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Victoria's Secret's Missed Opportunity

Taylor Swift and Karlie Kloss at Victoria's Secret Fashion Show | Photo: Samir Hussein
By
  • Imran Amed

LONDON, United Kingdom We may already be in the final stages of 2014, but you'd never know it by looking at the fashion calendar this week. Over the last few days, our Instagram feeds were flooded with images from the British Fashion Awards and the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in London, the Chanel Métiers d'Arts show in Salzburg and the International New York Times Conference, which was in full swing in Miami just before the frenzy of Art Basel, which has now, of course, been widely co-opted by fashion and luxury brands as a marketing platform.

By far the most visible event of all was the Victoria's Secret show, which, for the first time, landed in London, in the midst of a PR blitz that blanketed the British and international press with images of some of the best paid, best looking models in the business. There was Karlie Kloss, walking hand-in-hand with BFF Taylor Swift in coordinated black lingerie, as well as Ed Sheeran, belting out ballads for VS bombshells Adriana Lima and Alessandra Ambrosio, each wearing a $2 million 'Fantasy Bra.'

But for those attending the event in person, it was plain that the behind-the-scenes reality of the Victoria's Secret show is quite different from the glossy, glamorous image that is beamed to the world on television a week later. For one, the made-for-TV event lacked the authenticity, spontaneity, emotion and excitement of a real live event, because so much of it followed a predictable formula.

As the crowd — including some of the most influential editors, celebrities and tastemakers in London — filtered out after the show, many were left scratching their heads. So, we decided to ask you, our community, what you thought of the show as it played out across social media. In a straw poll, held online the next day, more often than not you thought the show was "tacky" and "boring" and "reiterative," suggesting that the VS formula may have lost its lustre.

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Overall, it seems this blockbuster show, estimated to cost more than $10 million, was a missed opportunity for Victoria's Secret to make a mark in the European market. In any case, I'm sure the show will still look quite tantalising on television (and sales of Victoria's Secret underwear will no doubt spike, as they do each year, when the show is broadcast). Just don't expect to see the more conservative British front row participating in the usual faux celebratory antics.

Please enjoy our top stories for the week gone by:

Amanda Parkes on Why Wearable Tech is About More Than Gadgets
BoF speaks to fashion technologist Dr. Amanda Parkes about why smart textiles and fibre science — not gadgets — are the future of wearable tech and how the fashion industry can capitalise.

Colin's Column | Sophia Neophitou-Apostolou, Fashion Catalyst
On the eve of the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, held for the first time in London, Colin McDowell sits down with the multi-tasking Sophia Neophitou-Apostolou, the show's creative director and owner and editor-in-chief of 10 Magazine.

De-Mystifying the Cult of Common Projects
BoF sits down with Common Projects founders Peter Poopat and Flavio Girolami to uncover the origins and growing appeal of their visually clean — almost blank — shoes and decode the meaning of the signature numbering that appears on each pair.

Colin's Column | The Eye of Guy Bourdin
On the occasion of "Guy Bourdin: Image Maker," currently on view at London's Somerset House, Colin McDowell remembers the enigmatic photographer who revolutionised fashion imagery.

With Mosaert, Belgian Musician Stromae is Building a Fashion Brand
The second capsule collection by Mosaert, the brand started by Paul Van Haver, better known as Stromae, whose videos have attracted hundreds of millions of views on YouTube, is set to launch at Paris concept store Colette. BoF speaks exclusively with the Belgian artist and stylist Coralie Barbier about building a fashion brand rooted in music.

Adam Lippes Won't Make the Same Mistakes Twice
Adam Lippes tells BoF how he bought back his name and relaunched his label.

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Hind Matar's Quest to Contemporise Arabic Design
This month, our Spotlight shines on Hind Matar, a Bahraini designer whose fledgling womenswear line blends Arabic and Western influences, reflecting her nomadic childhood.

And don't forget to check out BoF Weekly, a week in review published with Flipboard and updated every Saturday.

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Imran Amed Founder and Editor-in-Chief

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