Last month we heard about Victoria Secret’s big rebrand. They assembled a group of impressive women who made up the new VS Collective. The Collective is going to, “create revolutionary product collections, compelling and inspiring content, new internal associate programs and rally support for causes vital to women.” Other than a Juneteenth post, I haven’t seen a huge shift in their IG page, but I think they’ve been slowly changing their image over the last year so maybe the rollout slowly began before the announcement. The point is, Victoria’s Secret is trying to change. And one of the original Angels, Heidi Klum, is happy to hear it. While saying she loved her time as a model for the brand, mostly because of the friendships she formed, Heidi said the company has needed to change for a while.
The OG Angel! Heidi Klum, who was a Victoria’s Secret Angel from 1999 to 2010, is speaking out about the lingerie company’s rebrand, VS Collective.
The relaunch, which was announced in June, claims to usher in a “new era” for the brand. It features “an ever-growing group of accomplished women who share a common passion to drive positive change,” including actress Priyanka Chopra and soccer star Megan Rapinoe.
“About time, is all I can say. About time,” the 48-year-old model said to The Sunday Project on July 11. “As a model, you go there, you are happy to have a job. When you are not the company, you do what you are told. But finally, looking at this now, I’m like, about time.”
Victoria’s Secret, which will also be launching The Victoria’s Secret Global Fund for Women’s Cancers to “fund innovative research projects aimed at progressing treatments and cures for women’s cancers,” previously canceled the official fashion show and the Angel title in 2019.
While Klum recognizes that the agency has been taking steps in the right direction, she also acknowledges that the speed at which they’re changing is on the slower side.
“Good. You know, because things do need to change. They have been changing. It’s been taking too long,” she said to the Australian outlet.
The star, who has passed her love for modeling onto daughter 17-year-old daughter Leni, also told Body + Soul that she’s “excited that they’re [Victoria’s Secret] understanding there are so many different people out there who want beautiful things to wear.”
She’s thrilled to see the change, but she admits that she “always loved the brand” during her run as an Angel.
I’m with Heidi in that I am happy to see Victoria Secret’s evolve. I grew up with the catalogue supposedly being inspiration for what I wanted to look like. It was, don’t get me wrong, but I knew not to look at it on my bad days or I’d feel worse. I simply couldn’t hold myself to those standards. But I liked the product. I thought it was pretty and bought things for special occasions. There are a lot of companies out there doing it better now, however, so VS has to keep up with the times. As Kaiser pointed out in her write up, VS’s issues went so far below the surface, an image overhaul was their only hope at survival. It would be nice to see people who look like me, but it would also be nice to see some stuff that looks nice on people like me. Like, shake it up a bit for us non-model types, don’t just give us size zero lingerie in larger sizes.
As for Heidi, I think she means it. It’s hard to look at someone who could still model the old VS ideal on the runway and hear her as an advocate, but it’s always better to have a famous voice in our corner than not. I think watching her 17-year-old daughter entering the modeling fray might have Heidi scared. She knows how harsh the industry is and maybe she’d like Leni to be able to live a freer life than she did. And she’s not saying the company is irredeemable, Heidi’s glad they’re adopting change. So, there’s hope for Victoria and her Secret yet. Can’t wait until we see this big overhaul, though, because Heidi’s right about one thing, it’s a little, “on the slower side” for sure.
Photo credit: Avalon Red, Instagram and Getty Images
Will they stop using prisoners to make their products or will they keep using modern slave labor? I think I’ll pass on the rebrand, there are so many other options and I don’t want to wear an underwire bra ever again. Ever AGAIN!
VS has really lost it’s brand power. And, memory fails me so Celebitches may clear it up for me, but wasn’t VS mixed up somehow with Epstein?
And I am with ya, no more underwire bras, no more stockings, no more heels and no more PAIN to look good. Now let’s see how long I last.
lol, same- I always talk a big game and then wear something massively uncomfortable to look good
I believe so. Ties between Epstein and Les Wexner of Limited Brands.
Yes, there are links. It was in the Netflix doc about Epstein, Filthy Rich.
Yeah Epstein was Wexner’s wealth manager I believe. I’m interested to see this web unravel- I went to Ohio State and half the campus is named after this man at this point.
I’m with you on underwire bras, do you know of any great brands of bras for underwire free yet with good support and form? I’m always looking to upgrade the girls support.
I’m getting Charo vibes from the header picture. VS has been dead to me for years. I can’t imagine shopping there for anything.
Neither have I. I stopped buying their products 20+ years ago. The quality is crap and the prices are ridiculous. Plus the entire messaging was you had to thin, tall and model like. And some of their leisure wear was as ugly as ugly could get. I could never see myself wearing sparkled messaging on the butt of my pants or any other place.
Forget the models, the stuff is poor quality that falls apart. I have not bought anything from them in 15 years.
Absolutely. Their bras are uncomfortable and they fall apart within months, no matter how well you care for them.
I would love for VS and other chain brands to expand their size ranges if the aim is inclusivity. I stumbled on the “Bra that Fits” Reddit and realized that my size is actually a 28C and chains have been putting me in ill-fitting 32Bs and 34As that always made me feel bad because they seemed too big/lose. Having a proper fitting bra is good for self-esteem.
THIS.
Yes! That ABraThatFits subreddit on reddit made me realize I’m a *G* cup, and I pressed myself into B and C cups with a very big bands. It’s crazy to think now I ever fit into a B.
Turns out by constantly wearing too small cups you are pushing your natural breast tissue basically under your armpits and into your sides. Only by wearing a big enough cup and doing the ‘swoop and scoop’ method (as you surely learned just like me) you will make your breast tissue migrate back where it belongs. Into your cup.
Love the swoop and scoop. The big bands always made me feel like I was flat chested and actually I’m not, they just don’t offer bras that fit me and instead sold me “boob hats.”
I love some of the VS Pink/athletic wear especially the sports bras. I also use to love the VS swim wear still have a few suits from them that are in great shape. They are more affordable then some other brands where I live.
My hope would that they become more inclusive in sizing, I find VS clothing to be really small and tight. I’m a small/medium in most clothing but at VS I’m a M/L depending on the item.
I have heard some companies have changed their sizing so that what was a US 10 is now 8. Supposedly we women feel better buying smaller sizes and thus changing the sizing. I am no fool, I have seen the fluctuation in sizing. Designer sizes are WAY small. Always depressing to shop at a Nordstrom Rack or Off the Fifth. But it is what it is.
Google “Victoria Secret Karen”…. I promise you it’ll trigger more interesting debates than anything Heidi Klum has said or done in the last 15 years.
Forgive me if I don’t believe a word coming out of Heidi’s mouth considering her show Germany’s Next Top Model has had a huge part in perpetuating unrealistic body standards and diet culture for I don’t know how many years. I don’t want to say I hate her because hate is a strong word, but ugh I cannot stand her.
So a rebrand is probably good considering the links to Epstein. VS top guy was one of Epstein’s 3? Hedge fund clients. And involved in the Russian backed “modeling” agencies that are a front for human trafficking
Who wants to support those people? I will shop elsewhere. Shoots I would rather make Rihanna richer, I like her better.
TOO little way to late. These types of companies couldn’t make a real bra to save their life. It takes skill to make a comfortable bras above a C cup.