It could have been a lot better had I not been always racing to the finish line without an editor but THANK you for such a lovely comment. It’s very kind and very galvanizing.
Pandora, this article was brilliant! Kept me engaged my whole commute home on the bus and it brought back memories of being younger and the energy that surrounded VS... selling sexy to a young generation - I remember very rarely shopping there as a teen but when I did, it felt like the height of cool. To be honest, I have to confess, I still have my VS Pink sweatpants that my friend bought me for my 15th birthday because I desperately wanted to fit in with everyone at school... they're 17 years old now & I still wear them around the house occasionally! In retrospect now, I wish I hadn't ever been under the brands spell, so much of the 00's & 10's pop culture was dystopian in its messaging. But anyways, excellent writing and it makes me wonder what clothing brands of this era we will look back at and shudder?
As a Parsons Green resident I will defend its sexiness, peak spot being the Andrew Robson Bridge Club (left out of the tube), potential nightcap venue for future VS shows.
What irks me is why the likes of Kate (less Lila) and Ashley Graham (I know you mentioned her reasons but) are participating in these shows? As you said is it ultimately that the pay check prevails over morality? The David Beckham and Robbie docs both made me realise how truly self serving one has to be in pursuit of celebdom. Maybe I just want to hold Kate to the values I think she should hold - she has in recent years given plenty of interviews eulogising her new found spiritual and wellness journey.
This was really stellar writing, Pandora. I am originally from the states but have lived in Italy for 25 years so my VS days were only as a teen in the early 90s. This was pre-shows and obviously pre-internet— I think we saw it as a fun place for cute undies that were always on sale. I was shocked when they opened one in Florence in the 2010s (who shops there?! It’s ALWAYS empty.). Really enjoyed this deep dive, you have a great voice and style (the footnotes were ace!), thanks for sharing it.
Absolutely loved this - could be a VF deep dive, had me hooked and now downloading the podcast. My entire IG feed today is the show last night, and I’ve found it so weird - it’s like we are stuck in time, groundhogging with angel wings, pretending it’s something more than marketing (a cultural moment seems like an absolute stretch!). 🩵
Obsessed with this piece! It's so interesting to look at it all through the lens of everything else going on at the time. Also: the idea that 'being a part of a pop culture moment trumps everything else' is SO spot on! it's very 2024 energy (is virality everything?? oh god). (p.s. absolutely love the format of this essay and the footnotes - 'one for the lit girlies' obsessed)
I normally delete all the footnotes because do people really need explainers on *everything* Pandora? But maybe I shall keep them in more, pad them out to 50 minimum
Yes I am an idiot, it’s a typo! Too many model names on my brain at the same time. I’ve changed it in the post but annoyingly you will get the old version in the newsletter
Absolutely fascinating and superbly written, Pandora! Im an elder millennial so I was really swept up in the VS craze (never wore or owned any, just wanted the matching body). Now I see the brand as an ironic joke. Surely the least sexy place in London is the Shepherd’s Bush Walkabout? Does that still exist!? Petitioning for the next VS show to be held there on a Monday. Used to be £1 shots.
Excellent writing as always Pandora! I remember as a teenager being OBSESSED with the VS models, they were my favourite people to follow on Instagram and I would religiously copy their workout routines on YouTube. I was 15 and looking back I can see the only reason I followed these girls was for their bodies. I thought by seeing them every day it would somehow change my body/mindset to a place where I would be ‘strong’ enough to look like them. I find something difficult in the nuance about the Angels though, is it really their fault? If I was 19 and blessed with a body and face like theirs, I don’t think I would have said no to a VS gig yet I find they always seem to be blamed for the issues many women faced as a result of the show. Definitely will be picking up Selling Sexy after this!
Totally agree - they should not be blamed for taking a lucrative job! I’m surprised some of the established/ wealthy models *now* want to be associated with a brand which has largely flubbed out of the zeitgeist - because they have the luxury of choice/ financial ability to put their values first - but I don’t judge them. Surprised, but not appalled, are my sentiments re: last night’s big names walking.
And you know what, maybe they find the brand in its current iteration *genuinely empowering*. Some people do believe in the liberatory effect of lingerie and with a new female CEO the ethos might have totally changed.
Agreed! I can understand choosing to work with VS back in the 00’s things felt different and we maybe weren’t as aware of issues surrounding the brand/models didn’t have as much autonomy over the jobs they chose. Completely aware that for many models that’s probably still the case but for the many big names on last nights line up, surely they have total control over who they work with? Especially in today’s culture which is very focused on wokeness and cancel culture, I’m surprised so many big name models went rushing back. But agreed that maybe they do genuinely feel the brand has changed and maybe they’re right! And you know what, I hope they are! I would love to believe that the brand has become a female focused, female empowering brand but as of right now I’m not totally convinced. Hopefully I’m proved wrong!
