How Victoria’s Secret is rebranding for the Gen-Z generation: Lingerie store looks to move away from allegations of harassment and cultural appropriation with new line and film

The Victoria’s Secret runway show is preparing for its comeback, but the glamorous tradition, founded in 1995, has undergone a major change.

The American lingerie retailer is known for its catwalk show, famous for scantily clad models and performances by renowned music artists.

But in recent years, consumers worldwide have turned their heads away from Victoria’s Secret in search of a more inclusive brand, causing a decline in sales and ultimately the end of their runway show as we know it.

The company is undergoing a major rebrand after being criticized for promoting unrealistic body image with its non-inclusive culture and accused of failing to protect its models from sexual misconduct.

In August, they launched a new The Icon Victoria’s Secret collection, while the new Victoria’s Secret World Tour, a feature film, will reimagine the show the world once loved with a new generation of models from around the world.

But beneath the brand’s shiny new reinvention lies a past tarnished by scandal.

In 2012, Victoria’s Secret was criticized after Karlie Kloss modeled a Native American-style headdress on the runway.

Similarly, that same year, Victoria’s Secret removed a newly launched lingerie collection titled Go East from its website after a particular outfit called Sexy Little Geisha was labeled racist by offended critics.

The ‘Oriental-inspired’ sheer mesh cut-out teddy bear, which came with a matching removable obi belt, fan and chopsticks, was described by the lingerie giant as ‘your ticket to an exotic adventure’.

The outfit, modeled by Swedish-born model Candice Swanepoel, was seen by critics as a fetishization of Asian culture.

Four years later, the brand faced accusations of cultural appropriation and displaying “racist” underwear at its 2016 fashion show.

A host of famous faces, including Kendall Jenner and Gigi Hadid, were among the Victoria’s Secret Angels who modeled the lingerie company’s designs on the catwalk.

Wearing elaborate creations, they sported wings, tails and statement jewelry as they walked the catwalk in Paris.

However, many were unimpressed by the Asian and Mexican influences on some designs and accused the brand of cultural appropriation.

In a piece entitled ‘Why can’t Victoria’s Secret stop designing racist lingerie?’, which was later deleted, Helin Jung criticized the brand in Cosmopolitan magazine.

She accused the company of being condescending to customers in China by borrowing from their culture.

“Aside from the cultures, the emblems that stood out most were those that came from Asia, particularly China,” she wrote.

Perhaps the most damning accusations against the brand came from the 2020 article published by The New York Timesincluding allegations of misogyny, bullying and harassment by former Chief Marketing Officer Ed Razek.

The damaging article claimed that Ed Razek kissed models, asked them to sit on his lap and grabbed a model’s crotch before a show.

But before the news broke, scandal had already surrounded Razek, who previously faced criticism in 2016 after saying transgender models were not used in their annual show because the presentation was “fantasy.”

Razek said Fashion on past criticism: “It’s like, why doesn’t your show do this? Shouldn’t you have transsexuals on the show? No. No, I don’t think we should do that.

‘Well why not? Because the show is a fantasy. It’s a 42-minute entertainment special. That’s what it is.’

Victoria’s Secret also abandoned the idea of ​​targeting a wider audience under Razek’s leadership, reportedly because a special TV pitch on the subject flopped 18 years earlier.

Following the New York Times investigation, 100 models signed a second open letter to the CEO of Victoria’s Secret, calling on him to take action against the company’s “culture of misogyny and abuse.”

The letter urges CEO John Mehas to put an end to what the group describes as a “deep-rooted culture of misogyny” at the lingerie chain.

Signatories of the letter include catwalk stars such as Christy Turlington Burns, Iskra Lawrence, Edie Campbell, Amber Valletta and Felicity Hayward.

Models who have worked with Victoria’s Secret, such as Karen Elson and Caitriona Balfe, also co-signed the document.

They alleged that a climate of misogyny was fostered by two top executives – Ed Razek and Les Wexner – at Victoria’s Secret’s parent company, L Brands.

The group claimed they met with company bosses, but their complaints were not taken seriously.

The letter stated, “The Model Alliance met with Tammy Roberts Myers, Chief Communications Officer of L Brands in New York City last September. It was made abundantly clear that Victoria’s Secret does not take these complaints seriously.”

The group goes on to describe the company’s treatment of models as “human rights violations.”

It said: ‘In light of the horrific revelations of the past year, this response is completely unacceptable.

‘Human rights violations cannot be stopped with a corporate rebranding.’

But later that year the company attempted to right wrongs after repeatedly coming under fire for the lack of body diversity on its catwalks.

The brand tried to shake off its unfavorable reputation with a new and inclusive Christmas campaign.

The campaign attempted to shake off criticism that they were outdated and unattainable by hiring a more diverse cast of models.

Plus-size models posed as they showed off the retailer’s festive take on its silk dresses, pajama sets and barely-there lingerie.

Transgender model Valentina Sampaio was also photographed modeling the latest designs.

Just days after Victoria’s Secret announced Valentina’s modeling position with the brand, Ed Wazek announced his retirement.

Plus-size models Candice Huffin and Devyn Garcia were also prominent additions to the new festive launch as the brand strived to make their products accessible to customers of all shapes, sizes and ages.

Fast forward to today, and viewers tuning into Victoria’s Secret TikTok account can witness top models from Gigi Hadid to Lila Moss talking about a “new kind of party” with a “reinvigorated” energy.

TikTok users have flocked to the comments section to share their excitement, regardless of past scandals.

Under one interview with Gigi Hadid about the upcoming show, one user wrote, “We have WAITINGG!!!”

A second added: YES FINALLY.’

A third said: ‘AHHHHHH SO EXCITED.’

Another user wrote: ‘YESSS OLD VS IS BACKKK.’