Victoria's Secret Chief Executive Jan Singer to Step Down

I guess Victoria's Secret is having problems, big problems.

At Quartz, "Victoria’s Secret’s CEO exits in the latest blow to the once-dominant lingerie brand":

Victoria’s Secret’s CEO exits in the latest blow to the once-dominant lingerie brand https://t.co/VG2Ix38MHI

— Quartz (@qz) November 14, 2018

The CEO of the lingerie giant Victoria’s Secret, Jan Singer, will leave her role at the company, owned by L Brands, after only two years, Bloomberg reports—the latest blow to a brand that has fallen far from the days when it held a near-monopoly on the bra market (pdf).

Singer, the former head of Spanx, was responsible for VS’s $4 billion lingerie business, which has taken a massive downturn in the past several years. And her departure—just a week after VS’s annual extravaganza of a fashion show got withering reviews—is only the latest sign of the company’s decline.

Most recently, a tone-deaf interview with the architects of the annual ogle-fest in Vogue last week served to showcase just how out of touch the brand has become. Edward Razek, chief marketing officer of L Brands, was roundly criticized on social media for his comments, many of which were defensive explanations for the show’s lack of diversity. Razek’s remarks about casting transgender models (referring to them as “transsexuals,” an antiquated phrase regarded as a slur) was especially crude:

“Shouldn’t you have transsexuals in the show? No. No, I don’t think we should,” Razek is quoted as saying. “Well, why not? Because the show is a fantasy. It’s a 42-minute entertainment special. That’s what it is.”

Razek later issued a meek apology via Victoria’s Secret Twitter account. But his message was clear: Transgender models—alongside any woman who doesn’t fit the brand’s narrow definition of bombshell beauty—does not belong in the “fantasy” that he and the show’s co-curator, VS executive Monica Mitro, want the brand to represent.

In his suggestion that the brand’s sex-kittenish aesthetic is working, the marketing chief seems to be indulging in his own fantasy, and missing a crucial fact: Victoria’s Secret is failing. As new, body-positive women’s underwear brands eat its lunch, investors have continued to abandon its parent company, L Brands, causing its stock to swan-dive—72% over three years and 43% in 2018 alone...

And everybody's hatin' on the VS fashion show, it turns out, moaning about how "out of touch the brand still is."

Right.

Mandatory intercourse with transsexuals coming soon. (*Eye roll.*)

Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 2009

Some clips from last night's (totally hot) Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. Note especially the first one at top, which features the phenomental Marisa Miller steaming down the runway in the Harlequin Fantasy Bra, estimated to be worth at least $3 million:

Recall my earlier entries, with Marisa Miller pics and links to Victoria Secret's own videos, "Marisa Miller at Victoria's Secret Fashion Show!

The fasion show was also a contest for the newest "Runway Angel." Kylie Bisutti, featured at bottom, took the prize. Ms. Kylie's a California Girl, from Simi Valley:

See also, the Los Angeles Times, "'Victoria's Secret Fashion Show' Runway," and the Orange County Register, "Photos: Fantasy Lingerie at Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show."

P.S. Fergie of Black Eyed Peas was looking hot, right up there in the sexy-licious mix!

Woman Denied the Right to Breastfeed in Victoria's Secret Store

Because nursing an infant goes against the luscious hottie look of Adriana Lima, Alessandra Ambrosio (who's a mother herself), and Candice Swanepoel?

I love VS, but this is ridiculous, at the Blaze, "THE SHOCKING THING A VICTORIA’S SECRET EMPLOYEE TOLD A MOTHER WHO WAS TRYING TO BREASTFEED HER BABY":

An Austin, Texas, mom said she felt humiliated when, after spending $150 at a Victoria’s Secret store, she was told by an employee she couldn’t breastfeed her son in a fitting room but could, however, do so in the alley instead.

Ashley Clawson told KTBC-TV she asked the employee Monday if she might be able to use a private dressing room to nurse her 4-month-old and considers the refusal a violation of Texas law.

“[She] said ‘no, you cannot nurse your son in our fitting room, but you can go outside to the alley and nurse him there. No one usually goes there,’” Clawson recounted of the incident to the news station.

Clawson didn’t end up taking the Victoria’s Secret employee up on her alley offer.

