Victoria’s “Plus-Size” Secret
December 19, 2019
Will there be another Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show? Well, that’s something that can only be answered in the long run.
For this year, at least, the runway, lingerie show will no longer be broadcast on network television. The reason? This world-famous annual event profits are declining. This is because organizers of the Victoria Secret Fashion Show made a decision to rethink the traditional show, which is now costing them.
Victoria’s Secret is facing a lot of criticism because the chief marketing officer, Ed Razek, is attempting to do a television special for plus sizes. Yet, no advertisers had interest in it—and apparently still don’t. However, when the audience asked about the possibility of transgender models, Razek said they don’t think they should; the show is a “fantasy”—clearly indicating that there are limits to how much they’ll gamble.
Is trying something new such a bad gamble? Many people enjoyed it the traditional format, but a bit of change won’t hurt, right? “Sometimes it’s good for some change,” asserts Taylor Malicki, 10. Fashion is a business of change and growth, and many people don’t understand that nothing stays the same forever. Companies grow and develop more content for customers.
For some, the loss of this fashion show will go unnoticed. For others, it will be the end of an era. “This is one of the things my mom and I would do together, sit in the living room and watch it together,” adds Natalie Morales, 9. “It’s sad to know this year we can’t, but I’ll look forward to the next one, hopefully” she concludes.
What’s troubling about all of this is not whether the show continues but rather whether companies who claim to support change—and the advertisers who back them—truly put their money where their mouth is.