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Victoria's Secret is a brand that I think everyone wants to work for. The thing about
Victoria's Secret that is so exceptional is that they have developed the brand of what
they sell around the personalities of the models that represent their brand. Not everybody
does that, and so what makes Victoria's Secret special is we have fewer and fewer magazines
over the last decade that create a presence for a model where you see name and face recognition.
During the era of supermodel status, they had covers of magazines. They were on the
cover of American "Vogue". We knew their names. We knew who they were. They were personalities.
A model wasn't a blank canvas that nobody knew who she was. So, that has been distanced
from the business a little bit, and Victoria's Secret marketed themselves in the way that
creates an image for a model through the model's image also.
They allowed the models to have personalities. They wanted to see their story. They market
it through their fashion show, everything about models and the brand and what they sell,
and created a really fun brand that everybody wants to work for. So, what I hear all the
time is, "What do I have to do to be a Victoria's Secret model?"
First you have to be 18 years of age. They work with women. You have to be in impeccably
great shape. Because they are in such demand, they offer lucrative contracts. They treat
models really well. They shoot a lot throughout the years. So, it's a great company to work
for because if they like you, you stay busy. But I think that because the status of the
brand is so elevated that they want models who have fashion images as well.
I think that Victoria's Secret goes way beyond being a lingerie company. It's sort of a state
of mind, and so what ends up happening is they have the opportunity to be incredibly
picky. They do a lot of media. You have to be able to speak about products. You have
to be able to sell products. I think that being a Victoria's Secret girl is you are
completely immersed in the brand on every single level, and that is not as easy as it
sounds.
I think that it's very demanding and just the workout routine by itself is demanding.
There is this constant need for physical perfection because of what you're selling. So, I think
that being a Victoria's Secret model is the goal of every girl I talk to. It's funny;
very rarely do they say, "Oh, it's this magazine, or it's this or this." It's like, "I want
to work for Victoria's Secret." So, it's a great goal to have, and it's hard to get.
It's not easy.