Victoria's Secret
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Victoria's Secret is a retail marketer of women's clothing and beauty products, but is most recognizable as a marketer of lingerie. Victoria's Secret had sales of more than US$ 2.4 billion through their 900 retail stores in the United States in 2005.[1] The company's name is a reference to Queen Victoria.
All stores of Limited Brands are corporately owned. Victoria's Secret products are also available through the catalog business, Victoria's Secret Direct, with sales of approximately US$870 million. The company gained notoriety in the 1990s after it began to use supermodel in their advertising and fashion shows; prominent supermodels featured by Victoria's Secret include Alessandra Ambrosio, Tyra Banks, Ana Beatriz Barros, Gisele Bündchen, Naomi Campbell, Laetitia Casta, Selita Ebanks, Isabeli Fontana, Izabel Goulart, Eva Herzigova, Bar Refaeli, Adriana Lima, Karolína Kurková, Oluchi Onweagba, Petra Němcová, Frederique van der Wal, Heidi Klum, Oluchi Onweagba, Daniela Pestova, Veronica Varekova, Lindsay Frimodt, Tricia Helfer, Marisa Miller and Fernanda Tavares. Many other models appear in the catalog that appear as part of campaigns. The Victoria's Secret Angels are the spokesmodels for Victoria's Secret. Past Angels include Tyra Banks and Stephanie Seymour, Banks made her final runway walk on Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 2005 which marks the end of her modeling career. Current Victoria's Secret Angels include Selita Ebanks, Adriana Lima, Gisele Bundchen, Izabel Goulart, Heidi Klum, Alessandra Ambrosio, and Karolina Kurkova.
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[edit] Fashion show
The company made history in 1999 with the first web broadcast of the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show which drew 1.5 million viewers, with many others unable to view the show. The fashion show was advertised on the Super Bowl. The show is generally held in the New York Armory on Lexington Avenue, and attracts hundreds of celebrities and entertainers and with special performer on the show every year. In 2004, the show was cancelled after a wardrobe malfunction caused Justin Timberlake to bare Janet Jackson's breast on the Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show broadcast by CBS. In the past, most of the clothing exhibited was not available to the general public, but in 2005 the show was specifically redesigned to feature clothing available to the general public through the catalogue.
[edit] Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 2006
The 2006 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show featured 27 models including Alessandra Ambrósio, Ana Beatriz Barros, Gisele Bündchen, Jeisa Chiminazzo, Elise Crombez, Morgane Dubled, Selita Ebanks, Izabel Goulart, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley , Miranda Kerr, Doutzen Kroes, Karolina Kurkova, Adriana Lima, Angela Lindvall, Heather Marks, Andi Muise, Ajuma Nasenyana, Flavia de Oliveira, Oluchi Onweagba, Natasha Poly, Katja Shchekina, Hana Soukupova, Jessica Stam, Julia Stegner, Caroline Trentini, Caroline Winberg, Raquel Zimmermann and included a performance by Justin Timberlake, a special appearance by Heidi Klum, and was taped on November 16th at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood. It was later televised on CBS on December 5th, 2006 at 10 PM EST, 9 CST.
[edit] PINK Victoria's Secret
In July, 2004, company executives launched Pink (Victoria's Secret) , a lineup of loungewear, sleepwear, and intimate apparel geared towards college undergraduates. [2] Alessandra Ambrosio was named the line's spokesperson. Pink models tour the country at college campuses. The company markets to youth through MySpace, partnerships with MTV, and youth-oriented blogs. In 2006, Ashlee Simpson was named as the spokesmodel for Pink, making it the first time that a non-fashion model is a spokesperson of any VS brand. The first PINK store has been opened in San Francisco. Two more have opened since in November 2006 in Riverchase Galleria Mall in Birmingham, AL and another in Detroit, MI.
[edit] Semi-Annual Sale
The sale occurring twice a year at Victoria's Secret and Victoria's Secret Beauty offers the cheapest prices of the season, offering a plethora of deals. The first sale of 2007 will begin on January 3rd.
[edit] La Senza Corporation
Recently, Canadian lingerie retailer giant La Senza was purchased by Limited Brands. No plans to merge, or alter the brands are planned. The company has said that it has no plans to open Victoria's Secret stores in Canada, or in any of the countries that La Senza currently operates. It will continue to run La Senza, Silk and Satin, and La Senza Girl under their original names.