Just to echo the others - this is a superb article and extremely well written on this subject. Please, please consider writing a follow up from the show and how it’s received by the internet/purchasing public! 👏
I first knew of VS when I went to the US for my studies. I had been in Italy the year before where I discovered Intimissimi (which I loved because it was comfortable, really nice and well-made lingerie at affordable prices) so I naively thought VS would be some sort of American equivalent. I remember walking into one of their giant shops at a mall and felt as if I was inside of a chic casino. There was a lot of polished black and white surfaces that clashed with neon bras and thongs. After having examined everything I walked out thinking "who wears any of this?" I was not yet aware of their shows, that would happen the following year I lived in the US, and then everything made sense. This was a "for-show brand", not a "things people can actually wear" brand. I remember seeing or reading an interview with Adriana Lima where she talked about everything she went through to be ready for the VS show and I thought that was too extreme and was glad I never spent any money on the brand. But at the time, for any model who wanted to make it in the US, making an appearance on that show could really launch their career, and Giselle is the living proof of that. Anyway, really enjoyed reading this piece, it's brought back some interesting memories and the thought of a VS show at Earl's Court really made me laugh as I felt the desolation that must have reigned on the day...
Intimissi is a good brand! I like their cut and price point and the way they never shoved the marketing down our throats… I wonder what share of the market they have
The last time I visited here in London I wasn’t very thrilled as they’ve changed quite a lot their style and now it’s more sophisticated as well as expensive. It’s GAP for me now 😂
This may be my favourite thing you’ve written. Fizzing with ideas and fun. Love the footnotes. Was about to say E&C roundabout is the least sexy place in London but once went to a gay after hours club night there. So think it must be Centrepoint.
as a teenager I absolutely loved the shows, so its interesting to hear your perspective as someone who actually attended one. but the older I got and the more I learnt about the business, the less interested I was in the whole brand. I dont know why they're doing the show tbh. seems like a waste of money. so many better ways to brand build and rehabilitate
Absolutely SUPERB. I would have expected to have seen something this good first published by The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, or NYT. Well done.
It could have been a lot better had I not been always racing to the finish line without an editor but THANK you for such a lovely comment. It’s very kind and very galvanizing.
Yes same! We are not worthy.
Sophie I would write sonnets just for you
Agreed - an outstanding piece Pandora!
Pandora, this article was brilliant! Kept me engaged my whole commute home on the bus and it brought back memories of being younger and the energy that surrounded VS... selling sexy to a young generation - I remember very rarely shopping there as a teen but when I did, it felt like the height of cool. To be honest, I have to confess, I still have my VS Pink sweatpants that my friend bought me for my 15th birthday because I desperately wanted to fit in with everyone at school... they're 17 years old now & I still wear them around the house occasionally! In retrospect now, I wish I hadn't ever been under the brands spell, so much of the 00's & 10's pop culture was dystopian in its messaging. But anyways, excellent writing and it makes me wonder what clothing brands of this era we will look back at and shudder?
As a Parsons Green resident I will defend its sexiness, peak spot being the Andrew Robson Bridge Club (left out of the tube), potential nightcap venue for future VS shows.
What irks me is why the likes of Kate (less Lila) and Ashley Graham (I know you mentioned her reasons but) are participating in these shows? As you said is it ultimately that the pay check prevails over morality? The David Beckham and Robbie docs both made me realise how truly self serving one has to be in pursuit of celebdom. Maybe I just want to hold Kate to the values I think she should hold - she has in recent years given plenty of interviews eulogising her new found spiritual and wellness journey.
Money, honey! What an engaging, enjoyable read P!
This was really stellar writing, Pandora. I am originally from the states but have lived in Italy for 25 years so my VS days were only as a teen in the early 90s. This was pre-shows and obviously pre-internet— I think we saw it as a fun place for cute undies that were always on sale. I was shocked when they opened one in Florence in the 2010s (who shops there?! It’s ALWAYS empty.). Really enjoyed this deep dive, you have a great voice and style (the footnotes were ace!), thanks for sharing it.
Absolutely loved this - could be a VF deep dive, had me hooked and now downloading the podcast. My entire IG feed today is the show last night, and I’ve found it so weird - it’s like we are stuck in time, groundhogging with angel wings, pretending it’s something more than marketing (a cultural moment seems like an absolute stretch!). 🩵
So well written! This had me hooked! I’ll be keen to see how the show plays out and is received.
Obsessed with this piece! It's so interesting to look at it all through the lens of everything else going on at the time. Also: the idea that 'being a part of a pop culture moment trumps everything else' is SO spot on! it's very 2024 energy (is virality everything?? oh god). (p.s. absolutely love the format of this essay and the footnotes - 'one for the lit girlies' obsessed)
I normally delete all the footnotes because do people really need explainers on *everything* Pandora? But maybe I shall keep them in more, pad them out to 50 minimum
here to raise my voice for all your future footnotes 🎈
Hahaha thank you - you will be pleased to know there are a fair amount on the two newsletters since this one. I will aim to continue them!
