The Hell of Being a Victoria's Secret Angel
Controversy in the industry
The New York Times publishes a report with the testimony of several models and workers who denounce the misogyny and harassment they suffered from the founder and marketing director of the lingerie firm
Cristina SierraBarcelona
Victoria's Secret does not lift its head. The firm was forced last year to suspend its media show due to the continuous controversies carried out by its marketing director, Ed Razek, and for its lack of commitment to diversity and inclusion. Despite its attempts to change its philosophy and sign plus-size models, the company is now facing a series of serious complaints from tops and workers who have recounted to the New York Times the misogyny and harassment they suffered from of the founder, Leslie Wexner and by Razek.
In a report entitled 'Angels in Hell', the newspaper collects the testimony of several people, some anonymous, who have not hesitated to reveal the inappropriate behavior of the two powerful men who one day converted the lingerie firm in the most desired.
One of the darkest episodes that was experienced recently in the company was at its show held in 2018. Three people who were backstage have explained the comments in bad taste that Razek made to Bella Hadid. The model was adjusting her underwear to go out on the catwalk, a scene that the businessman watched from the sofa. "Forget the panties," he told Gigi's sister. In addition, she did not hesitate to tell him in front of everyone that she had "perfect" breasts.
But this was not the only anecdote starring the marketing director in that same show. According to these testimonies, Ed tried to kiss several models, asked them to sit on his knee and even put his hand on the crotch of a girl while he waited for her turn to parade. Some situations that came to bother Bella herself, who a few months ago charged against Victoria's Secret and confessed her insecurities after having participated in the Savage Fenty parade, Rihanna's lingerie firm.
Harassment and indecent requests
In the report, the New York Times journalists also pick up the case of Andi Muise, a top who was not selected for the show after rejecting Razek in 2007. The model, who was 19 years old at the time, had twice participated in the parade. It was then that the tycoon invited her to dinner and tried to kiss her. Later he did not stop harassing her with risqué emails, including in one of them he asked her to accompany him to Turks and Caicos. “'I need a sexy place to take you!'” she assured him.
Muise tried to reply politely to these messages because she was afraid of losing her job. The last time she heard from him was when he called her to invite her to eat at her house in New York, an appointment that she refused and that meant that the brand did not have her, for the first time in four years, for her 2008 parade.
Another woman who has dared to show her face is Alison Nix, who recounts the request that managers made to the models during a charity event held on Richard Branson's private island in the Caribbean. There was only one condition to enjoy this exclusive trip: to pose nude on the beach for photographer Russell James. “They took us by boat and these rich men were flirting with us. All the models asked ourselves, are we here as luxury prostitutes or for charity? ”, Reveals the young woman who, after refusing, saw how the brand broke her contract with her.
I need a sexy place to take you!”
Ed Razek to a model of the firmThe newspaper also collects versions of various workers who have been present for years at costume fittings and backstage at shows. Two scenarios in which Razek and Wexner harassed and made off-color comments to the models. “What was most alarming was how ingrained that behavior was. That mistreatment was taken as a joke and accepted as normal and whoever tried to do something was ignored and punished”, says Casey Crowe Taylor, who held the position of public relations for the company for years. Some awkward moments that an employee recorded and showed to the human resources area, that he did nothing. The same report also talks about Wexner's relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, who committed suicide in prison last summer after being accused of creating a network of child sex trafficking.
At the moment the only one who has spoken about the report has been Razek, who has wanted to deny all the information. “The allegations in this report are categorically false, misconstrued and taken out of context. I have been fortunate to work with countless top models and talented professionals and I am very proud of the mutual respect we have for each other”, says the 71-year-old tycoon, who decided to leave the company in August last year. For his part, Wexner, 82, has not wanted to speak at a time when several media outlets point out that he wants to sell the firm with which he became a billionaire.
