8 Shocking Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show Controversies

2

7. Jessica Hart vs. Taylor Swift

After model Jessica Hart commented after the 2013 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show that she didn’t think Taylor Swift (who performed in the show) could pull it off as a Victoria’s Secret model, she didn’t walk in the 2014 show. Swift, on the other hand, performed in the show again, and a source told The New York Daily News that Hart was banned from the show because Swift had requested it due to her comments. Victoria’s Secret, however, denied the rumors.

Editorial credit: / Shutterstock.com

3

6. Gigi Hadid Racism Controversy

Gigi Hadid made a surprise exit from the 2017 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, which was held in Shanghai, China. While she didn’t give a reason for why she pulled out, there are rumors that she did so because she wasn’t welcome in the country. After she announced that she would be walking in the show in August, her Instagram was flooded with angry comments. Some commenters called her a racist and it is assumed that this was a reference to a video that her sister Bella had uploaded a year earlier that showed Gigi squinting her eyes while holding a Buddha-shaped cookie to her face. Some suspect that this video prevented her from getting a visa to China.

4

5. Cultural Appropriation Accusations

After the 2016 show, Victoria’s Secret was accused of cultural appropriation. Cosmopolitan writer Helin Jung accused the brand of taking inspiration from China and Mexico and of holding a condescending attitude towards its Asian customers. “Even as the world gets more connected, a sexist, patriarchal, mostly white corporation continues to take what it wants for its own gain,” she wrote. “What condescension, for Victoria’s Secret to think that by wrapping a model in a dragon, it could connect directly with a new consumer in China.” She finished her critique of the company with, “stick to things that don’t have cultural reference.” This isn’t the first time that Victoria’s Secret has come under fire for cultural appropriation. In 2012, the brand faced a serious backlash when Karlie Kloss modelled a Native American-style headdress on the runway, which caused the company to pull all of the footage from broadcast and issue an apology on Twitter.

Editorial credit: / Shutterstock.com

5

4. Kendall Jenner and Gigi Hadid’s Backlash

When Kendall Jenner and Gigi Hadid walked the 2016 Victoria’s Secret Runway with wings even though that they had not been given the title of full-blown Angel, and Martha Hunt – who is a contracted Angel for the brand – didn’t get to wear a single pair of wings, viewers took the social media to voice their displeasure. “The fact that Martha Hunt that is a angel didn’t get wings and Kendall Jenner got 2 is honestly disgusting #VSFS2016,” one viewer Tweeted, while another commented, “kendall jenner and Gigi Hadid do not deserve wings. What a mess.”

Editorial credit: / Shutterstock.com

6

3. Katy Perry Banned from Performing in Shanghai Show

Katy Perry was set to perform at the 2017 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, which is going to be held in Shanghai this year, but she was banned from China indefinitely. When she reportedly tried to apply for a visa, it was denied by Chinese officials because of an incident from 2015 in which the “I Kissed a Girl” singer wore a bright glittery dress with sunflowers on it to a performance in Taipei, Taiwan, and waved a Taiwanese flag around. Her outfit caused widespread outrage because the sunflower had been adopted in 2014 by anti-Chinese protesters who want an independent Taiwan.

Source: TV Guide

7

2. PETA Protesters Harass Gisele Bundchen on the Runway

At the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show in 2002, PETA protesters harassed Gisele Bundchen as she walked the runway with signs that read, “Gisele: Fur Scum.” They targeted her specifically because of her affiliation with the fur company Blackglama, which had given her £320,000 and two black mink coats to head its new advertising campaign. While the protesters were able to get up on the runway, they were then dragged away and arrested after the demonstration, and Bundchen’s segment was retaped.

Abaca Press

8

1. The Show is Cancelled

In 2004, Victoria’s Secret was cancelled its annual fashion show after the Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake debacle at the Super Bowl. The brand’s chief creative officer, Ed Razek, however, claimed that the main reason that the show was canceled was so that the company could find “new ways to promote the brand.” Instead of a fashion show, Victoria’s Secret chose to host “Angels Across America.” Gisele Bundchen, Tyra Banks, Heidi Klum, Adriana Lima, and Alessandra Ambrosio were all bussed to New York City, Miami, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles to meet fans, which turned out to be a very humbling experience for the models.

Abaca Press

Cate

Cate has a B.A. and an M.A. in English Literature and has been the Managing Editor of Fame10 for more than 6 years. Despite having a love for the works of Thomas Hardy, Leo Tolstoy and Lord Byron, she also has an intense fascination with pop culture. When she isn’t writing for Fame10, she’s planning her next big adventure in Southeast Asia.