Victoria’s Secret’s history demonstrates how the male gaze has shaped branding for female consumers, often to the detriment of the brand’s long-term success. Founded in 1977 by Roy Raymond, Victoria’s Secret was created to make lingerie shopping more comfortable for men. The brand’s early aesthetic, inspired by Victorian-era sophistication, was less about women’s needs and more about presenting lingerie as a gift from a man to his partner. This male-centric perspective persisted even after Les Wexner acquired the company in 1982 and shifted marketing toward women, as the brand’s image remained rooted in an unattainable fantasy—one designed primarily to appeal to men.
The peak of Victoria’s Secret’s success in the 1990s and early 2000s was largely due to its ability to market this male-defined fantasy through high-profile campaigns, celebrity endorsements, and the annual Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show. This spectacle, introduced in 1995 and broadcast on television from 1999, featured supermodels—or “Angels”—walking the runway in elaborate lingerie and wings, reinforcing a singular, hypersexualized vision of femininity. At its height, Victoria’s Secret controlled nearly a third of the U.S. lingerie market, but as cultural attitudes shifted toward inclusivity and self-empowerment, the brand’s shortcomings became apparent.
One of the most significant criticisms Victoria’s Secret faced was its failure to embrace diversity. Former chief marketing officer Ed Razek explicitly stated in 2018 that plus-size and transgender models did not fit the “fantasy” the brand was selling. This exclusionary mindset alienated many consumers, especially as competitors like Savage X Fenty and Aerie embraced body positivity and diverse representation. Additionally, the brand faced backlash for cultural appropriation in its fashion shows, with designs incorporating Native American headdresses and other culturally significant symbols without proper context or respect.
Beyond its public image, Victoria’s Secret’s corporate culture also reflected deeper issues. Under Wexner’s leadership, the company was plagued by allegations of fostering a misogynistic workplace, and Wexner’s ties to Jeffrey Epstein further damaged its reputation during the #MeToo movement. These controversies, coupled with declining sales, led to the cancellation of the iconic fashion show in 2019 and a desperate need for reinvention.
The decline of Victoria’s Secret highlights a broader issue: when men create brands for female audiences without understanding their evolving needs and values, they often fail in the long run. For decades, the company relied on a singular, outdated definition of beauty and sexuality dictated by male executives. However, modern consumers, particularly women, now seek authenticity, comfort, and empowerment over unattainable ideals. The brand’s recent attempts at rebranding—including the introduction of the VS Collective and a more inclusive approach to marketing—suggest an effort to correct past mistakes, but these changes may be too little, too late. With brands like Savage X Fenty redefining the industry, Victoria’s Secret now struggles to remain relevant in an era where women create their own standards of beauty, rather than having them imposed by male-driven marketing strategies.
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