I Know Victoria’s Secret
By: Ccep J. Dew
dews_ccep@yahoo.com

Ladies and gentleman, the mystery of Victoria’s Secret has been revealed: The infamous brand that caters to the needs of women everywhere who seek to be confident, comfortable, and sexy in their own skin was created by a man!

Roy Raymond of California started Victoria’s Secret because he was embarrassed to buy lingerie for his wife in large department stores where anyone looking for pots or dress slacks could see him.

In a little over 30 years, Victoria’s Secret has grown to unimaginable heights, becoming a multi-billion dollar brand that extends its services to eveningwear, casual and business attire, shoes, accessories, and perfume to name a few.

1977 Roy Raymond borrows $80,000 to open a boutique at the Stanford Shopping Center of San Francisco, California.
1977-1982 Roy Raymond begins sending out a mail-order catalog to customers and opens 3 additional boutiques in other locations.
1982 Roy Raymond sells the company to an Ohio-based company called The Limited.
1982-1993 The Limited opens Victoria’s Secret stores in retail malls across the country.
1993 Roy Raymond commits suicide.

During the 1990s Victoria’s Secret began using supermodels in advertising, which went against the usual grain of having celebrity endorsements. However, the choice proved to be beneficial as the models themselves moved into celebrity status, becoming the official Victoria’s Secret spokes models.

1995 The First Victoria’s Secret Fashion show takes place.

1999 The 4th Annual Victoria’s Secret Show is held at Times Square and viewed online for the first time. The show marks the debut of The Angels.

2000 The 5th Annual Victoria’s Secret Show is held in Cannes, France and raises $3.5 million for the Cinema Against AIDS Charity
2001 The 6th Annual Victoria’s Secret Show featuring performances by Mary J. Blige and Andre Bocelli makes its television debut on the ABC network.
2002 The 7th Annual Victoria’s Secret Show moves to the CBS network and features Destiny’s Child.
2003 The 8th Annual Victoria’s Secret Show features Sting, Mary J. Blige, and Eve.

What makes Victoria’s Secret so appealing to women (other than the gorgeous, yet affordable clothing) is the diversity of the supermodels. From fashion shows to charities, the Victoria’s Secret models are known for being as fun-loving, intelligent, and caring as they are beautiful. They range from more trim sizes such as Alessandra Ambrosio to curvier types such as Adriana Lima. Even a voluptuous, post-baby Heidi Klum appeared in one of the amazing Victoria’s Secret Fashion Shows proving once again that beauty comes in all shapes, sizes, and colors.

2004
The PINK brand is launched with a target towards college-aged women. Instead of a fashion show, The Angels do an Angels Across America Tour with stops in 4 major US cities.

2005 The fashion show features performances by Chris Botti, Ricky Martin, and Seal. Tyra Banks retires and passes the torch to newcomer Selita Ebanks. This is the first show that features clothing that is available in the catalog.

2006 The fashion show features a performance by Justin Timberlake and marks the debut of the PINK line and PINK models on the runway. The catalog is scheduled to begin being made with 10% recycled paper.
2007 The Limited sells 75% of its varying retail chains to focus on Victoria’s Secret and Bath & Body Works. The Angels receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The fashion show features the Spice Girls, Will.i.am, Seal, and Heidi Klum.

Though it started off as an idea that became a small business, Victoria’s Secret has become a staple in the fashion industry. One could only imagine what else the brand has in store….

Sources:
http://www.victoriassecret.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victoria%27s_Secret
http://www.forbes.com/media/2007/07/19/models-media-bundchen-biz-media-cz_kb_0716topmodels.html