Victoria’s Secret Debuts Diverse Campaign Including Its 1st Down Syndrome Model
A year ago, shoppers would be hard-pressed to believe that Victoria’s Secret would ever be a role model of inclusivity. Then, in July, the lingerie label put down its angel wings and overturned its brand direction, this time committing to uplift women from all walks of life.
The new Victoria’s Secret image is evident in its latest marketing effort for Love Cloud, a range of bras and panties designed to provide cloud-like comfort. A cast of 18 diverse women bring this campaign to life as the company looks to start “welcoming and celebrating all women.”
The collection carries sizes 32A through 40DDD and XS through XXL, and to showcase the size-inclusive pieces, Victoria’s Secret enlisted women of various shapes and sizes to model them.
Image via Victoria’s Secret / PR Newswire
Among those pictured in the visuals are accessory designer Sylvia Buckler, who was heavily pregnant during the shoot; set medic and pilates expert Jailyn Matthews; plus-size model Devyn Garcia, Nez Perce Tribe-Wildland firefighter Celilo Miles; disabled model Miriam Blanco; Sports Illustrated’s first transgender model Valentina Sampaio; pro-age model and graphic designer MaryAnn Elizabeth; and Sofía Jirau, a model with Down syndrome.
The women are joined by familiar faces including Hailey Bieber, Adut Akech, and Paloma Elsesser.
The body-positive campaign contradicts the infamous words of former chief marketing officer Ed Razek, who proclaimed back in 2018 that the company would not recruit transgender or plus-size models because its fashion show was “a fantasy.” This message would be to the downfall of the brand, which had struggled to appeal to educated consumers in the coming years.
“Love Cloud Collection is a major moment in the brand’s evolution,” announces Victoria’s Secret’s head creative director Raúl Martinez. “From the cast of incredible women that bring the collection to life, to the incredible inclusive spirit on set, this campaign is an important part of the new Victoria’s Secret standard we are creating.”
"One day I dreamed of it, I worked on it, and today it is a dream come true,” shares Jirau in an Instagram caption translated by NBC News. Jirau is now the first model with Down syndrome to be cast by Victoria’s Secret.
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[via Good Morning America and NBC News, images via various sources]
