Victoria's Secret has undergone major changes over the last few years, from ending its annual fashion show to stepping away from its iconic Angels. The company that was once known for lifting up an unattainable version of "sexiness" has also been criticized for its controversial involvement in misogyny, bullying, and harassment of employees, contractors, and models. In an effort to rebrand itself and make up for a significant loss in earnings, Victoria's Secret's changes have not stopped. The company just announced that it would be permanently getting rid of more of its iconic fixtures. Read on to find out about the latest change Victoria's Secret is making.
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Victoria's Secret is getting rid of racy images of Angels in stores.
ShutterstockVictoria's Secret stores are undergoing a complete makeover, which will be their first in more than 20 years. As part of the update, the company is taking down its trademark framed images of its former supermodels, the Victoria's Secret Angels, in lingerie. Raul Martinez, the company's new creative director, told The New York Post that these photos are being removed for a look that is "more inviting for women to enter." According to Martinez, about half of the retailer's 1,400 global stores have already started to swap out these photos for photos of women of all shapes and sizes, as well as full-bodied mannequins.
The company is also getting rid of its signature bubblegum pink decor.
ShutterstockAccording to The New York Post, the makeover goes further than what models are on display in stores. Victoria's Secret locations will also no longer have boudoir decor, like the signature bubblegum pink velvet furniture. Instead, these items are being swapped out for toned-down white and black display tables and dressers. The news outlet says the retailer's newly revamped store at the Polaris Fashion Place shopping mall near its Columbus, Ohio, headquarters has even exchanged black lacquered walls for a softer pink shade, and increased the level of brightness with the store's lights.
This is part of Victoria's Secret's larger revamp of its entire brand.
ShutterstockThe stores' makeovers are just part of the company's larger rebranding. In 2019, Victoria's Secret announced that it would no longer be holding its annual fashion show—the first indication that the company was changing its marketing strategy. Then, in June 2021, its was announced that the Angels were being retired and replaced by The VS Collective, which is described as "an an ever-growing group of accomplished women who share a common passion to drive positive change." The new models include professional soccer player and LGBTQIA+ activist Megan Rapinoe, actor and producer Priyanka Chopra Jonas, and plus-model and body advocate Paloma Elesser.
"We are moving from what men want to what women want; we are going from a look to a feeling, from excluding most women to including all women, from mostly unattainable to grounded in real life," CEO Martin Waters said during a recent earnings call, per The New York Post.
The company is still working with some of its former models, however.
ShutterstockVictoria's Secret didn't push all of its supermodels out the door during its rebranding. "The word 'Angel' is retired, but that doesn’t mean the women we worked with as Angels are retired," Martinez told The New York Post. "We did have conversations with the former Angels. It was an honest conversation."
Martinez declined to elaborate on the conversation. However, at least three of the former Angels continue to represent the brand: Taylor Hill, Grace Elisabeth, and Helena Christensen.
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