Shanina Shaik has some bad news, y’all!
On Tuesday, the model told Australia’s The Daily Telegraph there will be no Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show this year.
Related: All The Looks From The 2018 VS Fashion Show
The 28-year-old — who has walked the extravaganza in 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, and 2018 — told the publication:
“Unfortunately the Victoria’s Secret show won’t be happening this year… It’s something I’m not used to because every year around this time I’m training like an angel. But I’m sure in the future something will happen, which I’m pretty sure about.”
The catwalk star added:
“I’m sure they’re trying to work on branding and new ways to do the show because it’s the best show in the world.”
Of course, this news is not entirely surprising.
According to a memo first obtained by CNBC from Chief Executive Les Wexner of parent company L Brands Inc, the annual program will no longer air on network television after a nearly two-decade run.
Per the note addressed to employees, the conglomerate has been “taking a fresh look at every aspect of our business” in the past few months, and noted the brand “must evolve and change to grow.”
It continued:
“With that in mind, we have decided to re-think the traditional Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show… Going forward we don’t believe network television is the right fit.”
Wexner said his company would develop “a new kind of event” on different platforms in the future, writing:
“In 2019 and beyond, we’re focusing on developing exciting and dynamic content and a new kind of event—delivered to our customers on platforms that she’s glued to… and in ways that will push the boundaries of fashion in the global digital age.”
In November 2018, Victoria’s Secret executive Ed Razek told Vogue he would not hire transgender models to walk the runway, saying:
“Shouldn’t you have transsexuals in the show? No. No, I don’t think we should. Well, why not? Because the show is a fantasy. It’s a 42-minute entertainment special. That’s what it is. It is the only one of its kind in the world, and any other fashion brand in the world would take it in a minute, including the competitors that are carping at us. And they carp at us because we’re the leader. They don’t talk about each other. I accept that. I actually respect it. Cool. But we’re nobody’s third love. We’re their first love. And Victoria’s Secret has been women’s first love from the beginning.”
He also said the company “attempted to do a television special for plus-sizes [in 2000]. No one had any interest in it, still don’t.”
Uhh… “Still don’t.”???
Pshh. Yeah, right! Sounds clueless.
After his controversial comments went viral, Razek issued the following apology on social media:
“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.”
Thoughts??
[Image via Ivan Nikolov/WENN.]
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