VICTORIAS SECRET SHOW VS SAVAGE FENTY BY RIHANNA

The Victoria’s secret fashion show took place on November 8 but the show will air on December 2 2018. Victoria’s Secret is an American designer, manufacturer, and marketer of women’s lingerie. It also manufactures women’s-wear, and beauty products. Founded in 1977. Victoria’s Secret is now the largest American retailer of women’s lingerie.

America has a racial majority of Caucasians.  Which makes sense why such a huge Women’s lingerie brand would have a majority of its models Caucasian. But, because Victoria’s secret doesn’t only cater to Americans, it makes sense to diversity their models to fit a wider demographic. In 2017 Victoria’s secret had the most diverse model cast which was inclusive of approximately 50%  none white. The  diverse  models walking in the show were Black, Asian or Hispanic. In 2018 the Victoria’s secret show has a similar racial diversity of 2017.

During the past few years, Victoria’s Secret’s competitors—including Aerie, and Rihanna’s Savage x Fenty have built their brands on messages of self-acceptance and body positivity. Endorsing a diverse casts of models, Photoshop-free campaigns, and broad size ranges. And they’ve reaped rewards in the form of sales and social media honour.

While Victoria’s Secret has made some effort to diversify their model cast in recent years, hiring the first model with Vitiligo (Winnie Harlow) and the first Filipino model (Kelsey Merritt) for the 2018 show. But, there are still several marginalized groups that are glaringly absent from the runway. I.e drag queens and transgender.

In contrast to Victoria’s Secret.

My vision for Savage X has always been inclusivity. It has always been about having women feel confident and expressing themselves through a little lace, a little corsetry, a little -Shirt Bra.” -Rihanna

Championing inclusivity and diversity, Savage Fenty runway featured women of all races and body
Sizes. Savage Fenty 2018 was a show that celebrated women and sisterhood to the fullest extent with beautiful dance performances, symbolic choreography, and a theatrical display.

Savage Fenty compared to Victoria’s Secret .

Yes, the Savage Fenty runway spectacle featured appearances by Joan Smalls and both Hadid sisters, but the casting of models went well beyond that. When Rihanna launched her Savage x Fenty brand this past Autumn, she made sure the lingerie was made for women of all body types.  Something many other fashion brands could benefit in learning from.

Plunkett Research estimates that 68 percent of American women wear a size 14 or above. The average south African woman is not 1.75 meters tall and she is not a size 6. So seeing models that don’t reflect a cultures body type and size creates body image issues.

The Importance Of Representation

Representation is the industry’s way of telling a certain group or culture or race or body type, that they recognize its existence.

Representation is the acknowledgement that people are not the same. A person’s skin color, hair type, sexuality, and/or gender identity does not make them a certain type of person. No one stereotype should be allowed to represent a group of people anymore. It is 2018 and industries need to change, Victoria’s Secret Included..

By only casting 6 foot  size 4 models Victoria’s secret seems to not recognize that lingerie is not only for the tall and skinny girls. Yes… Victoria’s secret is a fantasy – Savage Fenty on the other hand, in an age defined by inclusivity, body positivity –  models of all sizes, ages, and ethnicity are the future.