On Sunday, photographer Linda Blacker posted her own “inclusive” version of the famous Victoria’s Secret Angels, featuring plus-size models.
“Victoria has her secret, here’s mine … ,” Blacker started the caption to the “inclusive” photograph. “Look at these ANGELS! I wanted to create something that celebrates all women, to let you know that you are sexy, you can ‘sell the fantasy’ if you wanted to and that lingerie is for all bodies to enjoy and feel amazing!”
Victoria has her secret, here's mine…
Look at these ANGELS!
I wanted to create something that celebrates all women, to let you know that you are sexy, you can ‘sell the fantasy’ if you wanted to and that lingerie is for all bodies to enjoy and feel amazing!
— Linda Blacker (@lindablacker) December 22, 2019
“As the Victorias Secret Angels show was cancelled this year, I was inspired by this to create a shoot that is inclusive and a positive celebration of women,” the photographer explained.
“I hope this image helps to show and support that all bodies are beautiful and should be seen and represented in the media,” she said.
As the Victorias Secret Angels show was cancelled this year, I was inspired by this to create a shoot that is inclusive and a positive celebration of women.
I hope this image helps to show and support that all bodies are beautiful and should be seen and represented in the media.— Linda Blacker (@lindablacker) December 22, 2019
Blacker encouraged others to “show all these ladies some love,” adding, “It was an honour to capture them all and celebrate women, together.”
Please show all these ladies some love. It was an honour to capture them all and celebrate women, together. 💙
— Linda Blacker (@lindablacker) December 22, 2019
The photograph earned praise from fellow feminists, such as “The Good Place” actress and abortion promoter Jameela Jamil.
“Beautiful, [Linda Blacker],” Jamil captioned the photo.
Beautiful @lindablacker https://t.co/iuTqSnqcA8
— Jameela Jamil 🌈 (@jameelajamil) December 22, 2019
Jamil frequently speaks out against stigmas surrounding obesity and promotes “body positivity.”
As reported by The Daily Wire in November, Victoria’s Secret cancelled their annual fashion show after the company took a hit in the media for allegedly “failing to protect models from sexual harassment and for promoting a ‘non-inclusive’ body type.”
“We think it’s important to evolve the marketing of Victoria’s Secret, that is happening in certain respects now and I think there will be more to come,” Stuart B. Burgdoerfer, Victoria’s Secret’s Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President of L Brands, said in a statement. “If that continues to get evaluated, again, we believe the most important thing is the quality of the merchandise itself.”
“And with that said, we’re figuring out how to advance the positioning of the brand and best communicate that to customers,” Burgdoerfer continued.
In November 2018, Chief Marketing Officer Ed Razek sparked a media firestorm when he spoke to Vogue about “diversity” on the runway.
“We invented the plus-size model show in what was our sister division, Lane Bryant,” Razek explained. “Lane Bryant still sells plus-size lingerie, but it sells a specific range, just like every specialty retailer in the world sells a range of clothing. As do we.”
“We market to who we sell to, and we don’t market to the whole world,” he continued. “We attempted to do a television special for plus-sizes [in 2000]. No one had any interest in it, still don’t.”
Razek also bluntly addressed calls for transgender supermodels in Victoria Secret fashion shows, striking a nerve with left-wing media.
“Shouldn’t you have transsexuals in the show? No. No, I don’t think we should,” he said. “Well, why not? Because the show is a fantasy. It’s a 42-minute entertainment special. That’s what it is.”
As noted by The Daily Wire, Razek issued an apology for his remarks via Victoria’s Secret’s Twitter account following the vicious media frenzy.
“My remark regarding the inclusion of transgender models in the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show came across as insensitive. I apologize. To be clear, we absolutely would cast a transgender model for the show. We’ve had transgender models come to castings … And like many others, they didn’t make it … But it was never about gender. I admire and respect their journey to embrace who they really are,” the statement said.