Yesterday, it was announced that the trans Brazilian model Valentina Sampaio was joining Victoria’s Secret with a campaign for their athleisure line, VS Pink. The model uploaded a photo on her Instagram account with the caption “never stop dreaming,” while her manager declared it was a “great opportunity to break barriers.”
It’s all very nice, except for the fact that it’s actually not. How come? Well, the problem isn’t Sampaio herself, but the fact that it seems a very desperate move from the company when just last year VS’ chief marketing officer declared they weren’t interested in working with more diverse bodies and identities. So, why now?
It’s clear that Victoria’s Secret hold not only in the lingerie market, but also in the fashion industry and pop culture, in general, has loosened dramatically in the past few years. Their way of selling their products is outdated at a time when the objectification of women is out of the question and when diversity of all kinds (race, gender, sizes) is not only a trend, but a necessity that VS evidently doesn’t understand.
Besides the news of Sampaio being THE first transgender model in the company, they also announced the resignation of Ed Razek, the guy who said they weren’t interested in embracing other types of bodies. Of course, the decision doesn’t seem that coincidental; after all, this guy made some serious remarks in the name of the company that eventually led customers to “cancel” the brand and even to protest and ask for a massive boycott.
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Turns out, this man wasn’t only very vocal against gender diversity, but he has actually commented on how, according to him, audiences had “no interest” in seeing plus-size models on the runway. Now, the thing is this: he might be just one individual with a very stupid opinion, but he remained in a very privileged position in the company for a while, meaning that, in a way, the company supports this idea of VS being “a fantasy,” that doesn’t include other bodies and women that aren’t super tall and extremely thin.
So, again, why now? Regardless of what the company might say, this seems like a very desperate move to keep the brand relevant. When basically all industries right now are opening their doors to diversity, it seems like the safest way to secure the consumer’s love and loyalty. However, for a brand with such a polemical and complicated record, but most importantly, known for being extremely grounded to stereotypes and objectification, this decision ends up being laughable, which is a shame mainly for Valentina Sampaio, who ends up becoming a pawn in a sad game.
Photos from @valentts
