Victoria’s Secret has canceled their annual fashion show, their parent company L Brands confirmed Thursday.
The long-running event first aired in 1995, quickly becoming a beloved spectacle of world-class supermodels, angel wings, elaborate lingerie, and pop performances. But in recent years, the show has faced backlash for its exclusion of transgender models and objectification of women. Last year saw the show’s lowest ratings ever.
“We think it’s important to evolve the marketing of Victoria’s Secret,” L Brands Chief Financial Officer Stuart Burgdoerfer said on an earnings call Thursday. “It was a very important part of the brand building of this business and was an important aspect of the brand and a remarkable marketing achievement… We’re figuring out how to advance the positioning of the brand and best communicate that to customers.” In May, the company announced that the show would no longer air on network television, but this is the first time they’ve said that the show would be canceled entirely.
The decision follows years of controversies and criticism against Victoria’s Secret. Many have called the brand’s marketing tactics sexist and un-inclusive, as today’s consumers have found the premise of looking “sexy for men” unappealing in the #MeToo era. As a result, sales have dropped since 2015.
Last year, Edward Razek, then the chief marketing officer of L Brands, caused backlash when he said that Victoria’s Secret would never cast a trans woman because the annual fashion show is supposed to be a “fantasy.” He apologized for his comments, but retired from his role in August, shortly after the company hired its first openly trans model, Valentina Sampaio.
Earlier this year, L Brands CEO Leslie H. Wexner came under fire for his close, longtime relationship with disgraced executive Jeffrey Epstein. In October, Victoria’s Secret laid off about 50 employees (nearly 15%) at its Ohio headquarters. On Wednesday, the company revealed that sales had dropped 7% in its last quarter.
Shoppers have taken their money elsewhere, to more “inclusive” and “relatable” lingerie brands that have cropped up in recent years. Since launching her Fenty X Savage lingerie brand in 2017, Rihanna has prioritized diversity in her company’s marking, leading some to call Fenty X Savage fashion shows the “polar opposite of Victoria’s Secret.” Earlier this year, the singer staged a momentous Fenty X Savage NYFW show featuring musical performances and a wide spectrum of different models and dancers. Queer models that walked the show this year include Laverne Cox, Cara Delevigne, When They See Us’ Isis King, RuPaul’s Drag Race winner Aquaria, Slick Woods, and others. Halsey also performed, joining a setlist that also featured Big Sean, A$AP Ferg, Fat Joe, Tierra Whack, Migos, and others.
Since news of the Victoria’s Secret fashion show cancelation broke, some publications have implied that Fenty X Savage’s success led to the decline of Victoria’s Secret. “Rihanna Was The Nail In Victoria’s Secrets’ Coffin,” a Refinery29 headline reads. Yesterday, Fenty X Savage announced that Normani would be their first-ever brand ambassador.
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