The Victoria’s Secret fashion show was back on Wednesday, and it marked a return to the brand’s more traditionally glamorous and sensual style, moving away from recent attempts at a more socially conscious image.
Many loyal customers of the lingerie brand might be surprised to discover where its name actually comes from, considering it’s always been so popular in the United States.
People have often wondered who Victoria is and what her well-known secret might be. The answer might surprise you: it’s connected to British royalty.
The brand takes its name from Queen Victoria, referencing the fact that underwear was considered a private matter during her 63 years as ruler.
Victoria’s Secret began in 1977 when Roy Raymond, an American businessman, and his wife, Gaye, found it difficult to shop for lingerie, so they decided to create their own store.
Raymond explained he didn’t enjoy shopping for underwear. He found the selection unappealing and felt the female shop assistants didn’t treat him with respect.
He told Newsweek that when he went shopping for lingerie for his wife, he found mostly unflattering options like terry-cloth robes and nylon nightgowns with unattractive floral patterns.
I always felt like the saleswomen at the department store saw me as someone who didn’t belong there.
Raymond wanted to create a different kind of lingerie shopping experience, so he opened his own store. He named it after a famous queen, hoping to capture the intimate and luxurious feel of Victorian-era dressing rooms.
He explained that he envisioned the brand and its stores as embodying Victorian elegance, with a hint of mystery and alluding to intimate women’s clothing.
Victorian women often wore many layers of undergarments, like corsets, padded shoulders, petticoats, and even loose trousers called knickerbockers. However, these items were always concealed beneath their long gowns.
This discovery led to the ‘secret’ behind the brand’s name, and it’s now valued at approximately £2 billion.
The recent runway show, broadcast live on Amazon Prime Video, marked a shift back to the show’s traditionally glamorous and alluring style. This change aims to boost sales after a period focused on social and political messaging.
For many years, the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show was a highly anticipated and glamorous event in the fashion world.
The show began in 1995 and quickly became popular, featuring many of the world’s most famous models.
By 2001, the show was televised live, and every year, millions of people watched the beautiful models walk the runway and famous performers take the stage.
After over twenty years, the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show was canceled in 2019 following significant backlash. Criticism focused on the brand’s lack of diversity in body types, especially after comments made by then-marketing chief Ed Razek regarding transgender and plus-size models.
After a six-year break, the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show returned last year with a more inclusive lineup of models, featuring plus-size and transgender women.
The recent fashion show follows an announcement from Victoria’s Secret’s new CEO that the brand will return to its traditionally glamorous and overtly sensual image, marking a shift away from its recent attempt to appeal to a wider range of social values.
As a long-time fan, I’m so thrilled to see the brand finally leaning back into what made it special! They’ve had a tough few years with sales, and honestly, last year’s show just didn’t feel like *them*. It’s amazing to see them reconnect with their iconic, confident style – it feels like a real turning point.
Hillary Super, the 53-year-old CEO who started in September 2024, acknowledged that previous leaders had let the brand lose its distinctiveness.
When I became CEO, Victoria’s Secret had a reputation for being outdated and insensitive, so we needed to address those issues, according to former CEO Martin Waters in an interview with the Wall Street Journal.
Following a 2020 New York Times report detailing widespread misogyny and harassment experienced by its employees and models, the company revised its controversial branding.
At the time, the brand was under the leadership of Leslie Wexner and Ed Razek.
Okay, so apparently, a lot of the stuff they’ve been doing lately? It’s not what *they* wanted, it’s what they felt like they *had* to do. I read that after all the drama with their old image, and all the people getting upset, they started making choices based on, like, being scared of more backlash. They totally ditched the stuff I loved – the bold, exciting stuff – and are just playing it safe now. It’s heartbreaking, honestly, to see them cave like that!
The company shifted away from its previously revealing lingerie, now offering more modest and simple clothing, with a greater emphasis on athletic wear and cozy pajamas.
Victoria’s Secret began to focus more on diversity and inclusion after facing criticism for its past problematic workplace culture.
Casey Crowe Taylor, a former PR employee for the company, shared with the Wall Street Journal that what struck her most was how deeply rooted this behavior seemed to be, especially as someone who had always valued her independence.
She explained that this mistreatment was simply dismissed and considered a normal part of life. It felt like people were being manipulated into accepting it, and if anyone spoke up or tried to change things, they faced consequences.
Razek immediately refuted the claims, stating they were either completely false or misrepresented.
He said he’s lucky to have collaborated with many incredibly talented people, and he values the respectful relationships they’ve built together.
A representative for Wexner, who had a known relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, did not respond to requests for comment.
Jeffrey Epstein reportedly told numerous Victoria’s Secret models and those hoping to become models that he was affiliated with the company, a claim that was false.
In 2019, Victoria’s Secret received criticism for both the declining quality of its products and the lack of diversity in its choice of models.
In that same year, Stuart Burgdoerfer, the CFO of Victoria’s Secret’s parent company, announced that the yearly VS Fashion Show would not take place.
The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show made a comeback in 2024, showcasing a more diverse range of models. This included plus-size models like Ashley Graham, as well as transgender and models of various ethnicities.
After Ed Razek’s departure, Victoria’s Secret hired Valentina Sampaio, a transgender model, to be the face of their new VS Pink campaign.
The show received criticism for being dull and not living up to the brand’s usual glamorous standards.
Read More
- Clash Royale Best Boss Bandit Champion decks
- RAVEN2 redeem codes and how to use them (October 2025)
- Clash Royale Furnace Evolution best decks guide
- Kingdom Rush Battles Tower Tier List
- Chaos Zero Nightmare Combatant Tier List
- Delta Force Best Settings and Sensitivity Guide
- DBZ Villains Reborn… as Crocs?! You Won’t Believe Who’s Back!
- ‘I’m Gonna Head Back And Let My Pheromones Try And Heal Her’ MGK Says His Baby Has A Fever, And The Prescription Is Definitely Not More Cowbell
- From The World of John Wick: Ballerina Star Ian McShane Reveals His Personal Backstory For Winston
- 10 Surprisingly Dark Slice-of-Life Anime That Will Shatter Your Expectations
2025-10-16 13:35