The annual Victoria's Secret fashion show, known for its jewel-encrusted bras and supermodels sporting angel wings, will not be held this holiday season, parent L Brands Inc said on Thursday.
The decision comes after the apparel retailer said in May the TV special was not going to be part of network television as the company evaluates its marketing strategy for the show.
The brand was once the destination for all things lingerie and has been losing customers as more women shift to cheaper bralettes and sports bras from companies like American Eagle Outfitter's Aerie and pop singer Rihanna's lingerie line, Savage X Fenty.
Television audiences for the show have slumped in the last few years. The December 2018 show, aired on Walt Disney Co's ABC network, was watched by 3.3 million Americans, compared with 12 million in 2001 when it was first broadcast.
Australian model Miranda Kerr was a feature of the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show between 2007 and 2012. Source: AP
When asked if the fashion show would be held this holiday season, chief financial officer Stuart Burgdoerfer said: "No, we'll be communicating to customers, but nothing that I would say is similar in magnitude to the fashion show."
"We think it's important to evolve the marketing of Victoria's Secret," he said on the earnings call on Thursday.
The world-famous brand's annual fashion show has been at the centre of controversy for a perceived hesitation to embrace models of all sizes and backgrounds.
In 2018, former chief marketing officer Ed Razek was subject to criticism for telling Vogue the brand would not be hiring trans or curvy models for its annual spectacular.
Former chief marketing officer Ed Razek poses for a photo with the Victoria's Secret angels. Source: Instagram/ed_razek
“Shouldn’t you have transsexuals in the show? No. No, I don’t think we should. Well, why not? Because the show is a fantasy. It’s a 42-minute entertainment special,” Razek said.
The statement was swiftly and resoundingly condemned as being out of touch, forcing Mr Razek to apologise.
“My remark regarding the inclusion of transgender models in the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show came across as insensitive. I apologize,” he said said.
“To be clear, we absolutely would cast a transgender model for the show. We’ve had transgender models come to casting… And like many others, they didn’t make it…But it was never about gender. I admire and respect their journey to embrace who they really are.”
Victoria's Secret cast 19 models of colour for its 2018 fashion show, with Winnie Harlow becoming the first model with vitiligo to walk the famed runway.
Ed Razek stepped down from his position with the company in August.
Canadian Winnie Harlow became the first model with vitiligo to feature in the fashion show. Source: Getty Images North America
