ByPuja Gupta

June 18, 2021 (IANSlife) Lingerie giant, Victoria's Secret, bids adieu to its angels as it welcomes on board seven women achievers for a “dramatic shift' in its image. The list includes Bollywood actress Priyanka Chopra Jonas and U.S. soccer champ Megan Rapinoe, among others. With its new initiative, ‘The VS Collective’, the brand hope to revamp itself and focus on a more inclusive campaign. 

Featuring along with Priyanka and Megan Rapinoe are South Sudanese-Australian model Adut Akech; Los Angeles-based photographer Amanda de Cadenet; Chinese skier Eileen Gu; British model and body activist Paloma Elsesser; and Brazilian model Valentina Sampaio, who made headlines in 2019 for reportedly becoming Victoria Secret's first transgender model.

With the move, the brand aims to inspire women with products, experiences and initiatives that champion them and support their journey. The initiative is designed to positively impact the lives of women, the brand says.

Speaking about her association with the brand, Priyanka said: "I can vividly remember the thrill at 16 opening a gift from Victoria's Secret given to me by my aunt. A new era always brings a sense of freedom, and the opportunity to play a part in shaping the evolution and future success of a heritage brand like Victoria's Secret is so exciting to me. As we work together to chart the path forward in a new and impactful way, I'm not only looking forward to developing future collections that are inclusive of all people, but I am most excited for new customers and for those who have always been a customer of Victoria's Secret to feel represented and like they belong."

Martin Waters, Chief Executive Officer, Victoria's Secret said in a statement: "At Victoria's Secret, we are on an incredible journey to become the world's leading advocate for women. This is a dramatic shift for our brand, and it's a shift that we embrace from our core. These new initiatives are just the beginning. We are energized and humbled by the work ahead of us."

Among the first initiatives, the founding members of The VS Collective will share their stories in a recurring podcast hosted by award-winning broadcaster, Amanda de Cadenet. Each episode will showcase the remarkable experiences and perspectives of a member of The VS Collective, as well as reveal further details of their partnership with the brand.

“We are proud to announce an exciting new partnership platform, #TheVSCollective, designed to shape the future of Victoria’s Secret. 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,” said the brand in a press statement.

Victoria's Secret has launched his initiative nearly two years after its ended the Victoria's Secret Angel title and cancelled the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in 2019 due to criticism that the brand didn't embrace models of all sizes and backgrounds on its runway.

(This article is website exclusive and cannot be reproduced without the permission of IANSlife)

Puja Gupta can be contacted at puja.g@ians.in