned into unhealthy habits and became the image that young ladies looked up to. Consumers wanted to see models that represented realistic body types along with the original vibe as the original VS shows. At the recent show, models of diverse backgrounds walked on the stage, fans felt that the show came off as too modern and bland. The lack of support reveals the company’s fall from grace.
“After the show, I felt disappointed and surprised by their lack of ability to show off what they prepared after going on a six-year break. When watching the show I liked how they brought back some original VS models but I didn’t like their slick-backed hair and the small wings they were wearing. During the show, I expected the big trademark wings and bombshell hair and overall better outfit designs,” sophomore Veve Pham said.
A majority of shoppers do not want to associate themselves with VS after discovering the mistreatment dealt with by the company and its executives. The stains that tarnished the reputation of this once high-end brand reflected on their latest show and caused a negative response in their viewership as their popularity continues to deplete.
