The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show returns following an era of backlash

Lingerie, angel wings, and Tyra Banks can only mean one thing: The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show is back and better than ever – but is it?

A bit of history: For 25 years, the annual VS Fashion Show was one of the biggest pop culture events of the year. At its peak, the show attracted 13+ million viewers worldwide.

Victoria’s Secret’s reign came crashing down in the 2010s, however, when the company began receiving backlash for its lack of diversity in size, race, and age in its models. In 2018, an anti-LGBTQ statement from CMO Ed Razek kept the backlash coming – along with former CEO Les Wexner’s reported ties to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.

• Viewership plummeted from 9.7 million in 2013 to 3.3 million in 2018, while the brand’s market share dropped from 32% to 24% over the same period.

And thus, in 2018, the fashion show was put on hiatus – until last week’s event.

The Angels are back: In an effort to rebrand, this year's show featured diverse models and slightly more conservative and comfortable lingerie. The event had an all-female artist lineup and began with the announcement: “The women hold the reins… on the runway, it’s all about the women.”

🤔 But is it enough? While the show was seen as a step forward for the company by many, critics are questioning whether it was enough to compensate for the damage caused in years past – especially since the era of retail monoculture in the early 2000s is over.