NEW VICTORIA'S SECRET CAMPAIGN A PERFECT FIT FOR WOMEN WHO AREN'T SUPERMODELS

Victoria’s Secret seems to be moving confidently into a different, more inclusive direction, Kaitlin Reilly wrote for Yahoo! News.

An Instagram image promoting the Summer Solstice sale event featuring Dutch model Jill Kortleve, who is of Dutch, Surinamese, Indian, and Indonesian descent, shows her standing on a rock by the ocean sporting a floral pink bikini as she shields her face from the sun.

While Kortleve's image is undoubtedly stunning, this is a different kind of bikini shot for Victoria’s Secret. Kortleve is curvier and fuller than many of the recently retired Victoria’s Secret Angels, who got a lot of slack for depicting wildly unrealistic bodies to their audience, with their long torsos, even longer legs, and ultra-flat and toned stomachs.

Yet the image itself is also different in that it's not heavily edited digitally. Even Kortleve’s tattoos are on display in the image - something which the brand has rarely or has never done in the past.

While some Victoria’s Secret followers criticized the brand for doing away with tradition by using its usual roster of supermodels, many applauded the change in the comments section.

One wrote, “Omg who is the amazingly beautiful person who looks like a person I might see on a beach instead of a fashion show?! The angels are gorgeous but most of us who are not models can’t relate to how they look in VS styles compared to us!”

“Now you guys are talking!” a follower added. “Better late than never. #AllBodiesAreBeautiful.”

“Thank you for real bodies,” said another.

Another shared, “I’m loving the comeback VS is making.”

Victoria’s Secret has made major changes to its brand recently. It comes on the heels of several years of controversy, including a story about a corporate culture described as “abusive” as well as transphobic remarks made by its parent company L-Brand’s chief marketing officer Ed Razek.

Mostly, though, changing public sentiment towards inclusivity turned customers away from Victoria’s Secret. Proof included its sinking viewership numbers at its once star-studded and celebrated annual fashion show, which it retired in 2019.

Many cite the fact that the company’s formerly tried-and-true method of branding that involved thin, mostly white supermodels was suddenly compared to brands like Aerie, Third Love and Savage x Fenty, which were highlighting and elevating their lingerie on bodies that didn’t fit the traditional VS mold.

In June 2021, Victoria’s Secret swapped out its supermodel Angels for The VS Collective, writing in a statement on Instagram,

“These extraordinary partners, with their unique backgrounds, interests, and passions will collaborate with us to create revolutionary product collections, compelling and inspiring content, new internal associate programs and rally support for causes vital to women."

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