CEO Reveals Victoria's Secret: It's 'Too Sexy'

Brand hopes to regain its stylish, sophisticated image

By Erin Mendell, Newser User

Posted Feb 28, 2008 4:09 PM CST

(Newser) – Victoria’s Secret has become “too sexy,” the chain’s CEO said today, explaining that she wants to bring higher-quality and sophisticated products back to the stores, the Wall Street Journal reports. "We use the word 'sexy' a lot and have gotten off 'ultra-feminine,'" she said. She blamed the shift away from stylish but practical partly on the success of the Pink brand—aimed at college students.

And customers might not be feeling all that sexy: Sales at stores open at least a year dropped 8% amid a weak economy and better competition from retailers including Target and American Eagle. But fans of the annual fashion show can keep their panties on. The show will go on at the start of the holiday season, but it may look different.

[Images (6)]

[Videos (4)]

Limited Brands provided this screenshot from a Victoria's Secret ad that ran during Super Bowl XLII on Sunday, Feb. 3, 2008. The company's CEO pointed to the ad as the future direction of the brand. (AP... (Associated Press)

Models walk the runway at the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, Thursday, Nov. 15, 2007, in Los Angeles. This year's show will go on, but it might look different. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) (Associated Press)

A model walks the runway at Victoria's Secret fashion show Thursday, Nov. 15, 2007, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) (Associated Press)

Sharen Jester Turney, president of Victoria's Secret, rings the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange on Friday, Aug. 10, 2007. The chain's same-store sales declined 8 percent this year. (AP Photo/Richard... (Associated Press)

Shoppers walk in front of large displays at a Victoria's Secret store at Easton Town Center in Columbus, Ohio in this Friday, Nov. 23, 2007, file photo. Parents sometimes complain that the stores' displays... (Associated Press)

A model walks the runway at the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, Thursday, Nov. 15, 2007, in Los Angeles. This year's show may look different. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) (Associated Press)

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

A recent Victoria's Secret Commercial features Bob Dylan alongside "Angels in Venice." (spookylorre (YouTube))

Victoria's Secret 2005 (Full Show, Part I) (ElectricBoom (YouTube))

Victoria's Secret - Commercial What Is Sexy (2002) (candyyyasss (YouTube))

Adriana Lima advertises Victoria's Secret. (boby452 (YouTube))

View larger videos >>

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CEO Reveals Victoria's Secret: It's 'Too Sexy'