Having scoured the world for information on the latest and greatest models, for some reason, all roads seemed to lead us back to one place of interest : Victoria’s Secret.
So in the name of honour (and a severe amount of laziness on my behalf) instead of hunting down individual legends of the Victoria’s Secret Honour Roll – we thought what better way to check out the hottest group of gals in the world than by simply throwing them all together in one neat, slim and sexy article.
Back in 1977 in the land of San Francisco, California (or Cala-forn-i-ayyyy as it’s known to… well… idiots like me) Victoria’s Secret was born from the mind of Stanford Graduate School of Business alumnus Roy Raymond.
Like any male, the embarrassment of trying to purchase lingerie for his wife in a public was so great – that he opted to just create his own damn label.
Opening the first store at a Stanford Shopping Centre, the brand grew from strength to strength, with the store quickly followed by a mail order catalogue and eventually three other stores.
Created with a comfortable environment for men in mind (with wood-paneled walls, Victorian details and helpful sales staff) Raymond’s concept saw the variety of womens apparel finally placed in easy-to-browse sections.
The days of endless racks of bras and panties in every size were over – now men could browse for sexy stuff for their gals (in hopes of a “dirty night in”) with help from friendly staff.
It’s an idea that served Raymond well, until 1982, when he sold the company to The Limited. Thankfully, the take over wasn’t as deadly to the concept as it could have been.
In fact, The Limited kept the Victoria’s Secret image intact. The only difference being that Victoria’s Secret was rapidly expanded across malls in the USA – making it one of the most surprisingly successful chain throughout the 1980s.
By the early 1990s, Victoria’s Secret was estimated to be worth more than one billion dollars. Not bad for an idea based on embarrassment. By 2007, there were over 1,000 Victoria’s Secret lingerie stores and 100 independent Victoria’s Secret Beauty Stores in the US alone – in almost every shopping centre.
But it’s not all about business – it’s about one thing… the babes. The Victoria’s Secret Angels!
The “Angels” made their catwalk debut in 1999 – which interestingly enough, was only the fourth annual Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show.
The original “starting lineup” included Heidi Klum, Daniela Pestova, Laetitia Casta, Stephanie Seymour and Tyra Banks – all of whom have gone onto become some of the biggest names not only in the fashion industry – but in the world of Entertainment.
Things are looking a little different almost eight years on, with the current lineup including Adriana Lima, Selita Ebanks, Alessandra Ambrosio, Izabel Goulart, Karolina Kurkova and the spritely Australian Miranda Kerr. They are among the world’s best-paid models.
And here I am churning out words for a measly buck nintey!
Since their creation in 1995, the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Shows have become a worldwide phenomenon – perhaps bigger than the label itself. In 1999, the Victoria’s Secret company made broadcast history in simultaneously broadcasting a live fashion show both online and at Times Square, drawing almost 1.5 million viewers.
In 2001, the Fashion Show made its television debut. By 2007 the show had become a drawcard for performing artists, even coaxing the Spice Girls out of retirement… you can’t win them all I guess.
For those interested – here is the list of current and ex-members of the infamous Angels!
Victoria’s Secret Angels – Current
*Heidi Klum – (1999 – present)
*Adriana Lima – (2000 – present)
*Alessandra Ambrosio – (2004 – present)
*Karolína Kurková – (2005 – present)
*Selita Ebanks (2005 – present)
*Miranda Kerr – (2006 – present)
*Marisa Miller – (2007- present)
*Doutzen Kroes – (2008 – present)
Victoria’s Secret Angels – Past
*Helena Christensen – (1998)
*Yasmeen Ghauri – (1998)
*Rebecca Romijn – (1998)
*Laetitia Casta – (1998 – 1999)
*Karen Mulder – (1998 – 1999)
*Stephanie Seymour – (1998 – 1999)
*Daniela Peštová – (1998 – 2003)
*Tyra Banks – (1998 – 2005)
*Maria Inés Rivero – (2000)
*Gisele Bündchen – (2000 – 2007)
*Izabel Goulart – (2005 – 2008)