Dark side of Victoria's Secret as scandal-hit runway return slammed after hiatus

The lingerie brand had its wings clipped by a slew of controversy resulting in the catwalk show being cancelled in 2019, but as the Angels make a lacklustre return, we take a look at Victoria’s controversies

Victoria’s Secret was back on the runway this week, with the lithe lingerie models strutting their stuff to mixed reviews.

The famed catwalk show, which last aired six years ago, featured famed models including sisters Bella and Gigi Hadid, Leonardo DiCaprio’s beau Vittoria Ceretti and plus-sized siren Ashley Graham, among others. However, fans slammed the paired-back production as both ‘boring’ and lacklustre.

But this was never the problem with the American brand’s catwalk show which began in 1995 - and has featured big names such as Adriana Lima, Heidi Klum, Naomi Campbell and Cara Delevingne. The once revered show, which supermodels trained for like it was the fashion Olympics, was always a dazzling spectacle of glitz and glamour, with ethereal-like beauties- known as Angels - strutting down the runway with wings on their backs.

But in recent years the show's wings were clipped by controversy and a dated view of the beauty ideal, to the point that it was cancelled in November 2019. But what happened, and what are Victoria’s dark secrets?

Victoria's Secret shocked the fashion world with the cancellation of its iconic fashion show, just as the brand found itself embroiled in a series of high-profile scandals. The decision came on the heels of mounting backlash against the lingerie giant and its controversial leadership.

In 2018, then-chief marketing officer Ed Razek sparked outrage after telling Vogue that he didn’t believe "transsexuals" should be included in the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. His reasoning? “Why not? Because the show is a fantasy. It’s a 42-minute entertainment special. That’s what it is.” The comments were met with intense criticism, forcing Razek to say sorry, and admit his words were “insensitive.”

Razek attempted to walk back on his statements, claiming, “To be clear, we absolutely would cast a transgender model for the show... And like many others, they didn’t make it ... But it was never about gender.” Despite his apology, the damage was done. Razek stepped down in August 2019, the same month Victoria's Secret made history by hiring its first openly transgender model, Valentina Sampaio.

But for many this was too little too late, and was the final straw in the perception of a brand that was perpetuating one type of beauty - thin, tall and perfectly proportioned models. Viewing figures for the brand’s 2018 fashion show slumped to an all time low as a result of the comments, which were only matched by slow sales performances and shop closures.

Adding to the brand's troubles, Les Wexner, the former CEO of parent company L Brands, faced his own controversy. Wexner stepped down in 2021 amid scrutiny over his long-standing ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, who died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial for federal sex trafficking charges. Wexner, who met Epstein in the mid-1980s, expressed regret for the association. “Being taken advantage of by someone who is ... so depraved is something I’m embarrassed I’m even close to. We are all betrayed by friends” he said in 2019.

In July 2019, L Brands called Epstein's alleged crimes "abhorrent" and claimed the company had cut ties with him over a decade ago. They insisted Epstein “was never employed by nor served as an authorised representative of the company” and hired outside counsel to review the situation.

And the negative press didn’t stop there. Behind the dazzling lights of Victoria’s Secret’s runway shows, a shocking culture of bullying, misogyny, and harassment festered for years, according to a bombshell 2020 investigation by The New York Times. Over 30 insiders—including current and former employees, models, and executives—revealed an environment where intimidation and harassment were rampant. Accusations of mistreatment were aimed at top executives, creating a toxic atmosphere that tainted the brand's image.

The situation was covered in HULU documentary Victoria’s Secret: Angels and Demons and Razek was also implicated. One model accused him of touching her crotch, and it was also claimed that in a 2018 fitting, he told Bella Hadid to “lose the panties” and called her breasts “titties”. That year more than 100 models signed a letter to Victoria’s Secret demanding that CEO John Mehas take “meaningful action” to prevent abuse.

Razek vehemently denied the allegations, telling the New York Times: “The accusations in this reporting are categorically untrue, misconstrued or taken out of context. I’ve been fortunate to work with countless, world-class models and gifted professionals and take great pride in the mutual respect we have for each other.”

In response, L Brands said it was "intensely focused" on improving the culture and leadership strategies noting that it had "made significant strides." Victoria’s Secret split from the parent company in 2021, and have been making efforts to become more inclusive. But it remains to be seen if, now all the secrets are out, a generation of women can forgive the beleaguered brand.

In a 2023 statement, Victoria's Secret addressed their new direction, saying: "We’ve centred ourselves around what our customer wants and needs – making sure that they are proud to shop at Victoria’s Secret. We have moved from promoting an exclusionary view of what’s sexy, to celebrating all women throughout every phase of their lives."