Following the announcement that Victoria’s Secret will no longer sport an iconic team of ‘Angels,’ comes news that the likes of supermodels will be replaced by seven high-profile women who are known for their accomplishments.
Read also: Victoria’s Secret says goodbye to its angels
Lean legs, Barbie-bodies, diamonds, feathers and lace have all been thrown into storage (or a bonfire – we aren’t entirely sure). Replacing the ‘Fantasy Bra’ culture, worn by South Africas very own Victoria’s Secret ‘Angel’, Candice Swanepoel, are some of the world’s most talented women.
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Megan Rapinoe, the 35-year-old pink-haired soccer star and gender equity campaigner; Eileen Gu, a 17-year-old Chinese American freestyle skier and soon-to-be Olympian; the 29-year-old biracial model and inclusivity advocate Paloma Elsesser, who was the rare size 14 woman on the cover of Vogue; and Priyanka Chopra Jonas, a 38-year-old Indian actor and tech investor are a few names amongst the mix.
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“I am excited and ready to partner with Victoria Secret as part of #TheVSCollective – women who I admire and are icons of our time. I’m looking forward to working with them to show ALL women their individual and collective beauty and power,” said Rapinoe on Instagram.
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The New York Times described the shift as the “most extreme and unabashed attempt at a brand turnaround in recent memory: an effort to redefine the version of ‘sexy’ that Victoria’s Secret represents (and sells) to the masses.”
The brand, which previously classified model, Barbra Palvin as their first ‘plus-size model’ to walk in a Victoria’s Secret show, appear to finally be considering an evolving perception of femininity, and what it looks like to be sexy: all shapes and sizes, and for the most part, not a size zero.
Barbra Palvin:
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“Now, with that kind of imagery out of step with the broader culture and Victoria’s Secret facing increased competition and internal turmoil, the company wants to become, its chief executive said, a leading global “advocate” for female empowerment,” said Sapna Maheshwari and
It certainly is a sharp, abrupt change for the historic brand (Victoria’s Secret Fashion show became one of the most-watched live television streams over the years. The annual event has featured some of the most iconic models since 1995).
Martin Waters, the former head of Victoria’s Secret’s international business who was appointed chief executive of the brand in February, said:
“When the world was changing, we were too slow to respond. We needed to stop being about what men want and to be about what women want.”
Here’s the full list of ambassadors forming #TheVSCollective:
- Valentina Sampaio: LGBTQIA+ activist, model, actor
- Priyanka Chopra Jonas: Actor, producer, entrepreneur
- Paloma Elsesser: Body advocate, community creator, model
- Megan Rapinoe: LGBTQIA+ activist, pay equity crusader, professional soccer player
- Eileen Gu: World champion free skier, youth and women’s sport advocate, model
- Amanda De Candenet: Journalist, photographer, Girlgaze founder, equality advocate
- Adut Akech: Refugee, mental wellness supporter, model
Picture: Instagram