Victoria’s Secret is trying to reinvent itself, and with the culture shift at the company the scantly-clad Angels are out, and the trailblazers, known for more than their bodies, are in.
The company announced the rebranding called VS Collective, a group of women who have been given the mission to spearhead change at the lingerie company.
We are proud to announce an exciting new partnership platform, #TheVSCollective, designed to shape the future of Victoria’s Secret. @adutakech1 @amandadecadenet @mPinoe @priyankachopra Eileen Gu, Paloma Elsesser, Valentina Sampaio https://t.co/IdYrmLWkPM pic.twitter.com/bd9QMhCz2W
— Victoria's Secret (@VictoriasSecret) June 16, 2021
The founding members of the VS Collective include:
- Adut Akech
- Amanda De Cadenet
- Eileen Gu
- Megan Rapinoe
- Paloma Elsesser
- Priyanka Chopra Jonas
- Valentina Sampaio
The women were all chosen to help change what Victoria’s secret represents and the definition of “sexy,” The New York Times reported.
Sampaio, who is a trans woman, said that of the company’s change, “As a powerful global platform, Victoria’s Secret is committed to opening these doors for trans women like me, by celebrating, uplifting, and advocating for ALL women.”
According to The Times, the company’s chief executive wants to have a platform of female empowerment.
“When the world was changing, we were too slow to respond,” chief brand executive Martin Waters said, according to Entertainment Weekly. “We needed to stop being about what men want and to be about women want.”
Journalist De Cadenet said, “I believe true change comes from the inside out and that a group of aligned people can shift culture. I welcome the opportunity to be a part of this collective of women and to utilize my creative and professional abilities to prioritize authentic representation of women and support the VS senior leadership in their mission to drive systemic change.”
The collective will share their experiences in a series of podcasts.
Not everyone agrees with the move.
Cora Harrington, who calls herself lingerie_addict on Twitter, wrote, “I don’t think this new VS Council or whatever it’s called will change Victoria’s Secret brand credibility. It might hurt the image of those associated with it though.”
I was having dinner with a friend, so my thoughts on this:
— Cora Harrington (@lingerie_addict) June 17, 2021
1) Any rebrand without a size expansion is DOA.
2) I don’t think this new VS Council or whatever it’s called will change Victoria’s secret brand credibility. It might hurt the image of those associated with it though. https://t.co/T1YQZTpwzp
The company also introduced The VS Global Fun for Women’s Cancers to help fund research for cancer treatments and cures.
For more on the new initiative, click here.
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