Selling Sexy: Victoria's Secret and the Unraveling of an American Icon Lauren Sherman 9781250850966

Victoria's Secret is one of the most influential, and polarising, brands to ever infiltrate the psyche of the American consumer. The company's catalog made national headlines in the '70s for its glamorisation of lingerie, which was, in the post-bra burning era, sold either by puritanical department stores or tawdry, red-light district shops. By 1984, the owners were forced to sell to Columbus retail magnate Les Wexner, who was swiftly building an empire that would shape retail as we knew it for the next 40 years. Just a decade later, Victoria's Secret was a billion-dollar brand, selling the majority of bras bought in the US. However, its ubiquity in underwear drawers couldn't compare to the influence it had on the greater culture, helping to define what it meant to look like a happy, successful - and most importantly, sexy - modern woman to a whole generation of consumers across the globe through its airbrushed advertisements, pink velvet-lined stores, and annual televised fashion show, which drew in millions of viewers each year. But as culture changed, Victoria's Secret did not change with it. Not only did the company miss out on big expansion opportunities it also refused to change its marketing as the world became less obsessed with thinness and perfection, and more keenly focused on body acceptance. Meanwhile, Wexner, the mastermind, became increasingly known for his complicated relationship with sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, whose lifestyle he funded for many years. In March 2021, with his legacy in peril, Wexner and his wife Abigail stepped down from the Victoria's Secret board as he faced investigation by the FBI. Today, Victoria's Secret is trying to rebuild its reputation - and maintain the still-significant grip it has on the consumer. Selling Sexy expertly draws from sources within the company and across the fashion industry to examine: What happens now to a brand with such a heavy history?

The story of how Victoria's Secret skyrocketed from a tiny chain of boutiques to an intimates monolith with annual sales in excess of $6 billion - all the while defining female beauty and sex standards for generations of Americans - and how the brand's grip on the industry slipped.

About the Author
Lauren Sherman has been reporting inside the fashion industry for more than 15 years. Now a special correspondent for news media venture Puck, she spent nearly a decade leading coverage for The Business of Fashion, and before that, was a staff reporter at Forbes. Along the way, she has contributed to various publications, from the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times to Fast Company, Women's Health, and The Gentlewoman. Chantal Fernandez is a freelance writer covering fashion, retail, luxury, and beauty with a focus on business and culture. Her work has appeared in The Financial Times, New York Magazine, Elle, and The Business of Fashion.


Book Information
ISBN 9781250850966
Author Lauren Sherman
Format Hardback
Page Count 320
Imprint Henry Holt & Company Inc
Publisher Henry Holt & Company Inc
Weight(grams) 300g