Afterward, she said she called her husband and, when she got home, took to social media.

“I have to blast Victoria’s Secret at the Domain for telling me I wasn’t aloud [sic] to nurse my very hungry, fussy son in their fitting room after I spent a fair amount in their store. She actually told me to go outside and walk down an alley where no one ‘usually’ goes and nurse him. Seriously?!? Lost a customer for sure,” Clawson wrote on Facebook.

There's video at the link.

They should fire the employee, issue an apology, and give the women a year's supply of lingerie. We'll see...

Lily Aldridge Wears the Victoria's Secret Fantasy Bra 2015 (VIDEO)

The 2015 fashion show is December 8th.

At the Los Angeles Times, "Lily Aldridge reveals $2-million Victoria's Secret Fantasy Bra":

Talk about over-the-top underpinnings. Victoria’s Secret model Lily Aldridge revealed this year’s $2-million Fireworks Fantasy Bra at the company’s Third Street Promenade store in Santa Monica this week.

Crafted by the 125-year-old Geneva-based luxury jeweler Mouawad, the bejeweled brassiere, inspired by Victoria’s Secret's new Very Sexy Flirt demi bra, is encrusted with more than 6,500 precious stones, including diamonds, blue topaz, yellow sapphires and pink quartz, set in 18-karat gold, with a red garnet and blue topaz centerpiece. The bra comes with an equally spectacular coordinating belt that can be worn over any panty. Weighing in at a total of 1,300 carats, the set took nearly 700 hours to make.

In 1996, Claudia Schiffer debuted the very first, and least expensive, $1-million Fantasy Bra, while Gisele Bundchen modeled the most pricey version in 2000 — a $15-million satin bra embellished with more than 1,300 diamonds and rubies — so the 2015 design falls on the lower end of the price spectrum, historically speaking...

More at London's Daily Mail, "Ready for the catwalk! Lily Aldridge dazzles in stunning behind the scenes images from her Victoria's Secret Fantasy Bra shoot."

Victoria's Secret Angel Boot Camp!

A little break from anti-jihad blogging for readers!

From Entertainment Tonight, "Victoria's Secret Angel Boot Camp: ET's V.I.P. Tour!":

Have you ever wanted to know what it would really be like to live with 10 gorgeous models in an uber-swank Manhattan penthouse? ET's got your exclusive tour of the Victoria's Secret Angel Boot Camp!

ET links to Victoria's Secret's Fashion Show home page, which includes fabulous pictures of the lovely Heidi Klum:

Hey, Marisa Miller's a lingerie hottie too! Click here for that -- and come to think of it, I'll have my own Marisa update later. I love it!

Also, check out the CBS promotional page, "Victoria's Secret Fashion Show - Models, Videos, Photos."

Casting the Victoria's Secret Show

At New York Times, "Angels in Stripper Heels":

Although it is doubtless the dream of untold numbers of hopefuls to be discovered at a Victoria’s Secret open call some day — their beauty so radiant that they rise above the ranks of ordinary flesh-and-blood humans and appear as dazzling supernovas in underwear and stripper heels — the truth is that those destined to be cast in the coveted role of a Victoria’s Secret angel are not drawn from the general population. There is no democracy in angel land.

“We cast 30 models, but 10 times that many are sent to us by the agencies to be considered,” Edward Razek, the chief marketing officer for the Limited Brand, the parent company of the lingerie powerhouse, said last week before a casting session for this year’s Victoria’s Secret show, which will be televised on Nov. 30 to 11 million people in 185 countries, but will be taped before a more modest crowd in New York on Nov. 10.

“And 100 times that many would want to,” Mr. Razek said. “That’s why I hate castings, because I’m basically a softy and I hate the broken hearts and I hate saying no.”

And from last year, "Marisa Miller at Victoria's Secret Fashion Show!":

Jenny Erikson A-Okay With Victoria Secret for 'Tween' Girls

The Internet is a big place and as much as you think you're on top of it, you're not. I'm reminded of this cold, hard fact with the story of "mommy blogger" Jenny Erikson, who I met a few years back when Robert Stacy McCain was in town for the Rose Bowl.

See Jenny's piece at Cafe Stir, "Victoria's Secret's New Teen Lingerie Is Something All Moms Should Be Happy About."

