Photo: Canva
August 11, 2023
Should Victoria’s Secret Be Reimagining Its Fashion Show?
The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, canceled in 2019 at the height of the #MeToo movement, is returning as a “reimagined show” that’s part documentary and part fashion show on Amazon Prime with a promise to “uplift and champion women — on a global scale.”
Renamed “The Victoria’s Secret World Tour,” the feature-length film starts streaming on September 26 and culminates in a live fashion event. The documentary takes viewers on a “journey through the behind-the-scenes craft and intimate stories” of the VS20, a group of designers, musicians, filmmakers, and painters hailing from Tokyo, Lagos, London, and Bogotá.
The creatives will conceive four fashion curations. The film includes performances by Grammy-winning rapper Doja Cat and features “top supermodels.” A tour-inspired collection will be sold on Amazon.
The former annual live event, known for its Swarovski crystal-covered angel wings and million-dollar fantasy bras, turned many models into household names since debuting in 1995. The last 2018 broadcast on ABC drew record-low viewership amid criticism for glorifying unrealistic body standards and demands for size and casting inclusivity.
Victoria’s Secret has pivoted toward women’s empowerment and inclusivity, including employing more diverse models. Sales growth has sagged, however, in the face of newer competition from American Eagle’s Aerie, Rihanna’s Savage X Fenty, and Kim Kardashian’s SKIMS.
Raúl Martinez, EVP and head creative director at Victoria’s Secret, described the new film as “the ultimate expression of the Victoria’s Secret brand transformation. It will be driven by fashion, glamour and entertainment with a nod to beloved iconography from the past but in a bold, redefined way.”
Victoria’s Secret on Wednesday hired several supermodels from the past show’s heyday, including Gisele Bündchen and Naomi Campbell, to front a new campaign. Critics will be judging whether the film’s use of models and overall messaging align with contemporary women’s sensibilities.
Fashion Institute of Technology professor Shawn Grain Carter told The Washington Post that while she believes the film offers an opportunity for Victoria’s Secret to prove its dedication to its rebrand to help change its image, “they will know very quickly, because with social media it’s amplified right away.”
Discussion Questions
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: Will bringing back its annual fashion show likely only serve as a reminder of Victoria’s Secret’s past, or does it provide an opportunity to change perceptions? What would you like to see in the reimagined version of the event?
Poll
Loading …BrainTrust
Carol Spieckerman
President, Spieckerman Retail
Katie Thomas
Lead, Kearney Consumer Institute
Neil Saunders
Managing Director, GlobalData
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There is nothing wrong with a fashion show, per se. Many brands and fashion houses have them and they are a great way to showcase new products and inspire customers. The problem with the previous Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show is that it became associated with various scandals that plagued the brand, and only served to amplify the issues around misogyny and the projection of unrealistic body images. Quite bluntly, it often seemed more like a show for seedy old men than for customers.
While the process of reinvention is ongoing, I think the brand has learned its lesson. The models it has chosen for the latest incarnation of the show are more diverse, and there is a lot more focus on how products empower women and make them feel good about themselves. These are all steps in the right direction, but Victoria’s Secret still needs to tread with care as it still doesn’t have the authenticity or groundedness of a brand like Aerie.
To be blunt as well, I disagree with your assessment that the show was for seedy old men! I know many women that loved watching this show every year, and missed it when it got cancelled, as a fun part of their holiday season. As with anything, it takes a balance – and VS was often guilty of catering to one specific body type.
But, the show often also felt like a celebration of women with powerhouse female performers that many admire (Gaga, Rihanna, Taylor Swift, Nicki Minaj). I love the idea of bringing back something that was so strongly associated with the brand, but reinvented.
I am sure there were many people who enjoyed it. Sadly, the show became extremely tarnished and associated with bad practices, including the mistreatment of models (most of which was initiated by men). By the end it was attracting more bad publicity than good. Viewing figures were also in long-term decline suggesting it was becoming less relevant. Hopefully the new show will be more balanced and can get back to showcasing products and making people feel inspired.
You’ve got to hand it to Victoria’s Secret. They are pulling out all the stops to update perceptions of the brand and reach out to the demographics that are critical to its long-term viability. Burberry and others may have done it earlier, but Victoria’s Secret is smart to take streaming events and slick production to a new level. The behind-the-scenes cuts should add some much-needed authenticity sprinkles. I like what I see.
Imagine there will be a lot of second guessing on the reimagining. If one accepts the premise that any attention is good attention then they really can’t lose. However translating that all into revenue and profit growth is another story. Will everything old be new again, or will it just be old?
I’m disappointed that Victoria’s Secret has made such overt moves to return to their old ways. I would hope this move was based on solid data on what customers want rather than on a lack of imagination on their part. But at least bringing back these supermodels shows their support for the older demographic!
Victoria’s Secret and Amazon’s content-driven commerce event wisely combines entertainment and merchandise.
The fashion show will draw men and women curious to see if Victoria’s Secret celebrates all women and woos them back.
Diversity among the models (ethnicity, body shape, age) and styles (from sweet to saucy) would maximize the event’s inclusivity.
Diverse models, former Angels, new locations, same message. From the looks of the marketing materials it’s the same fashion show tied up in a new bow.
Victoria’s Secret may no longer be under the L Brands mantle, but it still has its reputation to shed. I am curious to see how the current team defines “empowering women” because that will take more than diverse models. It will be interesting to watch how consumers respond on social media.
The bottom line here is that VS is no longer a cool brand. They’re going to have to put together a new brand identity, and perhaps a re-imagined show is one approach to doing that.
VS success was based on the premise that sex sells – well sex still sells however fitness is now sexy and fashionable. If this show communicates this it will work.. If it projects the old approach to fashion the right color the right skirt lengths and overt old fashioned perception of women it will not.