Does Victoria’s Secret decision to feature a plus-size model in new lingerie campaign with Bluebella mark a change in strategy?
Victoria’s Secret is clearly starting to listen to its critics.
The US lingerie powerhouse has announced that it will be collaborating with Bluebella to bring its collection to select Victoria’s Secret stores and online. The UK-based lingerie brand is known for its inclusive campaigns that feature a diverse selection of models.
Plus-size model Ali Tate, who will be modelling parts of the collection, celebrated the news on Instagram, saying that she believes this makes her the first US size-14 model to appear representing Victoria’s Secret.
Size 14 is actually the average size of women in America and I do think that we need to see more of it in media and fashion because most women are that size
“I’m pretty stoked to work with a brand I idolised when I was a teen. Great step in the right direction for bodies,” she said.
In an interview with E! News on October 4, Tate said that while she is not the first plus-size model to have worked with Victoria’s Secret, she is the first US size-14 model – equivalent to a UK size 16 or EU size 44 – to do so.
“Size 14 is actually the average size of women in America and I do think that we need to see more of it in media and fashion because most women are that size,” Tate told E! News.
She added: “For Victoria’s Secret, I am so excited that they decided to put a size-14 women like me on the wall. I feel like they are headed in the right direction and they are listening to their audience who have requested to see more women of diverse shapes and sizes. I think if they continue to head in that direction they will be on to a jackpot because that is reflective of what the average woman is in America.”
A spokesperson for Victoria’s Secret did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Tate confirmed via email that she was hired by Bluebella and that her future involvement with Victoria’s Secret is unknown at this point.
The decision to partner with Bluebella and feature plus-size models in its ad campaigns marks a distinct change in the strategy of Victoria’s Secret, and one that is likely to be applauded by critics who have been asking the brand to be more inclusive in its sizing and marketing for the past few years.
After a rocky 2018, Victoria’s Secret looks to be making substantial changes to keep up with its more body-inclusive rivals that have been slowly chipping away at its market share.
Earlier this year, the company announced that Barbara Palvin would become one of its newest Angels. The news was immediately celebrated because while Palvin is not a plus-size model, many Instagramers perceived her to be curvier than some of the brand’s typical models.
In August, news broke that Victoria’s Secret had hired its first transgender model.
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Ali Tate believes she will be the first US size 14 model to appear for Victoria’s Secret, as the US lingerie brand struggles to compete with more body-inclusive rivals chipping away at its market share