Don’t we all love seeing ourselves represented on screens?
In recent years there’s been multiple movements and efforts made by millions of women for greater body positivity and inclusivity on screen. Even with constant efforts, the media still favors the size 2, petite women with long legs — a build that only represents a small fraction of society. It seems nostalgia is a contributing factor to this lack of body inclusivity. The early 90s and 2000s loved glamorizing smaller sizes and eating disorders — both of which have trickled back into today’s culture. Now, one of the biggest perpetrators of unrealistic body images is making its return to our screens with the Victoria Secret Fashion Show.
The Victoria Secret Fashion Show took a six-year hiatus and made a glamorous return in 2024 with bigger wings, more sparkles and a mediocre attempt at inclusivity. This leaves us with the true question that stems from one of the most problematic fashion shows — is nostalgia to blame for a lack of diversity, or is the show just another reflection of a culture still obsessed with thinness and beauty?
While it was absolutely a beautiful show filled with gorgeous looks, over-the-top wings and appearances by many of the beloved angels, this should not overshadow the fact that it only offered a handful of diverse angels. These include appearances by plus size models Ashley Graham and Devyn Gargia, along with pregnant model Jasmine Tookes, and transgender models Valentina Sampaio and Alex Consani. This was a mediocre attempt at inclusivity, and overall, Victoria’s Secret’s recent push for inclusivity feels forced after years of scandals and declining sales.
Victoria’s Secret appears to just be complying with national brand standards in attempts to make a comeback after the CEO of their parent company L Brands was caught in a massive scandal linked to Jeffrey Epstein. Les Wexner, the former CEO until 2020, had Epstein acting as an advisor who posed as a recruiter to gain access to these young, impressionable models who wanted to be the next Victoria’s Secret Angel. Less than 10 years ago the chief marketing officer of VS, Ed Razek, said the company would never cast a “plus-size” model in an interview with Vogue.
The point here is not that Victoria’s Secret attempted inclusivity or produced wonderful, breathtaking pieces — it is that as a society we are blinded by nostalgia, which allows controversial brands like VS to jump back into the spotlight and ensures old stigmas and culture are continually perpetuated today. Placing women of different sizes, shapes and colors in one campaign does not make your company inclusive. Aerie, another seller of clothes and undergarments, has been preaching inclusivity in their campaigns since 2014. Additionally, high fashion designers like Christian Siriano have been designing for women of all sizes and abilities for years, making it a pillar of his brand, not just in response to changing ways of society.
Unfortunately even under new management and working to create new, body-positive campaigns, Victoria’s Secret is still surviving primarily via nostalgia. Society is too blind to the possible effects, from eating disorders to body-image issues, that could come from allowing Victoria’s Secret to continue to produce their annual fashion shows. These productions continue to lack diversity, and the models do not align with what the average woman looks like.
Society so often allows for oversexualized and unrealistic displays of women across the media, not realizing the lasting harm it has over young girls and even women of any age. While VS may have got their wings back, it does not mean they should be able to bring back an age of body image issues and eating disorders we fought so hard to get rid of.
Sierra O’Neil is a junior marketing major who loves long walks, overpriced coffee and overanalyzing social media ads. A Pittsburgh native, she is always looking for different places to explore and companies to hire her as their new intern. Connect with Sierra by emailing her at [email protected].
