Lingerie brands are becoming more and more diverse with not just the products but the models that they use. Starting with the products, some brands like Savage X Fenty and Nubian Skin have created ranges of simple knickers and bras but in a wide range different skin tones, so that there is a nude for every colour of skin. Many smaller brands are becoming more popular due to them being more body positive and the recent controversy with VS is making it easier for them to get recognition for their inclusivity. Names like American Eagle, which is already a well known brand, is having particular success with their underwear line called Arie. Arie has been rumoured to be one of Victoria's Secret's biggest rival as they had 13 consecutive quarters of same-store sales growth and were up 27% in 2017. Arie promotes body positivity through their Instagram and website, by using models of a large diversity, one of the faces of their brand is plus-size model Irska Lawrence, who uses her platform on Instagram to empower women to feel comfortable in their bodies. Not only plus size models but also women with disabilities and visible differences like alopecia are used to promote their products, which is sending out a positive message towards women and young girls who will grow up to be more inclusive and comfortable in their own skin, after seeing how all body types are accepted. The main problem for Victoria's Secret is the very small and strict list of characteristics needed to become a Victoria's Secret model featured in their marketing or runways, and also the recent comments made by Ed Razek, the chief marketing officer of Victoria's Secret about plus-size women not wanting to be seen on their catwalk, and transgender models not fitting in their idea of 'fantasy'. From my polls on Instagram and my survey, I found that 85% of the people I asked on the survey and 83% on Instagram thought that Victoria's Secret should include more diverse models in their show, website and Instagram. Although from looking at the participants particularly from the Instagram poll, those who voted to not have diverse models, were either boys or girls with a small body frame. I believe they would've voted no because unfortunately teenage boys are more likely to want to see skinny 'perfect' girls on their Instagram feed, due to being brought up surrounded by only size 0 models on the TV, billboards and online. As well as this, the girls with a smaller frame, similar to the body shapes of the current Victoria's Secret models, do not feel as excluded as women of a different body shape therefore don't feel as though it's needed. After Ed Razek's transphobic comments; “Shouldn’t you have transsexuals in the show? No. No, I don’t think we should. Well, why not? Because the show is a fantasy" and "We attempted to do a television special for plus-sizes [in 2000]. No one had any interest in it, still don't", transgender Instagram and Youtube star, Nikita Dragon posted a video as her dressing an angel from Victoria's Secret with the caption "Dear Victoria's Secret, you said trans women can't sell the "fantasy" so see i am as a TRANS WOMAN selling the fantasy!". After this post, almost everyone was talking about the video and the transphobic comments, which put the brand into a bad limelight. Nikita's video in fact got almost three times the views than the VS show had in 2018. Victoria's Secret's ignorance to diversity in their models and their transphobic comments has seriously hurt the brand, with views of the show falling and sales continuing to decrease. As women are becoming more empowered through body positivity being spread more in the media, they are looking to buy from brands that empower them and their bodies to make them feel more confident, which is not something VS are promoting. In order for Victoria's Secret to help themselves they need to apologise and try to reinvent their brand by becoming more diverse, otherwise sales and popularity of the brand will continue to drop.
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