Who’s buying the Victoria’s Secret rebrand?
The lingerie company’s effort to remake its image with new advisors like Megan Rapinoe—and dropping its trademark fashion show—reveals the difficulty in finding a new brand voice.
Editor’s note: This article is a re-run as part of our countdown of top stories from the past year.
Is it too little too late for Victoria’s Secret?
It feels like Victoria’s Secret has been falling out of favor for years, first gradually and then all at once. The decline was precipitated by former exec Ed Razek’s transphobic, body-shaming remarks and the subsequent cancellation of the VS Fashion Show as we all know it. For a few years after, the heritage brand was relatively silent and unchanging as its competitors revolutionized the space, from Aerie’s game-changing shift away from retouching photos to Savage x Fenty’s Vol.1 Show at New York Fashion Week.
That silence ended two weeks ago, when the brand introduced The VS Collective. The Collective’s seven founding members represent multiple age groups, races and careers, and include World Cup soccer champion Megan Rapinoe, activist Paloma Elsesser and journalist Amanda de Cadenet, among others. The announcement is part of the brand’s break from its previous image in an effort to execute a 180-degree rebrand.
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