Victoria’s Secret makes waves with new body-inclusive campaign
Victoria’s Secret brings back its swimwear line with a sizzling body-inclusive Spring 2021 campaign that features two of the most sought-after plus-size models today—Paloma Elsesser and Jill Kortleve.
The campaign, titled “Destination: Swim,” puts the spotlight on models with different body types and backgrounds.
In the campaign, Paloma Elsesser, Vogue’s January 2021 cover girl, who is of African-American, Chilean and Swiss descent, sizzles in a two-piece rust bikini, confident in her curvaceous glory.
Dutch model Jill Kortleve looks stunning in a printed Bombshell top and Brazilian bottoms too. Kortleve was the first plus-size model to walk the runways of Chanel and was once an exclusive face of Alexander McQueen’s Spring/Summer show.
The campaign also features runway staples Imaan Hammam, who is of Dutch, Moroccan and Egyptian descent, in a black two-piece set; and Taylor Hill, who has been a Victoria’s Secret Angel since 2015, in a two-piece black-and-white leopard number.
The brand’s swimwear line was discontinued in 2016 and was brought back exclusively online in 2019. This year, Victoria’s Secret Swim collection will be available online and some select stores with its heritage and new styles and extended size offerings (up to 38 DDD and XL in some pieces, which, for some, are still too limited compared to brands like Rihanna’s Savage x Fenty and ThirdLove.).
With its new campaign, Victoria’s Secret received praises from fans, which acknowledged the effort of the brand to be body inclusive and that it’s “better late than never.”
For many years, Victoria’s Secret has presented its brand with a band of svelte-only models and ultra-exclusive “Angels,” even though it offers (though limited) lingerie up to XXL and bras up to size 44D.
It was only in 2019 when it hired its first plus-size model, Ali Tate Cutler (for a collaboration with UK brand Bluebella), and first openly transgender model, Valentina Sampaio. This move came following the backlash the brand received after one of its then executives spewed trans- and fat-phobic comments in a Vogue interview in 2018.
The brand has also prominently featured plus-size models Candice Huffine and Devyn Garcia in some of its campaigns since then.
Banner and thumbnail images from www.instagram.com/victoriassecret