The Fenty Effect?: Fans Suspect That Savage x Fenty's Success Caused Victoria's Secret To Cancel Their Annual Fashion Show
The Victoria’s Secret brand has had a hell of a year. After a drop in viewership last year, the lingerie brand has announced the cancellation of their annual winter show. And the internet has some thoughts.
Victoria’s Secret has been a staple in lingerie for quite some time now. Every year they put on a television broadcast fashion show featuring tall, slim, predominately white models in lingerie and intricately designed wings, selling the fantasy of the “perfect woman.” But, as many of us know, there is no true definition of the perfect woman, and lingerie is for everyone -- whether you’re a size 2 or a size 12. The Victoria’s Secret brand's whole marketing seems to continue this long and antiquated notion that women need to look a certain way in order to please men.
ICYMI: Former top executive of Victoria’s Secret Ed Razek gave a controversial interview with Vogue that made it pretty clear the brand has a picture they're trying to sell. And apparently diversity and inclusion isn’t it. Razek claimed they wouldn’t include transgender or plus-size models “because the show is a fantasy. It’s a 42-minute entertainment special.”
Welp, tell him to call up Rihanna, because her highly entertaining Savage X Fenty NYFW show, which was broadcast for the first time this year, includes every type of woman, from a pregnant Slick Woods to transgender actress Laverne Cox.
Buzzfeed reports that the brand is now saying buh-bye to the show that many believe promotes unrealistic beauty standards. According to Stuart Burgdoerfer, the CFO of Victoria’s Secret’s parent company, L Brands, this cancellation is a way for the company to find a better way to advertise to their customers.
"As communicated previously, we think it's important to evolve the marketing of Victoria's Secret -- that is happening in certain respects now, and I think there will be more to come. If that continues to get evaluated, again, we believe the most important thing is the quality of the merchandise itself."
While many people are more than happy to see the show go and are praising inclusive brands such as Aerie and Savage X Fenty, others are actually disappointed to see the show go, as they see it as a highly anticipated event. Either way, the internet is definitely torn.
Is the Victoria's Secret show outdated, or does it deserve another chance? Let us know what you think!
