Ever since its first edition in 1995, the annual Victoria’s Secret fashion show, featuring some of the most iconic supermodels and singers, has been an important event in the pop culture calendar. But over the past few years, plummeting viewership and heavy criticism of its ‘sexist and outdated’ practices, has resulted in the organisers deciding to axe the runway show this year.
When posed with the question of whether the show would be held this holiday season, chief financial officer Stuart Burgdoerfer of L Brands (Victoria’s Secret’s parent company) said: “No, we’ll be communicating to customers, but nothing that I would say is similar in magnitude to the fashion show.” He added: “We think it’s important to evolve the marketing of Victoria’s Secret.”
The announcement comes after a string of controversies involving the brand. In 2018, Edward Razek, their former chief marketing officer, was criticised heavily for saying that transgender models should not be included in the show. Earlier this year, it was announced that 15 per cent of its employees would be laid off.
The show, which is said to be a highlight in the careers of supermodels like Tyra Banks, Gisele Bunchen, Naomi Campbell, Bella Hadid, Miranda Kerr and Heidi Klum, had 12 million viewers in 2001 compared to just 3.3 million last year.