“The return of the US show makes me feel cautious. While I used to watch the shows, I’m not sure there’s a place for them now. Unless people are presented in a modern, current way, the whole thing can feel gimmicky,” Annan-Lewin continues. “It is not enough to simply involve people (with larger bodies), because then those involved have to be spokespeople, which doesn’t seem fair – they did not cause the social disconnect. The message needs to be that bodies are functional and beautiful, regardless of size, and we need the empowerment that is evident throughout the show.”

Can Victoria’s Secret achieve this while doubling down on the show’s original promise: glitter, sparkle and fantasy? Schaffer thinks so. “Thanks to the transformation work we’ve done over the last three or four years, we’ve gotten the customer much more accustomed to knowing that Victoria’s Secret is for everyone,” she says. This includes hiring a new (predominantly female) executive team and board, replacing the Angels with the ‘USA Collective’ (including ex-soccer Megan Rapinoe, model Elsesser and tennis player Naomi Osaka) and new products (such as an adaptive intimate line launched in 2023). “We celebrate all women – age, size diversity – in every way possible. That’s what we committed to in the product, that’s what we committed to in the show,” says Schaffer.

There is merit in Victoria’s Secret’s outward embrace of inclusivity, Chiwaya says. “While Victoria’s Secret no longer has the same stranglehold on setting the standard of what ‘sexy’ is — see: the cultural impact of the highly body-diverse and highly popular Savage x Fenty shows — they still have influence,” she says. “There’s a possibility that this could prompt other brands to consider sizing as something they need to keep track of – that is if VS actually shows visible plus-size representation on the runway.”

A new look at the role of the show

In addition to using a wider range of body shapes and sizes, VS has made a number of other changes to the show in hopes of making it feel more relevant. Now the focus is on the product.

First, it will be repositioned away from the “untouchable fantasy” narrative: consumers will be invited along for the ride with more behind-the-scenes content, and the pink carpet and show will be live-streamed instead of being two weeks long. edited and broadcast. later. “That’s so much more how people live today,” says Sylvester. Observers agree that a focus on community is necessary to succeed as a lingerie brand today; as evidenced by the success of Fenty and Skims, and smaller players such as Cou Cou and Lemonade Dolls.