I guess that caused a backlash, because she's been on ABC News a number of times since that was published last month, as recently as yesterday morning, during Good Morning America. Here's an earlier segment of her interview:

And here's some of the online responses, "Outrage Grows Over Mom’s ‘Victoria’s Secret’ For Young Daughter," and "Mom Blogger Inspires Wrath of Nation Advocating Victoria’s Secret for Tweens."

And more television, at Inside Edition, "Uproar Over Mom Permitting Victoria's Secret Underwear For Daughter When She Becomes a Tween."

Jenny's a tea party conservative and I think her responses are pretty hip and knowledgeable. I don't have girls so I can't make an immediate parenting connection. Let's just say I won't be buying my youngest son Maxim Magazines for a few years yet. But my oldest boy is 17 now and he's pretty much on his own when it comes to this stuff. He'll be 18 next January, so the final legal decisions on all the big sexuality stuff will be out of my hands. I think Jenny's a good mom, and super involved. If an inner-city black woman had become an Internet sensation over this we'd be seeing outcries of RAAAAACISM from the deep benches of the radical left's victimology industry.

Victoria's Secret Fashion Show Taping

At WSJ, "Show Time on Victoria's Runway"

It was hard to know where to look at the taping of Wednesday night's Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. The beautiful models scantily clad in lingerie are the obvious draw, but when they share the catwalk with Kanye West, it gets more complicated. Add a surprise appearance by Jay-Z, with his wife, Beyoncé, slipping into the crowd to sing along, and it gets tougher still.

The annual spectacle, set to air Nov. 29 on CBS, is an elaborate marketing tool for Limited Brands, the parent company of mall-based lingerie chain Victoria's Secret. The TV special airing during the crucial holiday selling period mixes beautiful women and A-list entertainers. And every year, it becomes less about fashion and more about show—not that there's anything wrong with that.

I just like the beauties!

BONUS: A slideshow at NYT, "With Wings and Little Else: Behind Victoria's Secret Fashion Show."

Victoria's Secret Brought Its Annual Spectacular to London for First Time on Tuesday

A Wall Street Journal video, "Victoria's Secret Fashion Show Hits London."

Also at Victoria's Secret, "VS Live: Before the Fashion Show Promo":

The 2014 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show airs Tuesday, December 9 at 10/9c, on CBS, but you can get the excitement started an hour earlier by streaming our live pre-show coverage with the Angels and special guests. It all starts at 9/8C. In the meantime, watch this mash-up of some of our favorite moments from previous years.

'One Gift. A Thousand Fantasies': HOT Victoria's Secret Christmas Ad!

This is via Theo Spark, "One Gift. A Thousand Fantasies":

Plus, previously at American Power, "Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 2009," "Marisa Miller at Victoria's Secret Fashion Show!," and "Victoria's Secret Angel Boot Camp!"

Victoria's Secret Bombshell Babes Boost CBS Ratings

A wrap-up on Tuesday night's show, at Los Angeles Times, "'Victoria's Secret Fashion Show' shows ratings legs for CBS":

The models may have cavorted on the runway in little wisps of things, but the ratings were fully dressed.

CBS defied the skeptics once again Tuesday night and turned "The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show" into a ratings winner.

The lingerie extravaganza stripped down before 10.3 million total viewers, up 15% compared with last year's show, according to Nielsen.

Among the adults aged 18 to 49 demographic coveted by advertisers, "Victoria's Secret" climbed a big 35%.

Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show 2017

At London's Daily Mail, "Fallen Angel! Ming Xi bursts into tears backstage after taking a tumble during the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in Shanghai."

Also, "Making moves after The Weeknd! Bella Hadid puts on flirtatious display with singer Miguel during Victoria's Secret show in Shanghai...after that run-in with her ex at last year's catwalk," and "Ravishing in red! Bella Hadid flaunts her ample cleavage as she matches Taylor Hill and Sara Sampaio in crimson dresses at Victoria's Secret Fashion Show viewing party."

Plus, "Bra-vo! Candice Swanepoel teams lingerie with sheer sequinned pantsuit as she reunites with VS Angels for fashion show viewing party."

