A recent article posted on Business of Fashion named "Plus-Size, Transgender and Disabled Models Speak out Against Victoria's Secret" - origin Vogue.co.uk - highlighted the ignorance of the brand and their struggle to connect with the next generation of consumers.
I remember looking at the VS fashion show a few years ago, seeing those long limbs strut down the catwalk in barely-there lingerie as everyone in the audience drooled as they strutted past, hair in the wind and wings on full display. I couldn't help but be mesmerised by their beauty and their figure, they were a fantasy.
But, that's the key phrase. "A fantasy". It's not real. They don't just wake up like that, they train and they eat very, very little before the shows, they have their hair and makeup done by artists and the lighting flatters their every angle. They are not real. But the BS that Victoria's Secret keeps pumping out, is.
Ed Razek, the chief marketing officer of VS said in a recent interview how they wouldn't feature plus size or transgender models in their shows as it's meant to be a fantasy. How ignorant can you get. VS sales have been on a decline since 2016, have they ever stopped to think it's due to the fact they're only catering for one demographic.
How is a plus sized, disabled or trans women meant to envisage themselves wearing VS items if they have no one to display it for them?
The generation which is emerging, Millennials and those after, I feel are done with the days of super skinny, unrealistic models. They want new, fresh and representative. They want to see a true replica of society on the catwalks: black, white, thick, thin, abled, disabled, female/male/gender fluid/ gender neutral and trans.
When will brands learn that by incorporating more and more demographics in their ads and shows, it will improve their sales? From a business point of view, clearly this is the way to go.
And this is not a reflection of the retail staff and those who work for the stores of VS. I have been into a few VS stores and have never felt look down upon. It's just ashamed this attitude can't be reflected higher up the business.
Image References
https://fashionista.com/2018/09/victorias-secret-fashion-show-models-2018#&gid=ci023341e970002564&pid=gettyimages-876613206