A new petition urging Victoria’s Secret to take a stand against acts of sexual harassment and violence has been signed by more than 100 models, many of whom have worked with the brand in the past.
In an open letter written by the Model Alliance and addressed to Victoria’s Secret CEO John Mehas, current and former runway stars call on the company to take a role in remedying sexual harassment, citing “numerous allegations of sexual assault, alleged rape, and sex trafficking of models and aspiring models,” as several photographers associated with the company have been accused of misconduct, plus the links between various L Brands executives—including company head Leslie Wexner—and convicted sex offender and former financier Jeffrey Epstein. (Sara Ziff, the founder of Model Alliance, has written about Epstein in the past.)
It has already been signed by Christy Turlington Burns, Doutzen Kroes, Milla Jovovich, Gemma Ward, Carolyn Murphy, Caitriona Balfe, Karen Elson, among others. Time’s Up has also co-signed.
“In the past few weeks, we have heard numerous allegations of sexual assault, alleged rape, and sex trafficking of models and aspiring models. While these allegations may not have been aimed at Victoria’s Secret directly, it is clear that your company has a crucial role to play in remedying the situation,” the letter reads. “From the headlines about L Brands CEO Leslie Wexner’s close friend and associate, Jeffrey Epstein, to the allegations of sexual misconduct by photographers Timur Emek, David Bellemere, and Greg Kadel, it is deeply disturbing that these men appear to have leveraged their working relationships with Victoria’s Secret to lure and abuse vulnerable girls.”
In the letter, the Model Alliance pointed to the position Victoria’s Secret holds in the industry and its platform as a means to combat abuses in the industry: “We are calling on Victoria’s Secret to take meaningful action to protect its talent and those who aspire to work with the company. Victoria’s Secret has the opportunity to be a leader, to use its power and influence to bring about the changes that are urgently needed in our industry. Every day, fashion brands, publishing companies, and agencies set the norms of what’s acceptable and what’s not in fashion. If Victoria’s Secret were to take a stand against these abuses and commit to meaningful change by joining the RESPECT Program, this would go a long way in helping our industry chart a new path forward.”
Just before the start of summer 2016, Victoria’s Secret shoppers said goodbye to its in-house swim line, seemingly for good. Parent company L Brands made the decision to counter slowing sales: “In order to better focus our resources on core merchandise categories, we have decided to eliminate non-core businesses, including swim, in our Victoria’s Secret lingerie business,” read a statement from the brand. Three years later Victoria’s Secret is reversing that decision.
On Monday Victoria’s Secret shared a big “secret”: It unveiled its relaunched swimwear selection on social media. The revamped assortment has much in common with the swim line shoppers may remember. The online-only collection includes colorful maillots and bikinis with cutouts and revealing fits. Prices for the new collection range from $42 to $158.
There are some new additions to the Victoria’s Secret swim lineup in its second iteration. Aside from its own in-house designs, it also carries swimwear from 15 outside vendors, including BCBGeneration, FAE, Lucky Brand, and Seafolly. The debut campaign was modeled by longtime brand models including Sara Sampaio, Elsa Hosk, and Jasmine Tookes.
The return of Victoria’s Secret swim comes after several years of weakening sales. Some of those declining numbers have been attributed to the brand’s “sexy” image. It has been criticized for casting a single body type in its campaigns and annual runway show. Meanwhile, brands that put inclusive sizing at the forefront (like Aerie or Harper Wilde) have grown.
Stuart Burgdoerfer, chief financial officer of L Brands, said customer feedback and further hits to sales following the line’s removal from stores led Victoria’s Secret back to its swim business. “We have made a very important decision and we believe a good one to reenter the swim business again, driven principally by customer feedback that we’ve received,” he said.
Given that, it’ll be interesting to see how the brand responds to customers now that the collection is live. After the launch, shoppers had mixed reactions to the collection. Many were excited to see swimsuits back on the Victoria’s Secret website but called the debut pieces “disappointing” and “expensive” on Twitter. The size range of the suits is also receiving criticism—it spans only from extra-small to large for one-pieces, bikini tops, and bottoms.
