(New York) La marque de lingerie américaine Victoria’s Secret a annoncé mercredi le retour à l’automne de son défilé annuel, supprimé en 2019 sur fond de ventes en berne et de baisse d’audience pour cet évènement auquel participaient certains des mannequins les plus en vue.
C’est par une vidéo postée sur Instagram que le groupe annonce : « Le défilé est de retour à l’automne », sans donner de précision sur la date, le lieu, ni les mannequins attendus.
« Nous avons lu les commentaires et nous vous avons entendus. Le défilé Victoria’s Secret revient et illustrera ce que nous sommes aujourd’hui, plus tout ce que vous connaissez et adorez – le glamour, le podium, les ailes, le spectacle musical, et davantage », a ajouté le groupe, faisant référence aux « anges » –, surnom de ses mannequins, qui défilaient avec des ailes géantes dans le dos.
Le groupe a affirmé que ce défilé « offrira à nos clients exactement ce qu’ils demandaient […] with a modern and powerful lens reflecting who we are today.”
“We are delighted to share an event this fall from this iconic brand, guided by women,” he noted.
He announced in November 2019 the cancellation of this show, deemed sexist and out of step with the #metoo movement, the last edition of which dates back to 2018.
This parade, created in 1995, was followed around the world by millions of viewers, but their number had dwindled over the years. In 2014, it attracted 9 million Americans to their screens; there were only 3.3 million in 2018.
Famous models like Gisele Bündchen, Heidi Klum, Adriana Lima, Cara Delevingne and Naomi Campbell have paraded for the brand and being part of the “angels” guaranteed the models a certain celebrity.
Taylor Swift, Kanye West, Rihanna and Bruno Mars have performed during fashion shows.
The brand was owned by the L Brands group, which split to create two independent companies.
Victoria’s Secret & Co – which brings together the eponymous brand, Pink, the label aimed at young women and Victoria’s Secret Beauty beauty products – debuted on the New York Stock Exchange on August 3, 2021.
The brand had also suffered from being associated with the case of New York financier Jeffrey Epstein, who committed suicide in prison in August 2019 after being charged with multiple sexual assaults on minors over many years.
Epstein was long close to Leslie Wexner, boss of L Brands who helped introduce him to the jet-set world and the Victoria’s Secret fashion shows.
In 2023, Victoria’s Secret achieved sales of $6.12 billion, down 2.6% year-on-year, and net profit of $181 million, compared to $173 million a year earlier.
At the end of the year, the group had more than 1,300 stores around the world.