The lives of Victoria Secret Angels have always been under heavy scrutiny and it goes way past the whole “starving models so they look good” craze. The Hulu original, “Victoria's Secret: Angels and Demons'', uncovers more of the unknown truth and dirty secrets behind the whole operation. Victoria’s Secret was known as the underworld of fashion, Jeffrey Epstein and a great multitude of billionaires were revealed to be intertwined with the fall of this iconic brand. The brand lives on, but the iconic runway walk of the angels has died out.
The most known Victoria’s Secret Angel is Adriana Lima, who served as an angel for 18 years and has accumulated a net worth of $95 million. She was not only the second-highest paid VS angel, but she’s also the second-highest earning model in the world. Her personal reason for wanting to quit VS runways, besides the controversy of Jeffrey Epstein, is the negative effects it had on positive and inclusive body images.
Even big name models, such as Bella Hadid, have sat down and commented on the increased backlash and criticism Victoria Secret was receiving. Victoria’s Secret launched a campaign in October of 2022 called “Undefinable”, which is where they got the attention of certain big named models and got their opinions on the brand's controversy; Bella Hadid commented “I was taught that being sexy was about your body. The way that your boobs looked in a push-up bra.”
In more present times, the modeling industry is trying, as a whole, to strive for an increase in body positivity. Aerie, a brand that has risen to recent popularity, has worked to incorporate models of all body types in attempts to promote self love. Aerie’s chief creative officer, Jen Foyle, told Forbes that the brand is “anti-supermodel”, which was seen as major shade to Victoria Secret’s iconic Angels. Even though most girls looked up to the models, especially after they got to see their personality behind the scenes, I’m sure they would much rather not see the models be controlled by an overpowering, misogynistic man. Personally, I would love for the VS Angels to return on a runway in future years, but under better circumstances.
Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons