6 Revelations From Victoria's Secret: Angels and Demons
The 6 Most Shocking Revelations from "Victoria's Secret: Angels and Demons"
6
By 2018, profit and stock margins for L Brands were extremely low, and many factors contributed to Victoria's Secret's falling out of touch with its audience. The brand was built on the in-person shopping experience at its lush pink, white, and lacy storefronts, but the death of the American mall and the rise of online shopping allowed customers to look elsewhere for their lingerie. Victoria's Secret tried tapping social media influencers as brand advertisers to increase its profitability, according to the docuseries, but that backfired when the influencers had more control over what they said online about the brand than they thought. Even the creation of other brands, like American Eagle's Aerie and Rihanna's Savage, added more possibilities to the lingerie world with increased diversity in its models and anti-retouching campaigns for its photography.
When news surrounding Harvey Weinstein's sexual assault allegations hit the mainstream and the #MeToo movement began, the purpose of the Victoria's Secret Angels, the fashion show, and the brand's own history of not addressing issues with sexual assault and harassment claims came front and centre.
In an effort to rebrand, Victoria's Secret removed the Angels from their marketing and officially cancelled the fashion show that same year. Wexner and Razek resigned in 2020, and L Brands cut its number of brands by more than half in 2021.
Now known as the VS Collective with a board of female ambassadors like Naomi Osaka and Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Victoria's Secret is taking steps to address its past mistakes and become a better brand for female advocacy and body positivity. On Instagram, posted the day "Victoria's Secret: Angels and Demons" debuted on Hulu, the brand wrote, "Today, we are proud to be a different company, with a new leadership team and mission to welcome, celebrate, and champion all women. This transformation is a journey, and our work continues to become the Victoria's Secret our customers and associates deserve — where everyone feels seen, respected, and valued. We look forward to continuing to earn your trust and are grateful you're on this journey with us."