Erin Heatherton Quit Victoria's Secret Fashion Show After Being Told to Lose Weight

My goodness, the woman's a dream goddess, and she was dissed by Victoria's Secret? And that's after being one of their top angels for years.

At Stuff NZ, "Victoria's Secret Angel Erin Heatherton was 'told to lose weight' for show."

And at the Sun UK, "Model Erin Heatherton leaves contract with Victoria’s Secret after being told she had to lose weight."

Who told Erin Heatherton that she had to “lose weight”? https://t.co/cRSFZ89P52 pic.twitter.com/rda8UqSOhz

— VOGUE.CO.UK (@BritishVogue) April 9, 2016

Marisa Miller at Victoria's Secret Fashion Show!

Well, my good friend Kathy at Hummers and Cigarettes gave me a little ribbing for my recent post on Denise Milani. But I doubt many would take issue with Marisa Miller at Victoria's Secret! Just about everyone loves a good fashion show, of course, and throw in some of the world's superest supermodels and everyone's a winner!

Marisa Miller's Victoria's Secret page is here. The screencaps are from from the hot video at the link!

The fashion show airs December 1st on CBS. Check out the promotional page, "Victoria's Secret Fashion Show - Models, Videos, Photos."

Swedish Supermodel Elsa Hosk on Becoming a Victoria's Secret Angel (VIDEO)

Looking ahead to the end-of-the-year babe-blogging bonanza from Victoria's Secret.

They go all out over there.

Watch: "Sizzling Supermodel Elsa Hosk on Becoming a Victoria’s Secret Angel."

BONUS: "Victoria's Secret stunner Elsa Hosk puckers up and embraces fellow Angel Martha Hunt at charity SoulCycle ride in NYC."

Victoria’s Secret Very Sexy Campaign (VIDEO)

The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show is less than a month away, on December 8th.

Tune in hear for all your Victoria's Secret blogging.

And watch, "Go behind the scenes with Lily Aldridge, Taylor Hill, Sara Sampaio, Behati Prinsloo and Candice Swanepoel as they shoot the Victoria’s Secret Holiday 2015 campaign."

How the 'Bralette' Trend Upended Victoria's Secret (VIDEO)

At Heat Street:

Victoria’s Secret has a problem, and it’s not much of a secret: “Athleisure” is upending the bra business.

Growth is slowing in the retailer’s core bra business, which accounts for about 35% of sales at its parent company, L Brands Inc. as shoppers seek comfort instead of flash from their undergarments. In the first quarter, the retailer said bra sales rose less than 10%, down from growth rates in the midteens in prior quarters. Shares of L Brands have tumbled 29% so far this year.

Victoria’s Secret has been aggressively marketing its “bralettes” window displays and email messages that say “no padding is sexy.”

“It’s not a sick business, but it’s not growing at the rate we want,” the company’s finance chief, Stuart Burgdoerfer, said in May. The retailer has taken steps in recent months to fix the issue. It has brought in new leadership, pared its merchandise and responded to the athleisure trend...

Well, here's hoping they make it. They've got some of the hottest babes in the business modeling their stuff.

Lily Aldridge, Candice Swanepoel Show Off Bikini Bodies at St. Bart's

At London's Daily Mail, "Lily Aldridge shows off her beautifully bronzed body in a little pink bikini for Victoria's Secret photo shoot in St. Bart's," and "All things bright AND beautiful! Bikini-clad Lily Aldridge leads the hard-to-miss Victoria's Secret Angels in neon as they show off their cheekier sides in St Barths."

Plus, "Looking heavenly! Candice Swanepoel shows off her bikini body as she poses in St Bart's for Victoria's Secret."

Adriana Lima Launches New Victoria's Secret Bra Called 'The Showstopper'

It's getting into the Victoria's Secret modeling season.

See Celebuzz, "Adriana Lima Models Showstopper Bra for Victoria’s Secret (PHOTOS)."

Erin Heatherton Victoria's Secret

We're coming into the fall fashion season, and I'll have loads of Victoria's Secret blogging. No word yet on a date, but I'm seeing giveaway announcements for "a Chance to Win a trip to the 2011 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show." I'll keep updating. As someone said last year, these are the most beautiful women in the world:

All the better for Rule 5 blogging, which I love, especially since it pisses off the progressive ayatollahs and feminist totalitarians.