On December 2nd, everyone’s favorite angels were getting set to walk the runway for the company’s annual Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show.
According to CBS New York, the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show had its first launch back in 1995 featuring Stephanie Seymour. It took place in the Plaza Hotel in New York City. Back then, the show wasn’t broadcast on television, but by 1999 the show was an Internet web cast sensation. During Super Bowl XXXIII, viewers were treated to a glimpse of this webcast featuring top models such as Tyra Banks, Giselle Bunchen, Kristy Hume, Jaime King, Heidi Klum and Adriana Lima. Every year a selected Angel is chosen to wear the “Fantasy Bra”. This bra is priced between one and ten million dollars. In 2000, Giselle Bunchen landed her spot on the Guinness World Records by wearing the “Red Hot Fantasy Bra” that was priced at fifteen million. This piece of lingerie was the most expensive in history. According to E!, Adriana Lima and Alessandra Ambrosio will be strutting their this year stuff walking together each wearing one of the two Fantasy Bras featured during the show.
By 2001, ABC took on the show and aired it for the first time with a spin. Now the angels would be walking down the runway alongside musical artists. In the past, the company has had A-listers such as Justin Timberlake, Maroon 5, Seal, Bruno Mars, Fall Out Boy and this year’s performer, Taylor Swift (her second appearance).
It’s hard to believe that a man was the one who created this lingerie empire. That’s correct ladies, according to Slate.com, who went in-depth to find the history of the company. It all started with a Stanford man named Roy Raymond. In the 70’s, Raymond wanted to buy lingerie for his wife, but always felt embarrassed to go into a department store and pick something out. Instead he made a brave move by starting a company of his own. The company was targeted towards men. His goal was to make a more comfortable space for men to shop. He then barrowed $40,000 from the bank, then another $40,000 from his in-laws and started a high-end lingerie store which he called Victoria’s Secret. The name was inspired by the Victorian era; Raymond wanted to evoke the propriety and respectability that came with the era. In his first year with the company, Raymond made about $500,000. He next started a catalog and opened three more stores. After five years, Raymond sold the company to Leslie Wexner. Wexner then turned the focus of the company towards women. Two years later the company’s net worth dramatically grew to $500,000,000 and became the company that we all know and love today.