The “rebranding of the rebranding”, the company has pivoted back trying to revive the brand’s sexy, kitsch spirit while attempting to promote a more inclusive notion of beauty. Has it worked?
Victoria’s Secret has long been associated with a highly sexualized image of women’s bodies, but during the 2010s—amid the #MeToo movement, the rise of feminist ideas, and increased scrutiny of women’s representation—its reputation began to falter. Sales declined, and so did the popularity of its annual fashion show, which had been held every November since 1995, featuring the most famous models of the time and performances by major musicians like Harry Styles, Lady Gaga, and Taylor Swift. Once a highly anticipated spectacle both online and on TV, viewership plummeted to 3.3 million in 2018, a significant drop from the 9.7 million viewers in 2013. This year’s show was awaited with curiosity: would it recapture its former grandeur, and what direction would the brand—struggling with an identity crisis—take, as it faced competition from newer lingerie brands with a more contemporary, female-centered message, such as Rihanna’s Savage X Fenty and Kim Kardashian’s Skims?
In 2022, Victoria’s Secret attempted a complete image overhaul, launching a campaign featuring women of various body types in comfortable, understated lingerie. However, this rebranding was deemed unconvincing, as it strayed too far from the brand’s identity. Recently, the company has pivoted back, prompting some critics to label the new show as a “rebranding of the rebranding,” trying to revive the brand’s sexy, kitsch spirit while attempting to promote a more inclusive notion of beauty, aiming the spectacle at women rather than men. The entire production was managed by women, including Sarah Sylvester, executive vice president of marketing, who explained: “Our customers told us loud and clear that they wanted it back.”
The show opened with top model Gigi Hadid, wearing pink wings (made from synthetic feathers approved by PETA), reminiscent of previous Victoria’s Secret shows where models were famously dubbed “Angels.” These Angels were replaced in 2021 by “Ambassadors,” individuals recognized for their achievements rather than just their looks, such as soccer player and LGBT+ rights activist Megan Rapinoe.
The runway featured iconic Victoria’s Secret models like Adriana Lima, Alessandra Ambrosio, and Tyra Banks, who, at 50, closed the show in a black bodysuit and silver cape. New faces, once unimaginable on this runway, included “plus-size” models Paloma Elsesser and Ashley Graham, as well as transgender models Valentina Sampaio and Alex Consani. The show also embraced age diversity: 15% of the models were over 40, including Carla Bruni (56), Eva Herzigova (51), and Kate Moss, who at 50 made her Victoria’s Secret debut, walking alongside her daughter Lila. There were also natural Afro hairstyles, visible scars, and freckles left uncovered by makeup. All the performers, including K-pop star Lisa from Blackpink, Tyla, and Cher, were women.
The product offerings reflected a broader range, featuring not only sexy lingerie but also pajama pants, boxers, leggings, and sheer nightgowns. This diversity aligned with the brand’s expanded in-store selection, which now includes swimwear, activewear, and comfortable loungewear. Everything seen on the runway was available for purchase online at the same time, making this year’s pieces more commercially focused and less extravagant than in the past.
Opinions on the show were mixed. Teen Vogue’s Aiyana Ishmael wrote that while watching the slim models parade, she was “transported back to her childhood living room,” where unattainable beauty standards were set by women who didn’t resemble her. Similarly, Dani Maher of Harper’s Bazaar noted that the runway was still dominated by “conventionally attractive thin models” and criticized the show for lacking the “spectacle” and fun of previous years: “I missed the playfulness of those ridiculously kitsch themes inspired by sports, circuses, wild animals, superheroes, and more,” she said. On social media, some viewers appreciated the show’s return, while others had hoped for something closer to the brand’s earlier days, with some suggesting that Tyra Banks, not Gigi Hadid, should have opened the show.
Faran Krentcil of Elle described the outfits as “chaotic neutral,” noting that “some of the lingerie felt aggressive but not exciting.” Vanessa Friedman of The New York Times was even more critical, observing, “There’s a big difference between celebrating real physical diversity and celebrating people whose fame outweighs any size.” She called the show “a relic of another time” and added, “It didn’t feel like a step forward but more like a high school reunion: a gathering of those who were once the most popular and best-dressed, reliving something they had experienced through the haze of nostalgia or the real complications of the world outside.”
Despite its recent struggles, Victoria’s Secret remains the largest lingerie brand in North America, holding roughly 20% of the market with 1,370 stores worldwide. In comparison, its main rival, Skims, launched in 2019, has only five stores but continues to grow steadily. Skims has successfully built a brand of sexy, comfortable clothing designed for women of all ages, skin tones, and body types, with endorsements from figures in entertainment and sports—a feat that Victoria’s Secret has long aimed to achieve but has yet to fully realize.
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