Can Falling Angels be Saved with the Love of Lemons?

Victoria’s Secret has branded itself as the place where the “sexiest women in the world” buy their lingerie, which is also available for “regular” women too… but all with a hefty price tag. At VS’s peak, it was a lead player in the retail market and pioneered the lingerie revolution, empowering women to embrace female sexuality.

Unfortunately, this company promotes an exclusive beauty standard: the slim yet busty bombshell woman, a standard which is unattainable for many women. While various companies have moved toward inclusivity of body types, VS has stayed stubborn in its ways, at times disregarding racial, body, and gender inclusivity. As the evolution of the brand fails to stay up to date with the evolution of our culture, sales have decreased, which has ultimately led to the cancelation of the iconic VS Fashion Show.

In this desperate time, VS leans on collaborations with other brands, such as LA-based clothing brand For Love and Lemons, as a means to regain relevance in the market. This collaborative collection can be found on the VS site under “Brands We Love,” a feature that reflects the company’s mission to “team up with your favorite lingerie brands to bring you new luxe pieces you’ll love as much as we do.”

For Love and Lemons was founded in 2011 by best friends Laura Hall and Gillian Rose Kern and was cultivated on the principles of confidence, femininity, and individuality—similar to the ideologies VS promoted when it first began.

On the surface level, this pairing is seemingly fitting as both brands advertise an exclusive beauty standard. With a brief glance at the FL&L Instagram, one can see the lack of body, gender, and racial diversity.

But, don’t get me wrong. Like many, we can be suckers for FL&L. This company’s pieces are some of our most-worn items. Luckily, reading up on the company reveals that they do a lot of good.

The company focuses on charitable efforts such as women’s advancement and economic stability. Every year, they donate unsold clothes to non-profit organizations and charities that help women and their families achieve economic independence. They also recently launched extended sizes, now including sizes XXS-2X. But despite their size inclusivity, they do not actively promote those options… even though all the models look so badass. 

Victoria’s Secret’s stubborn ways could someday be the ultimate death of its existence. We hope not, but it goes to show how nimble retailers must be to keep up with their consumers. With the vast number of options consumers have today, it’s not hard to boycott brands who fail to keep up with the times. While we all love a good collab, some partnerships like this one appear to be a cheap cop-out to prolong outdated and unapproved values. The company needs a major reality check if they want to withstand the competitive market.