Victoria's Secret has had glaring problems for years. The heritage lingerie brand has been publicly criticized for its lack of body inclusivity, lack of zeitgeist and allegedly abusive behavior towards its models.

While the fashion industry grappled with body positivity, transgender rights and the MeToo movement, the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show was put on hiatus for six years. But in recent years, the brand has taken a step back and appeared to listen to the criticism. Now Victoria's Secret has had a makeover.

The brand's most eye-catching night returned on Tuesday with a show streamed on Prime Video, with musicians including Thai star Lisa opening the act, South African pop star Tyla and the ageless Cher taking the stage. The lingerie brand of yesteryear is fighting to stay current to “reflect who we are today,” the company said.

Why is the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show back and what has actually changed? Salon answers all your burning questions about the lingerie brand's controversies:

What controversies have plagued the brand before?

Despite the change that now defines the brand, it has weathered serious controversies within leadership and brand culture that have seeped into the zeitgeist.

Hulu's documentary “Victoria's Secret: Angels and Demons” highlighted a number of troubling internal issues, including parent company L Brands' CEO and founder Leslie Wexner's close relationship with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Epstein became Wexner's top financial advisor. Epstein even received Wexner's power of attorney for all of his financial and legal affairs.

This led to the alleged exploitation of Wexner's possessions and wealth so that Epstein could abuse young girls. He pretended to be a Victoria's Secret recruiter to attract young models. Wexner was informed of his behavior and the documentation states that no action was taken because the abuse continued for years.

Aside from the legal sensitivity of the Epstein case, the brand's lack of inclusiveness when it comes to transgender and plus-size models has been an alarming issue for customers and fashion show viewers. In an interview with Vogue in 2018, former chief marketing officer and architect of the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, Ed Razek, said: “If you ask whether we have thought about putting a transgender model in the show or whether we have “We thought about showing a plus-size model.” Model in the show we have.

He doubled down and said, “Why doesn't your show do this?” Shouldn't transsexuals be on the show? No. No, I don't think we should. Well, why not? Because the show is a fantasy.

Razek later apologized for his statement and resigned that same year. However, the New York Times published one
Exposé in 2020 alleging the company's “culture of misogyny.” Razek's alleged treatment of the brand's models was also highlighted. The report claimed that models and employees complained of inappropriate behavior, including attempts to kiss models and touch models' crotch.

Razek said the allegations were “categorically untrue, misconstrued or taken out of context” and the company said it was “committed to continuous improvement and full accountability.”

Even the brand's models have pushed back on its toxic marketing and messaging, particularly for its “Perfect Body” campaign. This 2014 campaign featured 10 skinny models, several with visible ribs. The ad said, “A body for every body,” ABC News reported.

Not long after the heavily criticized campaign, one of the brand's most famous models, Karlie Kloss, left the company because she “didn't feel like it was an image that really reflected who I am and what kind of message I want to convey.” “Send what it means to be beautiful to young women around the world.”

Another model, Robyn Lawley, also led the push to boycott the brand, saying Victoria's Secret tells women “only one type of body” is beautiful, Forbes reported.

Years later, what has changed at Victoria's Secret?

Faced with declining viewership, rival brands like Rihanna's SavageXFenty put inclusivity at the forefront of their brand, pushing Victoria's Secret out of the game.

The brand said it had moved, through sheer cultural force, to “stop telling its customers what is sexy and how they should look, and instead support consumers at every stage of their lives.”

Shortly before Razek's resignation in 2019, the brand hired its first trans model: Valentina Sampaio. Shortly thereafter, the company also hired its first plus-size model, Ali Tate Cutler, and then canceled its fashion show. Wexner then officially left L Brands in 2021, which ultimately opened the door for further changes within the company.

Teen Vogue reported that the company began selling maternity bras for the first time. A new campaign was also launched, featuring women of all body types from various professions, including tennis stars Naomi Osaka, Sampaio and plus-size model Paloma Elsesser. The company's stores also began displaying curvy mannequins nationwide.

“It's a change led by an entirely new board of directors made up of seven people, six of whom are women,” author Marilyn La Jeunesse wrote for Teen Vogue.

At the 2024 fashion show, the company still highlighted some of the brand's slimmer and most popular supermodels, with Gigi and Bella Hadid opening and closing the show. Even legend Adriana Lima returned to adorn some angel wings. But they've at least implemented some of the promised changes and celebrated plus-size models Ashley Green and Elsesser.

The show also featured Tyra Banks, the brand's first signed and cataloged Black model. Banks' voice opened the show as she boasted, “A brand new Victoria's Secret fashion show where women take the reins and steal the spotlight.”

Other celebrated models included transgender models Alex Consani, Sampaio and 90s supermodels like Kate Moss and Carla Bruni.

While the brand has strived for diversity, inclusion and body positivity, Teen Vogue co-editor Aiyana Ishmael wrote: “It's true that women were the focus of this show, even though they always have been. Removing male cast members helped soften the male gaze and any event that makes women feel good about themselves is, by and large, positive. But just because we say the words doesn't trigger actions.

Ishmael found that people online were begging for a Victoria's Secret fashion show of yesteryear that contained very damaging narratives about women's bodies. Aside from the few plus models like Green and Elsesser, she said, “The evidence is there, and aside from a few plus models (who, as mentioned, mostly fit straight sizes), the runway was overwhelmingly thin.” “