VICTORIA'S Secret's storied fashion show has officially been cancelled following a string of negative press over recent years.
The decision was announced by L Brands, the lingerie brand's parent company, on Thursday.
Speaking on an earnings call with analysts, CFO of L Brands Stuart Burgdoerfer said the brand is moving to “evolve the messaging of [the company],” according to reports.
According to Women's Wear Daily, Burgdoerfer added: “There will be more to come as that continues to get evaluated.
“We recognize and appreciate that the communication of the brand, the offerings, the emotional content of Victoria’s Secret is obviously an important thing.
“[The show] was a very important part of the brand building of this business and was an important aspect of the brand and a remarkable marketing achievement.
“And with that said, we’re figuring out how to advance the positioning of the brand and best communicate that to customers and that’s among the things that [Victoria’s Secret chief executive officer] John [Mehas] is focused on.”
Rumors of a potential cancellation started earlier this year, following a memo sent to employees by Les Wexner, the CEO of L Brands in May.
CNBC reported that the memo said the company was “rethinking” whether television is still the “right fit” for its annual runway show.
In July, catwalk regular Shanina Shaik seemingly leaked more developments to the Daily Telegraph, too.
Shaik said: “Unfortunately the Victoria’s Secret show won’t be happening this year,” adding: “It’s something I’m not used to because every year around this time I’m training like an Angel.”
CANCELLATION IS NO SECRET
The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show launched in 1995, going on to become synonymously linked with slender supermodels – known as "angels" – such as Naomi Campbell and Gisele Bundchen.
The annual fashion show had seen a severe drop in viewership over several years.
Last year, 3.3 million people tuned in – down from 9.7 million viewers in 2013.
After ABC first broadcast the event in 2001, it moved to CBS from 2002 to 2017, only to return to ABC again last year.
That show, however – filled with the elaborate lingerie, wings and sleepwear viewers had come to expect – would prove to be the brand's last for now – though Burgdoerfer did not specify whether the cancellation is permanent or temporary.
The lingerie brand has become embroiled in a series of controversies in recent years.
Many of these frustrations have surrounded what people believe to be the brand's outdated take on beauty standards, which saw Angel Karlie Kloss quit in the name of feminism.
Last year, Victoria's Secret's former chief marketing officer, Ed Razek, told Vogue there was "no room" for plus-size models on the runway and dismissed the possibility of casting transgender models.
Reports this summer also unearthed ties between Leslie Wexner and pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
According to such reports, Epstein would use Wexner's link to Victoria's Secret to recruit young women, promising them modeling roles.
In the call Thursday, Burgdoerfer admitted that there was not much impact on short-term sales following the airing of the famed fashion show.
He said: “Did we see specific material impact in terms of a short-term sales response to the airing of the fashion show? As a general matter, the answer to that question is no.”
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