Growing up I would occasionally head into Victoria’s Secret outlets in the malls where I met up with friends, and spraying their tester perfumes on my wrists as a last-ditch effort to be presentable before meeting up with said friends. I would also tune in to the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show livestreams on YouTube. However, amidst their numerous controversies and fashion shows that only exacerbated my body image issues, Victoria’s Secret soon became a thing of the past for me. While the brand would occasionally pop up on my radar due to its many controversies, it was only when one of the HCNTU editorial members brought up the brand’s latest model – Sofia Jiaru – that the brand once again caught my attention.
Sofia Jiaru is a 24-year-old who hails from Puerto Rico. Making her debut in the modelling industry at just 16 years of age, she has modelled for many top designers. However, her big break was when she was chosen to be a model for Victoria’s Secret. In fact, when she announced it on her social media, she stated that modelling for the renown lingerie brand wass “ a dream come true.” Recruiting Sofia Jiaru as their first VS angel with down syndrome has definitely improved the brand’s reputation, especially when many of its controversies circle around the lack of inclusivity in its models.
Since the advent of its launch as well as its fashion show, Victoria’s Secret has been criticized by some for the lack of diversity in its models, be it body type, size, race, genders and more. However, the brand has only started to faced major backlash recently as society became more educated about diversity and strived to make society more inclusive. This has led to the decline of the brand as a whole and the subsequent cancellation of its fashion show. The final nail in its coffin was when the brand’s ex-chief marketing officer Ed Razek claimed that transexual models should not be part of the brand’s fantasy image (as well as his inappropriate and misogynistic actions), which further tarnished its reputation.
In a bid to seem more inclusive, Victoria’s Secret seemingly recruited their first plus-size model Ali Tate-Cutler for their collaboration with UK-based lingerie brand Bluebella. While some might see this as the brand heading towards a more inclusive cast of models, it was revealed that Bluebella and not Victoria Secret was the one to hire Ali Tate-Cutler. As such when it was announced that the brand was making a conscious effort in diversifying its models by signing on Sofia Jiaru, many rejoiced. While the company is without a doubt changing its vision and mission by onboarding Sofia Jiaru as their next model, given that the brand had multiple opportunities to do so earlier, people wondered if this move was sincere or no more than just a PR ploy to boost their less than stellar sales and reputation, especially with many boycotting the brand due to their lack of diversity.
At the end of the day, Victoria’s Secret is a business. Seeing a huge decline in its profit margins will undoubtedly push the business to shift marketing strategies. CEO Martin Waters himself credits this decline with the company’s inability to relate with the modern woman and plans to rebuild such trust. This means that the company will need to listen to the demands of its customers, which in this case is to have their products not only reflect the average woman but also that of marginalized communities as well. As such it is not wrong to presume that the recruitment of Sofia Jiaru is largely a huge PR tactic by the brand itself. However, this is not necessarily a bad thing.
Despite being on the decline in the past few years, Victoria’s Secret is still relatively well-known. Having a model who does not subscribe to the conventional standards of a “model” on a platform like Victoria’s Secret, even if the intention for the brand is mainly to boost profits, is a huge step toward allowing representation of marginalized communities and women in an industry that is known for its gatekeeping. Moreover, becoming a platform that allows for these marginalized voices to be heard will give strength and hope to those who are in the same boat to pursue their dreams and passion when they feel represented. According to Pyschology Professor Kevin Leo Yabut Nadal, representation matters as not only does it serve as an opportunity for said groups to find community support and validation, it also increases mental health and esteem of its audiences. Thus, the signing on of Sofia Jiaru as the brand’s next model can be seen as the right step towards inclusivity not just in the modelling industry but also in society as a whole.
In an article with New York Times, Victoria’s Secret noted further changes in this vision by onboarding seven women famous for their achievements in place of the classic Victoria Secret’s Angels. This includes 17 year-old Chinese American Eileen Gu, who recently gained the spotlight for winning a Gold medal in the Olympics, 29 year-old biracial model Paloma Elsesser, 39 year-old Indian actress and tech investor Priyanka Chopra Jonas among others. For now, the brand seems to be taking active steps to ensure a diverse and inclusive representation of women within their branding and one can only hope that this change is permanent.