Victoria’s Secret ditches Angels for powerful activists
A late attempt to rebrand to "what women want"
“When the world was changing, we were too slow to respond,” said the company’s new CEO, Martin Waters.
From lacy, strappy underwear often designed more for allure than practicality, to the new VS Collective with a more inclusive definition of what sexy is, and women famous for their achievements and not their proportions.
Mannequins in retail spaces will come in several shapes and sizes (not just 32B anymore), with sportswear, maternity and mastectomy bras.
New spokeswomen include soccer star and LGBTQIA+ activist Megan Rapinoe; champion free skier Eileen Gu; actor Priyanka Chopra Jonas; Sudanese refugee, model and activist Adut Akech; GirlGaze founder Amanda de Cadenet; model and "body advocate" Paloma Elsesser; and openly transgender activist, model and actor Valentina Sampaio.
The lingerie market, set to reach $250 billion globally, has moved on from the male gaze to comfort, inclusivity and sexiness that embraces all body shapes and sizes.