Victoria's Secret has cast Brazilian model Valentina Sampaio, an openly transgender woman, for a catalog photo shoot. This announcement marks the first time Victoria's Secret has cast a transgender person for a catalog or brand campaign. Does this mean the lack of diversity and inclusion in the advertising industry is finally changing?
In the past, Victoria's Secret CMO, Ed Razek, has caught flack for expressing a lack of interest in casting transgender and plus-size models. The company recently announced that Mr. Razek was leaving the company, in part because of his problematic comments. Recently, the brand has received criticism for being old fashioned and out of touch. The Victoria's Secret has lost a significant market share to brands like Fashion Nova and Savage X Fenty. Recently, Karlie Kloss left Victoria's Secret because "The kind of message I want to send to young women around the world about what it means to be beautiful." The change in leadership and casting practices has been seen by many as overdue.
In 2017, Playboy cast the first-ever transgender cover model. On top of that, the brand's GAP and H&M have both created campaigns featuring LGBTQ models. So this move by Victoria's Secret could be seen as a catalyst for casting trends in the apparel advertising industry.
Lead photo by WestportWiki used under Creative Commons.
Martin Van Londen seriously? the minute I read this article I felt this is more personal, then rather have something to do with photography. It wrong place for this type of articles like I said in my previews posts. You wound't go to kids party and start skinny dip in swimming pool in front of other guests? Will be wrong place wrong time same with this. Same idea you brows Tinder for girls and once in the while transgender women comes up. First reaction you pist off coz they have different section for transgender for ppl who interested in to this wrong place wrong time.
Answer your question: I will shoot as long I'm paid for it I done in the past don't see any problem there ...
So which part of your earlier comment regarding your personal opinions about the sexual attractiveness of trans women was appropriate?
Just saying you seem to be getting on a high and mighty soapbox regarding the actions of other, yet refuse to look at your own actions.
on my first post my personal opinion are more best regarding brand not people. Was talking about business NOT people.
What comes to my photography and my photography business I personally don't care what kind of sexuality my models are.
Just read again my comments!!!
every time someone says no to LGBTQ+ community looks like they burst in to tears no one likes us.... STOP the DRAMA... and get down to the real world .....
If you were presented with the opportunity to shoot a high profile trans person for a publication...
Already done so, multiple times, for different publications even.
If it makes you uncomfortable or goes against your personal beliefs, would you be able to set that aside for your career?
Doesn't make me uncomfortable to photograph transgender people in the slightest, but photographing an known advocate against the equal rights of trans people would make me feel very uncomfortable.
So would I photograph a prominent anti-trans figure for my career?
Honestly haven't given it much thought because I highly doubt they would hire a photographer who happens to be transgender.
So maybe a better question is, photogrph Fred Phelps for a big pay check and open doors.
Only 40 comments..(by 3:35 ET)? I was expecting much more.
fStoppers now are becoming 'People' tabloid news magazine. It has little to do with photography and a lot to do with 'lets-get-more-SEO-to-our-blog'.
If they had some photo examples (with permission of course), spoke about the challenges the photographers had, which I am sure they did, etc. That would be worthy of the blog. This article is just well, nothing really.
Good for VC. Can we now go back to actual photography?
Ad exposure articles. Good for business.
In a word: yuck!
I don’t think it’s alienating woman coustomers as much as you think. My guess is men are their smallest consumer group.
Why are we forced to know about the sex lives and parts "down there" of people we don't know?
Fully agree as I saw another article on here just yesterday also. Maybe they are looking for affirmation but they won't get it from me.
Pandering to the 0.05% of the population.
Having been "the first" and "the only" many times in many places during the 60s and 70s, I'll tell you that there isn't real progress until nobody notices it anymore.
I don't see what all the discussion is about. This is Marketing 101. Evaluate current social trends, and tastefully integrate them into your campaign. Companies don't subscribe to emotional decision-making, or being supportive of a cause. Instead, they're groomed by their PR and Marketing departments to project a personality with such attributes. If a company donates X amount of dollars to a cause, believe me, they're seeing that investment come back in multitudes from the exposure they get in press/viral commenting.
Totally wrong, after announcement chief marketing executive resigned and he is responsible for brand fame.
Don't want go on article author, but in all other media. News was that Mr Ed Razek resigned, witch is bad news for investors. Its extremely hard to replace any member of c-suite that means that brand most like going to have some unwanted changes.
Next marketing champagne will be weary different from what we know Victoria's Secret, no more catwalks most likely!!
Their sales have been down for the last three years.
And what’s bad for the investors is not always bad for the company.
Don't want to disappoint you if investors lose interest in company company gose bust. when they hired transgender women just show how company divided in departments. More less board members/investors have different ideas from CEO and CMO. It looks like in this triangle they just don't communicate with each other despite all meetings etc.. etc.. This confusion cost CMO resignation without any benefit to the company.
So guy who makes these catwalk show out of the business and he was the one who rised this brad with unusual catwalk shows. This year show already delaying and it's not sure if they do it. For next year we will see with what they come up.
So for a man to just like women and only women is being problematic, old-fashioned and out-of-touch? Who knew how totally fuxx'ed-in-the-head as a species we have become.
No that’s not problematic. He is problematic because of all the time he spent with Jeffery Ebstiene. He is old fashioned/out of touch because he was unwilling or unable to look at the future of the apparel industry.
You mean "apparel" industry. Trans is the future? It is a deadend on many levels.
Wider representation is the future.
I see a lot of straight white christian men in the comments upset that they aren't the center of the universe.
I'm transgender and all i can think is: Why are so many straight men angrily commenting on this? Does everyone know this is a catalog for ladies and folks like me who would actually buy this clothing? I guess it gives me a heads up of how diverse or not diverse Fstoppers is. It's enlightening as a newbie here who simply loves photography and appreciates seeing something including us. We've only existed for over 4,500 years all over the planet in many cultures, seems like it shouldn't be as big of a deal as it is.