Don’t let Victoria’s Secret fool you into thinking they’re diverse
Getty Images
Let’s play a little game called “Victoria’s Secret by the Numbers.”
Last year the company earned 7.2 billion dollars in revenue. This year’s 20th annual VS runway show taped on Nov. 11. It is estimated to draw 500 million viewers in more than 150 countries when it airs in Dec. 8. It features 75 looks on 47 models on one runway. According to reports, the company requires all models to be at least 5′9, have at most a 24-inch waist and maintain less than 18 per cent body fat. Of the 10 freshly-minted 2015 “angels,” two are women of colour. It is the year 2015.
Disappointing, yes, but surprising? No. The truth is the American lingerie company has never been known for it’s relatable look. Last year when it launched the “Perfect Body” campaign, nearly 30,000 people signed a petition demanding the brand change its wording, claiming they were sending an unhealthy message of exclusivity and body shaming.
Despite being forced to change that particular slogan, the company continues to promote its infamously narrow view of what the “perfect body” and perfect woman looks like. This is a fact that is painfully evident when looking at a group shot of the ladies who donned lingerie at the show this week…not a whole lot in the way of racial diversity and almost no range in body types. For the most part the models are tall, thin, white, long-haired bombshells.
Maria Borges on the runway (Getty Images)
One exception making headlines is Angolan stunner Maria Borges, who rocked the runway sporting her natural, short curls. After two previous appearances in the coveted show wearing the usual long, straight, hair extensions, Borges decided she wanted to go au natural. And, even she was surprised Secret exec’s OKd the bold and beautiful move. She explains, “When they said ‘yes’ I didn’t expect it, but I was so happy.”
The small win for diversity has many media outlets rejoicing. But, in the year 2015, why are we still so shocked at such a minuscule amount of progress. If there were a true celebration of diverse beauty on that runway, Borges would not be such a glaring exception.
Yes, at a time in society when we are making great strides towards diversity in movies, television, and in the modelling industry, celebrating one model’s ability to stand out in a sea of skinny girls with Disney princess hair, seems a little trivial. But maybe we have to start somewhere?
Victoria’s Secret Angel Kate Grigorieva on the runway (Getty Images)
There is no doubt that the “plus-sized” industry had a booming year both in revenue and in the popularity of the models, worldwide. From the runways of New York Fashion week to the pages of Sports Illustrated, curvy girls are penetrating the world of fashion in a big way. It is astonishing, then, that Victoria’s Secret still can’t bring themselves to feature even one woman whose thighs rub together or has one dimple of cellulite; let alone a bouncing piece of flesh that isn’t breast tissue.
Truthfully, as I peruse the photos from this years coveted lingerie show, I’m left with the sense that it is simply an outdated, tired and somewhat irrelevant spectacle. In fact, its starting to kind of remind me of a beauty pageant – but honestly, even pageants have more diversity than that. The only relevant aspect of the annual show seems to be the musical acts - this year The Weeknd, Ellie Goulding and Selena Gomez took the stage to perform. Oh and getting a Kardashian sibling on board never hurt ratings, right?
The Weeknd with Victoria’s Secret’s crop of models (via Instagram)
But then again, maybe I’m the one who’s got this all wrong. As some would say, the truth is in the numbers we discussed earlier; you know like the half billion people who will apparently be tuning in to see the show, oh and the more than $7 billion in revenue. Amazing to me that a company, whose image and marketing mantra seem so archaic, does so well with a customer base of females who, for the most part, don’t look, think, act or dress anything like the women who represent them on that runway.
Instagram/tessholliday
I wonder what would happen if Victoria’s Secret decided to actually reflect the looks and sizes of the average women in North America – who, by the way, are somewhere between size 8 and size 16…a far cry from the size 0 models they exclusively have now. There are so many stunning and fabulous curvy models (Hi, Ashley Graham, Tess Holliday, Robyn Lawley and Victoria Lee!) who would slay that runway and likely add a new fan base and thusly millions of more dollars to the already rich company.
The war against body-shaming and the cry for diversity in every sense of the word will only get louder as we approach the year 2016. It remains to be seen if they plan on keeping Victoria’s “Secret” or if they plan on sharing it with the rest of us.
