This week, Victoria’s Secrets announced that they were doing away with the angel wings and that they had recruited a more diverse lineup of spokeswomen — including Adut Akech and Priyanka Chopra.
Supermodel Tyra Banks is here for the shakeup.
“First is crucial so that a door can be opened for others to fit through. Within a 10 year span starting in 1995, I was the first Black Victoria’s Secret contract model ever. The first Black Victoria’s Secret cover model. The first Black VS model to do so many other groundbreaking things with the brand,” she wrote in a post on Instagram. “But after a first, must come a flow of more. A flow of different. A flow of unique. A flow so strong, a flow of so many that we LOSE COUNT.”
In 2019, Victoria’s Secret canceled its inaugural fashion show after being accused of failing to embrace models of all sizes and backgrounds on its runway.
Since then, the brand has fought to get things back on the right track.
“With The VS Collective, we are creating a platform that will build new, deeper relationships with all women. Through a series of collaborations, business partnerships and cause-related initiatives, we’re bringing new dimensions to our brand experience. In marrying our new partners’ energy, creativity and perspectives with our network and scale, we can transform how we connect with and show up for women,” Victoria’s Secret’s Chief Marketing Officer Martha Pease said in a statement via People.
“At Victoria’s Secret, we are on an incredible journey to become the world’s leading advocate for women. This is a dramatic shift for our brand, and it’s a shift that we embrace from our core. These new initiatives are just the beginning. We are energized and humbled by the work ahead of us,” the company’s CEO Martin Waters added.
