Safiyya Lambert/The Cougar
Oct. 15, the Victoria’s Secret fashion show returned for its two-year anniversary after a six-year hiatus. The show was cancelled in 2019 due to declining viewership over the brand’s lack of inclusivity and scrutiny over the misogynistic and inappropriate actions of the brand’s top two executives. After brand restructuring, the show is more inclusive than ever before, with plus-size, transgender and even pregnant women walking the runway.
As much as the brand has tried, the reformed glittery and glamorous runway couldn’t hide its continued promotion of unrealistic beauty standards, mistreatment of models and reliance on fast fashion. These continued issues indicate that the brand has ways to go before earning consumer trust.
Unrealistic beauty standards
Victoria’s Secret’s new campaign is all about inclusion, yet despite its incredibly diverse runway, the unrealistic beauty standards it promotes are still in full play.
Regardless of size or sexual orientation, the angels on the runways are all fabulously toned, high cheek-boned and full-bosomed. Even the invited honorary angels, Angel Reese and Suni Lee, alongside performers like Madison Beer, all met extreme beauty standards.
Furthermore, the biggest names that the show makes the most money off of, like the Hadid sisters, Alex Consani and Anok Yai, were consistently the skinniest and tallest angels to walk the show.
While this approach provides for a short-lived spectacle on television, it ultimately disheartens buyers. Items don’t look as good on them as they did on the models on screen, highlighting how Victoria’s Secret has not yet achieved true inclusivity.
Mistreatment of models
After the change in leadership, cases of harassment in Victoria’s Secret have declined, yet mistreatment has evolved into different forms.
On the runway, the brand had created highly uncomfortable and distasteful outfits. According to online users, supermodel Bella Hadid was seen visibly struggling with her enormous wings. She later took to Instagram to express that they weighed over 50 lbs, nearly half her body weight.
Yai was seen wearing heels that were obviously too small for her. The fashion show is known to have very limited sizes. Tyra Banks said in a statement that the show only keeps a few sizes backstage to facilitate quick outfit changes.
Whatever excuses the brand may give, the women who walk the show are top models who train and diet rigorously and should properly be given the chance to shine bright on their night of glory.
This is not to mention the extreme diets most models have to follow to maintain their position and the stringent contracts Angels have to sign, which severely limit their work opportunities outside the brand.
These conditions highlight the brand’s emphasis on outward appearance and utter disregard for the women who represent it.
Reliance on fast fashion
Despite being one of the leaders of the lingerie industry and generating over six billion dollars of revenue in 2024, Victoria’s Secret’s production process still heavily relies on fast fashion.
Nearly all of the brand’s factories are in developing South and Southeast Asian countries where workers’ rights are not protected and workplace regulations are not implemented. In Vietnam, the brand’s largest manufacturing hub, high and urgent demand for products raises the cost of raw materials.
This leads management to either lower the workers’ wages or force them to work overtime without increasing wages. In addition, the majority of factory workers in Vietnam are women and are therefore subject to much lower wages.
These conditions persist across all of Victoria’s Secret’s outsourcing nations and signify the brand’s lack of ethical values.
Victoria’s Secret still only cares about looks. It may have reformed its runway show and improved outward perception, but it has yet to address its internal issues. Until it can provide true inclusivity on the runway show and in stores, treat its models right and implement an ethical production process, Victoria’s Secret cannot earn consumer trust.
opinion@thedailycougar.com