It’s not just swim that the embattled mall brand plans to revive. Peoplereports that Victoria’s Secret will also expand into eyewear and footwear later this year. Meanwhile, in-store experiences are still declining. Per WWD, Victoria’s Secret still plans to close many brick-and-mortar stores this year.
Halsey, who performed at this year’s Victoria Secret Fashion Show, called out the annual lingerie spectacle on Instagram Sunday night (December 2).
“I have adored the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show since I was young,” the “Bad at Love” singer posted as the runway special was airing on ABC. “Performing this year alongside other amazing artists and hardworking models/friends was supposed to be the best night of my year. However, after I filmed the performance, some comments were made regarding the show that I simply cannot ignore.”
Halsey is most likely referring to the controversial comments Victoria’s Secret chief marketing officer Ed Razek made about the show’s not-so-inclusive casting history. “It’s like, why doesn’t your show do this? Shouldn’t you have transsexuals in the show? No. No, I don’t think we should. Well, why not? Because the show is a fantasy,” he said.
Several transgender models took issue with Razek’s statement, including Andreja Pejic, who wrote on Instagram, “It’s really sad when you see powerful people in our industry holding such backward views and being so comfortable in expressing them on a public platform.”
Now Halsey is speaking out. “As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, I have no tolerance for a lack of inclusivity,” she wrote. “Especially not one motivated by stereotype. If you’re on my page because you watched my performance tonight, please allow me to instead direct your attention to GLSEN: An organization that offers services aimed at protecting LGBTQ+ youth. And with respect to those youth targeted by these comments in a world where they have been made to feel ‘other,’ I have made a sizable donation in their honor.”
She continued, “If you are a trans person reading this, and these comments made you feel alienated or invalidated, please know that you have allies. We stand in solidarity, and complete and total acceptance is the only ‘fantasy’ that I support.”
Wearing the Fantasy Bra is one of the highest honors for a Victoria’s Secret Angel. It’s like earning valedictorian status, or Beyoncé asking you to take out her trash: It doesn’t happen often, so, when it does, embrace the hell out of it.
Last year, Lais Ribeiro walked down the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show runway in the Champagne Nights Bra, valued at $2 million. And in 2018, the look—a bustier-and-body-chain style made with over 2,100 diamonds from Atelier Swarovski, according to Vogue—will be modeled by Swedish Angel Elsa Hosk. You might not be able to purchase is, but starting on November 29, Victoria’s Secret will be selling a crystal-embellished Dream Angels Fantasy Bra online for $250—a relative bargain, compared to the millions associated with Fantasy Bras.
As it happens, a couple of thousand diamonds is chump change compared with some of the more expensive Fantasy Bras of years past. (The 2018 bra is valued at $1 million, according to People—but a previous one was priced at $10 million.) That’s more than my life, your life, and Aaron Carter’s life! Hosk is just one of many Angels to wear the Fantasy Bra: Tyra Banks! Alessandra Ambrosio! Heidi Klum! Heidi Klum again! The Fantasy Bra Club is a who’s who of supermodels/future reality-TV show hosts. Once you’re in, you’re pretty much set. So, rest easy, Tookes: You have a long modeling career ahead of you, followed by an offer to host the 184th cycle of America’s Next Top Model. Dreams do come true.
All jokes aside, this is a big effing deal. Maybe seeing the full list of models in the Fantasy Bra Club will convince you.
1996: Claudia Schiffer
Schiffer wore the very first Fantasy Bra, which was valued at $1 million. Unfortunately, however, it didn’t appear in the fashion show. Perhaps executives were too afraid of letting a 100-carat diamond bra loose on the runway?
1997: Tyra Banks
One of the earlier fantasy bras shows more satin than diamonds, but hang tight—we’re just getting started.
