Victoria’s Secret has hired its first plus-size model, but some say it’s too late.
Victoria’s Secret may have hired its first plus-size model this month, but the lingerie giant is actually late to the game.
Tommy John is just one of many companies to use plus-size models in its marketing materials. Courtesy Last fall, Ed Razek, chief marketing officer of Victoria’s Secret’s parent company L Brands Inc., told Vogue magazine that no one had any interest in seeing plus-size or transgender models. But consumers thought otherwise. In fact, the backlash was so severe that the company hired its first transgender model, Valentina Sampaio, in August.
In response, Aerie also skipped airbrushing in its advertisements. In addition, it cast four Aerie Role Models to represent the brand: British model Iskra Lawrence, gymnast Aly Raisman, actress Yara Shahidi and singer Rachel Platten. The diverse array of models has since grown to include actress Busy Philipps, activist and actress Jameela Jamil, actress Samira Wiley, gold medal para-snowboarder Brenna Huckaby, YouTuber Molly Burke and artist and poet Cleo Wade.
The trend seems to be working for both brands. While the parent company’s stock is down more than 56 percent year-over-year, Soma’s comparable same-store sales growth jumped 10.9 percent last quarter. “It’s all about inclusivity and embracing who [the customer is] and not necessarily looking to change,” said Bob Vitale, who has served as chief executive officer of the company for more than seven years. “It’s kind of ironic in a way that there’s a lot of people getting credit for that online, maybe because it’s the thing of the moment, or they have some sort of fancy gimmick on a web site, or whatever it may be.
But she certainly wasn’t the first to do this. In fact, the brand has only been around since 2018. Rihanna, did, however, up the ante. Her fashion show included transgender cast member Laverne Cox and even models with disabilities, including models with prosthetic legs. Cofounder and co-ceo Heidi Zak pointed out that all bras — regardless of size — are the same price and that there is no “plus-size section” on the company’s web site, because she wants all shoppers to be treated the same.
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