They embodied the feathers, sequins, Barbie physique and assumed sex appeal.
In any case, in the Victoria's Secret recipe.
But criticized for the transphobic and grossophobic remarks made by one of its former directors, and the appearance of the name of Les Wexner, owner of the brand, in the Jeffrey Epstein affair, the brand has reviewed all of its management teams, and at the same time her ideal of beauty.
Farewell to the emblematic "Angels" in thongs and push-ups on the catwalk bearing the names of Taylor Hill, Bella Hadid, Gigi Hadid, Adriana Lima, Stella Maxwell, Lily Aldridge... and make way for committed women, of different shapes and ages dissimilar, more in step with the times.
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The fallen and hypersexualized Angels of Victoria's Secret give way to more committed muses
But then, what has become of the alluring (and so profitable) aura of the former Victoria's Secret muses?
It could have disappeared with the sexist and complex-providing imagery that the American label has endeavored to convey for more than twenty years.
This was also the desired idea behind the advertising repositioning of Victoria's Secret.
But that would have been reckoning without the marketed sass of Kim Kardashian, a past master in the art of irony and the second degree.
The reality TV star who earned a reputation as a
cash machine
won in part thanks to its Skims lingerie brand launched in 2018 – a period when Victoria's Secret was in the midst of controversy – has just recruited Heidi Klum, Tyra Banks, Alessandra Ambrosio and Candice Swanepoel to promote one of its underwear collections called “fits everybody” (“goes to everyone”).
These four faces marked the catwalks of the push-up empire in the label's early years, playing the card of the idealized body to the fullest.
Here they are today, becoming spokespersons for an inclusiveness that is startling.
Inclusive campaign?
With a few more years on the clock (Heidi Klum and Tyra Banks are approaching their fifties) and sometimes curves a little more Gironde than in the past (Tyra Banks has long reported on the networks of the "change" of her body), they pose again together, in flesh-colored underwear.
Obviously, under the conditions of the time, this publicity image would not have been possible.
At the time when the "Angels" paraded in bras, the aesthetics of the young "hetero-normed Barbie" of Victoria's Secret remained tenacious.
If the web welcomes the idea of the multi-card star (which borders on opportunism, and that's what pleases), it also wonders: can we really talk about inclusiveness with this campaign?
Kim Kardashian (who, let's remember, is
is launched in lingerie with its own shapes as a selling point) brandishes here the great subject of the representation of the body.
Except that the cast makes you wince: the skins are very firm, the tanned complexion, the flat stomach and the little dissimilar morphologies … On the networks, the comments denouncing the use of Photoshop retouching rain.
And argue that obviously, the normalized body perceived to be desirable has not disappeared.
Queen of Marketing and
the standardized body perceived to be desirable has not disappeared.
Queen of Marketing and
the standardized body perceived to be desirable has not disappeared.
Queen of Marketing and
no limit,
Kim Kardashian is going to answer.
We will content ourselves with these few lines of declaration disseminated in the press release announcing the launch of the campaign.
“Our underwear is such a game-changer and has been our best-selling line since we launched.
They stretch to twice their size and are so comfortable they hug your body perfectly to fit just about everyone.
I'm thrilled to celebrate these women alongside a collection that our customers love."
