I waited 5 years for Victoria’s Secret to come back but there’s STILL no diversity & the curvy models were so covered up
GROWING up as a little girl I used to be obsessed with the Victoria’s Secret show.
The best of the best supermodels strutting their stuff down the runway.
The glitz, the glamour, the musical performances there was something about it that made it all very magical.
Who wouldn’t want to be a Victoria’s Secret Angel?
However, what I didn’t realise until I was a bit older was the lack of diversity surrounding the show.
It felt like in order to be an angel you had to be skinny.
And whilst there was the odd curvier girl in the show, it wasn’t enough.
The world had moved on, become more inclusive and it wasn’t keeping up.
The show ended in 2019 after much criticism on it being outdated, sexist and lacking diversity
Thinking that was the end for Victoria’s Secret shows was sad, they were an institution, but they weren’t moving with the times.
So when they announced back in May this year they were bringing it back,I was pleased but hoping that something may have changed.
Sadly after watching the show which took place in New York last night I was left feeling flat.
Now aged 30 and a size 14 myself, I want to see myself represented at shows like this, we all know the UK average size is a 16 and I can imagine America’s isn’t too dissimilar.
Whilst it was great to see the likes of Kate Moss and Carla Bruni making their debuts at the show in their 50s, seeing OG supermodels like Tyra Banks, Adriana Lima and Alessandra Ambrosio, for me there still wasn’t much representation.
Yes the likes of Ashley Graham, Paloma Elsesser and Devyn Garcia were there, but out of 38 models only a handful were representing curvier girls.
The clothes also left me feeling pretty flat.
Why was the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show cancelled?
Victoria's Secret was founded by Roy Raymond, and his wife, Gaye Raymond, in 1977.
The American lingerie brand made its runway debut in 1995, with model Tyra Banks wearing the first set of angel wings three years later.
Supermodel brand ambassadors soon became known as Angels who were the stars of the show, with the ceremonial title being the pinnacle for most models’ careers – including Kendall Jenner.
But in 2019, the plug was pulled on the hotly-anticipated event after viewer figures dropped by millions in recent years.
Why was it declining? Lack of diversity in an increasingly body positive world.
Ed Razek, former chief marketing officer L Brands (VS’ parent company), had described the show as “fantasy” and excluded plus-size models from the “42-minute entertainment special”.
The controversial claims landed Victoria’s Secret in hot water on social media and led to bosses to cancel the show – the same year Razek resigned.
In 2021, the lingerie brand said goodbye to its Angels and hello to a new ambassador program, made up of famous names like Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Adut Akech and Eileen Gu.
Fast forward to 2024, the infamous Victoria’s Secret fashion show returned to New York with Tyra Banks as the host.
Gigi Hadid, 28, opened the show wearing a pink satin playsuit that looked like it could be sold in Primark.
Where was the wow moment?
The fantasy bra has also been scrapped, something that was synonymous with the brand and an honour to wear with the likes of Gisele Bundchen wearing the iconic bra which is normally worth millions.
A lot of the older and curvier models were also more covered up than others, something that may have been their choice, but whilst everyone still looked amazing it was a shame to think that the skimpier outfits only went to a certain type of model.
Some of the models also have children and manage to look more toned than ever. Take Candice Swanepoel, aged 35 has two children and whilst she looked incredible down the runway with her six pack, this kind of look isn’t always achievable for every mother out there.
Overall I am still happy the show is back, I loved seeing a whole host of iconic models coming together to strut their stuff down the runway, as there really aren’t many brands that can pull in that many high end names.
And the sad reality is that even if they did offer more diversity in the line up, it would still be penalised for changing too much or being too woke.
It really is a lose lose situation.
Is this the end for Victoria's Secret (again)?!
John Bruce, former model and owner of PRM model agency in London, was left feeling flat by last night's show.
“Sadly there was nothing new or exciting there,” he said.
“Brought back a very old concept and rather dated visuals, with same dated models and old familiar and worked faces .
“For a brand that wanted to evolve its marketing technique – its comeback was rather flat and stuck in 2019, so fairly disappointing.
“Having said that, every girl looked stunning, and a nice mixture of past and new models but I missed the stage, feathers and show.”
But it does bring us back to the question of ideal beauty standards.
I’m currently watching Married at First Sight UK where one groom has declared he doesn’t fancy curvy girls and another says his type is petite and brunette.
And I can’t help but wonder if this kind of attitude is still around today based on what is put out in the media?
That in order to be deemed attractive you have to be thin.
We should be showing all kinds of beauty, squashing the stereotypes and setting new precedents.
Maybe if Victoria’s Secret had done that then it really would have come back with a bang.