Victoria Secret is abandoning its ‘angel’ ambassadors, in a dramatic re-brand attempt

Last week, Victoria’s Secret announced a new ambassador initiative that will spearhead a major re-branding strategy.

 “This is a dramatic shift for our brand, and it’s a shift that we embrace from our core,’ said CEO Martin Waters.

This means the multi-million dollar Fantasy Bras, bedazzled wings and the annual Victoria’s Secret Angels fashion show, will be replaced by the “VS Collective,” a group of seven famous, successful women — not all of whom are (just) models. 

In the past, the company has been criticised for its models being too thin or underweight.

Angels are no longer ‘culturally relevant’

Victoria’s Secret announced it’d cancel its famous annual televised runway show indefinitely in 2019, as viewing figures fell to 3.3 million the year prior.

A spokesperson for Victoria’s Secret said that “As an entertainment brand, with a huge cultural footprint we are reimagining what a fashion show could look like for us in the future.”

Martin Waters, Victoria’s Secret chief executive told The New York Times that “right now” he did not see the Angels as being “culturally relevant”.

U.S soccer star, Megan Rapinoe, will be one of the new faces of Victoria’s Secret.

In the past, Rapinoe, an LGBTQIA+ activist, has described the brand as “patriarchal, sexist, viewing not just what it meant to be sexy but what the clothes were trying to accomplish through a male lens and through what men desired”.

“I am humbled to join this group of incredible women to drive change within the Victoria’s Secret brand and beyond,” said Rapinoe of her role in the VS Collective via a press statement.

“So often I felt myself on the outside looking in with brands in the beauty and fashion industry, and I’m thrilled to be creating a space that sees the true spectrum of ALL women.”

“These extraordinary partners, with their unique backgrounds, interests and passions, will influence and shape the future of the world’s largest and most recognizable brand for women.”

As part of the VS Collective roll-out, the women will share their stories via a podcast hosted by de Cadenet.