We’ve shown you preview photos of the upcoming Victoria’s Secret Collection, and introduced you to the newest Angel, Doutzen Kroes. Now we have a video to give you! Straight from Victoria’s Secret themselves, the video features the head designer as well as Doutzen Kroes and Adriana Lima talking about (and wearing!) the Supermodel Obsessions collections. Enjoy![youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCHmm4_44aE[/youtube]
Adriana Lima
Victoria’s Secret unveils the Biofit Bra
This bra offers different padding and lift depending on your cup size. As the cup size increases, the padding decreases. The bra is offered in A-DD cups. Besides the variable padding, the Biofit bra resembles most modern t-shirt bras with sleek moulded cups and minimal stitching. As of this writing, there are generic knickers you can add to your order, but no other matching pieces. The release of the Biofit bra features VS Models Karolina Kurkova and Adriana Lima.
Other than the sexy spokespeople, the Biofit bra comes shortly after hearing that VS will be toning down their super sexy line. “Victoria’s Secret owner Limited Brands, Inc., announced in late February that its profits for fourth quarter 2007 were down 12 percent, and expected them to go lower. In addition, store chain CEO Sharon Turney was quoted by The Wall Street Journal as saying the franchise had ‘gotten off’ its heritage and that the clothing brand had become ‘too sexy.’ She said it would return to more sophisticated and less overtly seductive styles.” (Ed Thomas)
Has Victoria’s Secret risked becoming a mall equivalent of Frederick’s of Hollywood? FoH is a venerable U.S. institution, but for at least the last fifteen years, their catalog has focused on special occasion garments, costumes, and sexy outfits. In that same time period, Victoria’s Secret has grown to be the dominant retail lingerie purveyor in the U.S. Following the inevitable rules of business and markets, competitors have entered Victoria’s Secret market space. These new competitors have found specialized niches that Victoria’s Secret has not been able to address. Lane Bryant’s parent company, Charming Shoppes, has been spinning up their plus size line, Cacique. Cacique sells bras from 36C-48H. Victoria’s Secret has inconsistently offered products above cup size D, so Cacique can certainly capture this market. Chico’s has also built out their Soma Lingerie line. Soma caters to the same demographic as Chicos which is a sophisticated, slightly older woman. As Victoria’s Secret emphasizes youth, Soma can build on their Chicos success within the same demographic. The Gap has pushed into the basics market with their Gap Body stores which provide everyday intimates. American Eagle Outfitters has offered Aerie for younger girls to compete with Victoria’s Secret teen line Pink. Abercombie and Fitch are set to release their own intimates line to further compete with Pink and Aerie.
All of this competition is good for consumers as prices become more reasonable and more demographic sectors are covered.
Victoria’s Secret: Too Sexy?
Victoria’s Secret, the very popular American chain lingerie store, has been deemed “too sexy” by its top executive. Sharen Turney said on February 28 in a call with industry analysts, “We’ve so much gotten off our heritage … too sexy, and we use the word sexy a lot and really have forgotten the ultra feminine.”Victoria’s Secret was started with the idea that “Victoria” was manor-born and lived in London, so “I feel so strongly about us getting back to our heritage and really thinking in terms of ultra feminine and not just the word ‘sexy,’ and becoming much more relevant to our customer,” Turney said.
So what about the Pink! line? The bright, young prints and colors aren’t exactly reminiscent of someone living on a London manor. Turney said that the brand wants to start turning back towards a level of sophistication, by “reinventing the sleepwear business” and focusing on product quality. “Our assortment will return to an ultra feminine lingerie brand to meet her needs and expectation.”
Valentine’s Day Video
Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. You already know about our HUGE Valentine’s Day Contest on TLP. If only we could have shared that exciting news with the record 97.5 million viewers of the Super Bowl on Sunday. Well, at least Victoria’s Secret got their point across. In one of my favorite commercials of the evening, Victoria’s Secret model, Adriana Lima, simply seated in a chair holding a football, reminds the viewers that after the big game, the real games begin!See the commercial here: [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f11nIHSz7II[/youtube]
Want to see more looks for affordable Valentine’s Day lingerie? My favorite morning news show in New York, CW11, featured lingerie from Frederick’s of Hollywood for every type of woman – from the trendsetter to the party girl to the sporty.
Click here to see the video. Decided to make a purchase? Share your opinions in our forums. Happy shopping!
Twelfth Annual Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show
On November 15, the Twelfth Annual Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show was held at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood, California. The show won’t be aired until early December, but we have early photos to whet your appetite. There are a ton here – if you can believe it, this is only a small selection of the photos I had to choose from! Enjoy!