Cover Adriana Lima (centre) and Candice Swanepoel (right), two iconic Angels, are returning to Victoria’s Secret for a new campaign (Photo: AFP)
Adriana Lima (centre) and Candice Swanepoel (right), two iconic Angels, are returning to Victoria’s Secret for a new campaign (Photo: AFP)
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The lingerie brand’s latest campaign is a strategic move to regain public support by featuring cherished figures from its past, as well as a cast of diverse, body-positive models
The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show has always been something of an institution, with its tall, lithe models of world-renown and its much-anticipated artistic presentations. But it has also been the subject of much controversy, as has the brand itself, from the lack of inclusivity in its casting to the promotion of certain beauty standards and ideals, not to mention the remarks deemed offensive by its former marketing director Ed Razek towards plus-size and transgender models.
All of these factors have undermined the lingerie label, previously adored the world over. But they have also prompted it to rethink, and to overhaul its image, with new muses from a wide variety of backgrounds, including models, athletes, activists and artists, as well as a new show scheduled for the fall of 2023.
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A totally revamped show
Renamed The Tour, this new iteration of the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show will take the form of a feature-length film that will showcase the behind-the-scenes stories of the VS20, billed as “a group of 20 innovative global creatives.”
The documentary, which will have its world premiere on Prime Video on September 26, 2023, will be accompanied by a live fashion event in the fall. In other words, it’s safe to assume that this signals the return of the spectacular fashion show, featuring the kind of artistic performances that always made the brand’s shows famous, but with a fresh cast that could include Valentina Sampaio, Megan Rapinoe, Paloma Elsesser and Sofía Jirau.
Victoria’s Secret recently announced the participation of Doja Cat in “The Tour,” joining a cast that, in theory, looks nothing like the line-up it proposed four years ago.
“This film is the ultimate expression of the Victoria’s Secret brand transformation. It will be driven by fashion, glamour and entertainment with a nod to beloved iconography from the past but in a bold, redefined way,” said Raúl Martinez, EVP and Head Creative Director at Victoria’s Secret, in a recent statement.
If the brand hopes to offer the best in entertainment and in fashion to its customers—as it has always sought to—this time it will do so through a new generation of women, including artists, athletes, models and activists, chosen in particular to dust off an image considered obsolete and tainted by a certain lack of inclusivity.
An unexpected return
The news, which came last May, seemed to divide people—on social networks, at least. Some criticised the lingerie brand for acting too late, while paradoxically, others lamented its iconic Angels, but all—or almost all—looked forward to discovering the revamped format.
Nearly three months later, Victoria’s Secret has made an unexpected announcement, presenting a new campaign named The Icon, featuring some of its new faces, such as Paloma Elsesser and Hailey Bieber, as well as fashion icons like Naomi Campbell, but above all some of its most iconic Angels.
Adriana Lima, who holds the record for the most Victoria’s Secret shows, as well as Gisele Bündchen and Candice Swanepoel, return to their former roles for a shoot photographed by Mikael Jansson. This unexpected return suggests that the brand intends to draw on its past while embracing the present for its eagerly awaited fall fashion show.
In fact, these world-famous Angels will be part of The Tour. According to a Victoria’s Secret news release, the brand says that “select talent included in the campaign will also be featured in The Tour, the brand’s reimagined fashion show that will [focus] on emerging global creatives, premiering this fall”.
This announcement reflects Victoria’s Secret’s determination to win over—or win back—the hearts of as many people as possible, by offering a cast that includes emerging talents, as well as key figures and icons who have marked its history—and contributed to its renown. And this will undoubtedly involve collections that are both sexy and inclusive.
Indeed, the brand now offers breastfeeding bras, mastectomy bras, and a wider range of sizes. Again, it’s all about the past meeting with the present. All that’s left now is to wait for this feature film to be screened, as well as for this major fashion event, which is sure to get people talking about whatever it has in store.
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