Fashion trends from the 90s – and Noughties — may be reliving their heyday, but not when it comes to swimwear. Somewhere along the road we all stopped caring about whether our swimsuits screamed sex appeal, focusing instead on how they aligned with our overall aesthetic. Brands like Mikoh and Beth Richards popped up on the scene. We embraced our varying tastes and body types, no longer aspiring to the Victoria’s Secret standard of ab definition. Apparently, our fallen angels felt the heat — numerous sources say that Victoria’s Secret is retiring from the swimsuit game.
Though the conjecture will not be officially confirmed until the brand’s May earnings call, VS Swim devotees may want to stock up on their favorite sexy bikinis while they can. In all probability, the category will soon join the fate of the company’s erstwhile regular apparel and cosmetics lines. In a recent press release, Chairman and CEO Leslie H. Wexner stated, “Coming off a record year, now is the best time to make improvements…going to from best to even better. We are making those changes to accelerate our growth and to strengthen the business for the long term by narrowing our focus and simplifying our operating model.” This entails restructuring the brand into three business sections: Victoria’s Secret Lingerie, PINK and Victoria’s Secret Beauty.
Early last year, parent company L Brands estimated that VS Swim represented 6.5 percent — or $500 million worth — of sales for Victoria’s Secret. Last August, however, the company reported that sales had dropped, citing overly complex, out of touch designs as the culprit. (To this, we say, “Duh.”) Sharen Turney, former head of Victoria’s Secret, called swimwear her “biggest disappointment” just before she resigned two months ago.
[ A Behind-the-Scenes Look at the Victoria’s Secret Swim Special ]
A note from Citigroup analysts suggests the brand will refocus its energies on expanding its athleisure offerings — in case Nike, Adidas, Outdoor Voices, Lululemon, Beyoncé, Kate Hudson and just about every other brand on Earth didn’t already have you covered.
While everything is still somewhat up in the air, L Brands did confirm that Victoria’s Secret will be doing away with its famed catalog in favor of more up-to-date methods of building brand engagement — much to the chagrin of teenage boys worldwide.
[ via Buzzfeed ]