Hi! I love your substack. One note - in the last image I think that's Paloma Elsesser and not Ashley Graham.
Yes I am an idiot, it’s a typo! Too many model names on my brain at the same time. I’ve changed it in the post but annoyingly you will get the old version in the newsletter
I have little interest in fashion or the modelling industry but this story held my attention right to the end. Superb.
That’s a lovely thing to say! Thank you
Absolutely fascinating and superbly written, Pandora! Im an elder millennial so I was really swept up in the VS craze (never wore or owned any, just wanted the matching body). Now I see the brand as an ironic joke. Surely the least sexy place in London is the Shepherd’s Bush Walkabout? Does that still exist!? Petitioning for the next VS show to be held there on a Monday. Used to be £1 shots.
Excellent writing as always Pandora! I remember as a teenager being OBSESSED with the VS models, they were my favourite people to follow on Instagram and I would religiously copy their workout routines on YouTube. I was 15 and looking back I can see the only reason I followed these girls was for their bodies. I thought by seeing them every day it would somehow change my body/mindset to a place where I would be ‘strong’ enough to look like them. I find something difficult in the nuance about the Angels though, is it really their fault? If I was 19 and blessed with a body and face like theirs, I don’t think I would have said no to a VS gig yet I find they always seem to be blamed for the issues many women faced as a result of the show. Definitely will be picking up Selling Sexy after this!
Totally agree - they should not be blamed for taking a lucrative job! I’m surprised some of the established/ wealthy models *now* want to be associated with a brand which has largely flubbed out of the zeitgeist - because they have the luxury of choice/ financial ability to put their values first - but I don’t judge them. Surprised, but not appalled, are my sentiments re: last night’s big names walking.
And you know what, maybe they find the brand in its current iteration *genuinely empowering*. Some people do believe in the liberatory effect of lingerie and with a new female CEO the ethos might have totally changed.
Agreed! I can understand choosing to work with VS back in the 00’s things felt different and we maybe weren’t as aware of issues surrounding the brand/models didn’t have as much autonomy over the jobs they chose. Completely aware that for many models that’s probably still the case but for the many big names on last nights line up, surely they have total control over who they work with? Especially in today’s culture which is very focused on wokeness and cancel culture, I’m surprised so many big name models went rushing back. But agreed that maybe they do genuinely feel the brand has changed and maybe they’re right! And you know what, I hope they are! I would love to believe that the brand has become a female focused, female empowering brand but as of right now I’m not totally convinced. Hopefully I’m proved wrong!
Just to echo the others - this is a superb article and extremely well written on this subject. Please, please consider writing a follow up from the show and how it’s received by the internet/purchasing public! 👏
Thank you - that’s so kind. I should really watch the show after all this shouldn’t I
Yes please. We need the brain that wrote this to discern what they come up with tonight!
I first knew of VS when I went to the US for my studies. I had been in Italy the year before where I discovered Intimissimi (which I loved because it was comfortable, really nice and well-made lingerie at affordable prices) so I naively thought VS would be some sort of American equivalent. I remember walking into one of their giant shops at a mall and felt as if I was inside of a chic casino. There was a lot of polished black and white surfaces that clashed with neon bras and thongs. After having examined everything I walked out thinking "who wears any of this?" I was not yet aware of their shows, that would happen the following year I lived in the US, and then everything made sense. This was a "for-show brand", not a "things people can actually wear" brand. I remember seeing or reading an interview with Adriana Lima where she talked about everything she went through to be ready for the VS show and I thought that was too extreme and was glad I never spent any money on the brand. But at the time, for any model who wanted to make it in the US, making an appearance on that show could really launch their career, and Giselle is the living proof of that. Anyway, really enjoyed reading this piece, it's brought back some interesting memories and the thought of a VS show at Earl's Court really made me laugh as I felt the desolation that must have reigned on the day...
Intimissi is a good brand! I like their cut and price point and the way they never shoved the marketing down our throats… I wonder what share of the market they have
The last time I visited here in London I wasn’t very thrilled as they’ve changed quite a lot their style and now it’s more sophisticated as well as expensive. It’s GAP for me now 😂
This may be my favourite thing you’ve written. Fizzing with ideas and fun. Love the footnotes. Was about to say E&C roundabout is the least sexy place in London but once went to a gay after hours club night there. So think it must be Centrepoint.
I feel like parsons green is not that sexy (I want the west Londoners to come for me)
as a teenager I absolutely loved the shows, so its interesting to hear your perspective as someone who actually attended one. but the older I got and the more I learnt about the business, the less interested I was in the whole brand. I dont know why they're doing the show tbh. seems like a waste of money. so many better ways to brand build and rehabilitate
STOP AGE SHAMING ME OCHUKO
I was the youngest fashion columnist they’ve ever had, like Tavi Gevinson
OMG NEVER!!!