We called it: Victoria’s Secret is dead and Rihanna killed it. At least, the infamous runway show is. According to Fortune magazine, VS chief financial officer Stuart Burgdoerfer said on an earnings call that the 2019 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show will not be taking place this year at all.
The last Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show that aired on network TV took place in December 2018, where Gigi Hadid, Kendall Jenner, Leomie Anderson, and more made appearances on the catwalk.
Last May, the retailer told employees that its annual fashion show will no longer be televised. “Fashion is a business of change,” Wexner wrote in a memo to employees in May. “We must evolve and change to grow. With that in mind, we have decided to re-think the traditional Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show. Going forward we don’t believe network television is the right fit.” Wexner’s note made it sound like there was still hope for the show, beyond network television. But now, Burgdoerfer has asserted the company’s decision to end the show completely, in an effort to“evolve the messaging of [the company]”. Apparently, the company has decided to scale back on its more “extravagant marketing methods.”
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Coincidently, this announcement comes on the same day Savage x Fenty debuted its first brand ambassador, singer Normani. The “Motivation” singer performed during Rihanna’s second annual Savage x Fenty runway show (which is available exclusively on Amazon Prime Video in more than 200 countries and territories). The lingerie spectacle featured choreography, musical performances from Halsey, Migos, DJ Khaled, Fat Joe, Big Sean, A$AP Ferg, Tierra Whack, and Fabolous, with appearances from beloved supermodels. If you think this sounds like the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, except cooler, more inclusive, and through a woman's gaze, you'd be correct.
“Women should be wearing lingerie for their damn selves,” Rihanna told Vogue in her May 2018 cover story. “I can only hope to encourage confidence and strength by showing lingerie in another light. [...] I want people to wear Savage x Fenty and think, I’m a bad bitch. I want women to own their beauty.” And will they ever — especially with Normani providing all the motivation all the way.
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