What is Victoria’s Secret?
Victoria’s Secret (VS) is a lingerie and sleepwear brand started by Roy Raymond and his wife Gaye Raymond, in San Francisco, California, on June 12, 1977.
It was opened as a small store with the idea where men can shop lingerie for their wives without embarrassment. Earlier it was only the department stores which had a lingerie section and it was a bit embarrassing for men to assist their wives in their purchases.
Victoria’s Secret was created to overcome that awkwardness. Now it is one of the finest brands in the category. The brand in its initial stages just had lingerie in its collection. It was later when they started their sleepwear range.
In 1998 it entered the cosmetic market worth $3.5 billion. Victoria Secret also released their own line of fragrances in 1992.
It was named Victoria by Raymond after Queen Victoria to correlate it with the Victorian refinement. The latter part of the name, Secret refers to the lingerie which was hidden underneath the clothes.
Its headquarters are in Columbus, Ohio, US. There are more than a thousand stores of Victoria’s Secret across the globe with each store generating approximately 5 million U.S. dollars annually.
Victoria’s Secret Pink (stylized as PINK) a subsidiary of lingerie brands (L brands), is a lingerie line by VS targeting younger women than their main line. The target market for PINK is girls from 15 to 22 years of age.
The PINK collection includes all day sportswear, tees, hoodies and sweatshirts, joggers and sweatpants, bras and panties, leggings and jackets; though this list is not exhaustive.
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Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show
The annual fashion show happening in November or December, ahead of the holiday season is one of the greatest fashion shows attended by celebrities and entertainers.
World’s top models are selected for the show along with the company’s own models that walk down the ramp. The models are referred to as angels (Victoria’s Secret Angels).
The Angel is Victoria’s Secret (VS) mascot chosen by Mrs. Gaye Raymond, the wife of Mr. Roy Raymond.
Earlier the shows were held before the Valentine’s Day and were not aired on television. The shows started to webcast in 1999 and 2000. From 2001, the shows were aired on television on channel ABC and were moved before the Christmas holiday season instead of Valentines week. After 2001 and until 2018 the show was aired on channel CBS. For 2018, the show was again aired on channel ABC.
The Angel wings are the most unique feature of all the VS fashion shows. It was introduced in 1988 with the Angel-bra line campaign. Every year the wings get bigger and more magnificent. It is an honor to wear wings.
Adriana Lima Alessandra Ambrossio
The Angel who has worn wings the most is Adriana Lima followed by Alessandra Ambrosio. The former is a Brazilian model and actress who has been VS’s angel from 1999-2018, while the latter also being a Brazilian model and actress was chosen as the first
Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show 2018
The latest Victoria’s Secret fashion show was held on November 8,
However, this year’s Victoria’s Secret fashion show suffered a drop in its number of viewers. It has been reported by USA Today that the fashion show was watched by only 3.27 million people.
Moreover, it is being contented that VS has lost half of its television audience in the last two years. Lack of inclusivity of the LGBTQ+ community has been stated to be the cause behind the shouts of derision against the VS fashion show. Greater diversity should be welcomed in order to overcome the aforementioned shortcomings.
However, over the past 12 months, the industry has undergone a noticeable shift focusing on cultivating a more approachable and inclusive environment.
The official makeup sponsor for the event was Charlotte Tilbury, the iconic British label.
The high-profile event featuring
Elsa Hosk Fantasy Bra Swarovski Diamonds
One of the angels, Elsa Hosk, wore the Fantasy bra studded with Swarovski diamonds and topaz worth 1 million dollars.
Plenty of celebrities like Yolanda Hadid, Valentino, Kris Jenner, Whitney Port, Alexander Wang and many more, came to grace the grand show and support the angles. Rita Ora and Shawn Mendes gave heartfelt performance to the crowd.