1998: Daniela Pestova
Pestova’s $5,000,000 “Dream Angel Fantasy Bra” featured a dazzling display of rubies and diamonds.
1999: Heidi Klum
Klum’s first-ever Fantasy Bra was blue with silver stars, and is valued at a casual $10 million.
2000: Gisele Bündchen
PHOTO: Evan Agostini
This $15 million bra-and-panty set was the Guinness Book record holder for the most extravagant and expensive underwear ever at the time, with more than 1,300 rubies and diamonds.
2001: Heidi Klum
Klum wore a diamond-encrusted demi bra valued at the time at $12.5 million.
2002: Karolina Kurkova
This $12 million set echoed the romance of an English garden.
2003: Heidi Klum
Klum, back at it again with the multimillion-dollar bra! The style she wore in 2003 is valued at $11 million.
2004: Tyra Banks
PHOTO: Marion Curtis/StarPix/REX/Shutterstock
Banks wore the Heavenly 70 Fantasy Bra in 2004, which featured a 70-carat pear-shaped diamond embellishment—on top of the 2,900 pavé-set diamonds set throughout the 18-karat white gold. The price tag: $10 million.
2005: Gisele Bündchen
The Brazilian bombshell wore a Fantasy Bra with a 101-carat fancy-cut diamond drop hanging from the sweet bow detail at center. Like Klum’s, it was valued at $12.5 million.
2006: Karolina Kurkova
Diamond jeweler Hearts on Fire created this $6.5 million sparkler, which has more than 2,000 diamonds.
2007: Selita Ebanks:
Just a bra? No way. Ebanks’ $4.5 million lingerie set by Mouawad included a bra, thong, garter, cuff, and barrette, all coated in diamonds, rubies, emeralds, and yellow sapphires.
2008: Adriana Lima
Lima went to the next level in 2008, when she wore a $5 million style with 3,900 black-and-white diamonds (that’s 1,500 carats!) interspersed with rubies.
2009: Marissa Miller
This $3 million harlequin-inspired brassiere had 2,355 diamonds and a 16-carat heart-shaped diamond pendant at the center.
2010: Adriana Lima
Lima wore the Fantasy Bra for a second time in 2010. This $2 million one had 60 carats of diamonds in addition to blue topaz and sapphires.
2011: Miranda Kerr
The Aussie babe wore a more classic look with yellow and colorless diamonds, citrines, and aquamarines, which was then draped in strands of pearls and finished with a pearl tassel. The value? $2.5 million. Chump change.
2012: Alessandra Ambrosio
Ambrosio’s $2.5 million style was covered with amethysts, sapphires, rubies, and diamonds—not to mention, a removable 20-carat white diamond at the center.
2013: Candice Swanepoel
This baby was nicknamed “the Royal.” It has more than 4,200 stones, including rubies, diamonds, and yellow sapphires. The price tag: $10 million.
2014: Adriana Lima and Alessandra Ambrosio
Diamonds are great and all, but when you and your bud get some? Even better. Lima and Abrasion wore these gem-drenched suits valued at $2 million each.
2015: Lily Aldridge
PHOTO: Michael Stewart
This stunning bra is valued at $2 million.
2016: Jasmine Tookes
PHOTO: Pascal Le Segretain
Tookes became the third model of color to don the Victoria’s Secret Fantasy Bra—and her Bright Night style had a cool $3 million price tag.
2017: Lais Ribeiro
PHOTO: Dimitrios Kambouris
Brazilian Ribeiro modeled the Champagne Nights Fantasy Bra, which is valued at $2 million, at the 2017 show.
2018: Elsa Hosk
Swedish model Elsa Hosk will wear the Fantasy Bra at the 2018 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show—a decadent lingerie creation made with over 2,100 Atelier Swarovski diamonds. “My body was violently shaking,” she told People. “And it wasn’t because I was nervous, I was just excited. It was a cool feeling that I’ve never felt before. And it was definitely a moment that I’ll never forget.”
