A New Documentary Explores The Rise And Fall Of Victoria’s Secret
“Victoria’s Secret: Angels and Demons” reveals the troubled history of the famous lingerie brand.
Watching the Victoria’s Secret fashion show was a yearly ritual for Millennial and early Gen Z teen girls. Size double-zero supermodels with superhuman long legs would slither down the catwalk with seductive stares, wearing multimillion-dollar bejeweled bras or sixty-pound angel wings. For those not entranced by the dream girls winking and pouting and tousling their hair, the world of Victoria’s Secret was always a hellscape of unachievable beauty and disordered diets. “Victoria’s Secret: Angels and Demons,” the new Hulu documentary, strips away the glitz and the glamour to reveal a shady history.
The three-part series, directed by Matt Tyrnauer, examines the #MeToo movement in context with allegations of misogyny and a lack of diversity against Victoria’s Secret. Ed Razek, the company’s former marketing officer and fashion show wizard, gave an infamous interview during the changing climate. Razek maintained his view that Victoria’s Secret was an exclusive fantasy that could never have transgender or plus-sized models cast for the show. The runway was failing to adapt to rising demands for diversity, and Victoria’s Secret’s views and sales were taking a hit.
The lingerie company gained controversy again in 2020, when the New York Times published a breakdown of ex-CEO Leslie Wexner’s ties to sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. Martin Waters took over the company to launch an inclusive rebranding but was met again with public distaste. Victoria’s Secret finally diversified its models, but the brand’s glamour and femininity were left behind. It seemed that the industry had outgrown the once-lingerie giant.
“Victoria’s Secret: Angels and Demons” is available on Hulu.
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