‘It didn’t feel good’: Former Victoria’s Secret models reveal discomfort at being forced to wear provocative lingerie that was covered in TOYS so that brand could target young ‘teens and tweens’
- Many of Victoria Secret’s former employees, runway stars, and executives spoke out in the three-part show, entitled Victoria’s Secret: Angels and Demons
- Victoria’s Secret expanded its operations by opening a lingerie and apparel line specifically targeted towards younger women, called PINK, in 2002
- While PINK is aimed at ages 13 to 22, some women who modeled for the brand said they were left uncomfortable after they were put into youthful designs
- Dorothea Barth Jörgensen recalled walking in a dress made out of toys at the 2012 VS runway show, accusing the brand of targeting young kids with the outfit
- Lyndsey Scott, on the other hand, said she had to wear a top that had an enormous balloon-train behind it when she stomped the catwalk in 2009
- She claimed the show was less about selling products than it was about ‘fulfilling a fantasy,’ pointing out that the clothes she wore weren’t even sold in stores
Former Victoria’s Secret models recalled being forced to wear provocative, yet child-like lingerie adorned with toys and balloons during an explosive new Hulu docu-series, which exposed much of the underwear company’s dark past.
Many of Victoria Secret’s former employees, runway stars, and executives spoke out in the three-part show, entitled Victoria’s Secret: Angels and Demons – which premiered on the streaming site on July 14 – with some admitting that they were left uncomfortable after they were put into youthful designs while modeling bras and underwear on the catwalk.
Victoria’s Secret – which was launched in 1977 by Roy and Gaye Raymond and later sold to Leslie Wexner in 1982 – expanded its operations by opening a lingerie and apparel line specifically targeted towards younger women, called PINK, in 2002.
While PINK is aimed at ladies aged 13 to 22, some women who previously modeled for the brand slammed the company for putting them in child-like items while walking on the runway.
Former Victoria’s Secret models recalled being forced to wear provocative, yet child-like lingerie adorned with toys and balloons during an explosive new Hulu docu-series
Many of Victoria Secret’s former runway stars admitted that they were left uncomfortable after they were put into youthful designs while modeling bras and underwear on the catwalk
Victoria’s Secret expanded its operations by opening a lingerie and apparel line specifically targeted towards younger women, called PINK, in 2002
Swedish model Dorothea Barth Jörgensen, now 31, recalled donning a red bra, blue pair of undies, and a bunch of children’s toys combined to make a skirt, while she strutted her stuff in the 2012 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show.
She stomped the runway as Justin Bieber performed next to her, and the model accused the brand of targeting young kids through the performance.
‘I had this dress with toy things [all] around and the whole set was pretty much based on toys,’ she said in the documentary.
‘My sister’s children were so excited that I’d be going on the runway with Justin Bieber. They were so obsessed with him and they were like 10 and 12 at the time so I think definitely they hit the target.’
Another model, named Lyndsey Scott, now 37, also walked in the show years earlier – back in 2009 – and she remembered wearing a top that had an enormous balloon-train behind it.
She claimed the runway show was less about selling its products than it was about ‘fulfilling a fantasy,’ pointing out that the clothes she wore weren’t even sold in stores.
‘I was wearing balloons. They were not clothes, they were not sold in the stores,’ she explained.
‘It wasn’t about the clothes as much as it was about the models fulfilling this idea of this fantasy that Victoria’s Secret wanted to fulfill.’
She added: ‘I realize there were a lot of bad people who allowed bad things to happen.’
After its launch, Victoria’s Secret quickly grew into one of the biggest lingerie companies in the world.
Numerous well-known models posed for the brand over the years – including Tyra Banks, Gisele Bündchen, Miranda Kerr, Karlie Kloss, Barbara Palvin, Lily Aldridge, Candice Swanepoel, Doutzen Kroes, and Alessandra Ambrosio, among others.
Numerous well-known models posed for the brand over the years – including Lily Aldridge, Candice Swanepoel, Doutzen Kroes, and Alessandra Ambrosio (pictured)
Heidi Klum walked in the show many times, and according to wing designer Martin Izquierdo, she wanted to ensure that all eyes were on her when she made her way down the catwalk
He revealed in the doc that she requested that she ‘always have the biggest wings,’ with her props measuring as high as 10-12 feet on one occasion
The brand marketed its models to the public as ‘angels,’ and it eventually launched its annual runway show in 1995, which showed the women walking down the catwalk with literal wings on their back.
The show became so popular throughout the 2000s that it saw a slew of famous performers, including Bieber, Taylor Swift, Harry Styles, and Ed Sheeran, and it was even broadcasted on national television – up until 2018 when it was canceled.
Heidi Klum walked in the show many times, and according to wing designer Martin Izquierdo, she wanted to ensure that all eyes were on her when she made her way down the catwalk.
He revealed in the doc that she requested that she ‘always have the biggest wings,’ with her props measuring as high as 10-12 feet on one occasion.
One past employee, who kept her identity hidden for privacy reasons, claimed that the company’s use of idealistic women with perfect bodies often made customers feel insecure.
And when the brand started aiming products at ‘teenagers and tweens’ by releasing PINK, she said it ‘did not feel good.’
One past employee, who kept her identity hidden for privacy reasons, claimed that the company’s use of idealistic women with perfect bodies often made customers feel insecure
And when the brand started aiming products at ‘teenagers and tweens’ by releasing PINK, she said it ‘did not feel good’
Chief marketing officer Ed Razek was slammed after he stated that ‘transsexuals’ and plus-size models had no place in the VS fashion show – leading to him stepping down in 2019
One year after he left the company, the New York Times released an explosive investigative report in which many old and current employees accused Razek of sexual harassment
‘For me that’s when I felt like things were going in the wrong direction because PINK was targeted at teenagers and tweens,’ she revealed. ‘So, that did not feel good.’
The brand has been slammed over the years for its lack of inclusivity, which came to a head when chief marketing officer Ed Razek publicly stated that ‘transsexuals’ and plus-size models had no place in the Victoria’s Secret fashion shows – leading to him stepping down in 2019.
One year after he left the company, the New York Times released an explosive investigative report in which the outlet interviewed more than 30 current and former staffers from the company, many of whom accused Razek of sexual harassment.
The outlet reported that his ‘demeaning comments and inappropriate touching of women’ often left employees uncomfortable. However, he denied the allegations.
Elsewhere in the documentary, former Victoria’s Secret executive Sharleen Ernest spoke out about the misogyny she saw during her time there.
‘We were just following this bombshell, unattainable, single vision of how men see women,’ she said.
Also exposed in the doc was CEO Leslie Wexner’s bizarre relationship with millionaire pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, who oversaw his finances
Wexner (pictured) stepped down in 2020, and the company went on to have a re-branding one year later, bringing in Martin Waters as president
It launched an initiative known as the VS Collective in July 2021, in an attempt to provide a more encompassing environment for employees and customers
Also exposed in the doc was CEO Wexner’s bizarre relationship with millionaire pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, who oversaw his finances.
‘Wexner had the money that Epstein was seeking. Wexner got from Epstein the glamour and smoothness that he was seeking,’ former CEO of Victoria’s Secret Direct, Cindy Fedus-Fields, said in the Hulu show. ‘I’m not at all inferring that it was a sexual need but there was something there.’
Wexner stepped down in 2020, and the company went on to have a re-branding one year later, bringing in Martin Waters as president.
It launched an initiative known as the VS Collective in July 2021, in an attempt to provide a more encompassing environment for employees and customers.
‘The company featured in this docuseries does not reflect today’s Victoria’s Secret & Co.,’ the brand said in a statement to People magazine, regarding the new documentary.
‘When we became a stand-alone company in August 2021, we set out to regain the trust of our customers, associates and partners.
‘Today, we are proud to be a different company, with a new leadership team and mission to welcome, celebrate, and champion all women.
‘This transformation is a journey, and our work continues to become the Victoria’s Secret our customers and associates deserve – where everyone feels seen, respected, and valued.’
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