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WHEN you think of Victoria’s Secret, images of supermodels wearing nothing but lingerie and angel wings come to mind.
However, the underwear giant’s history goes back long before the famous catwalk show was even thought of, and it all started with Roy Raymond.
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Victoria’s Secret was set up by American businessman Roy Raymond and his wife, Gaye, in 1977 after he struggled to buy lingerie for her.
He reportedly felt uncomfortable in underwear stores because of how frumpy the selection was that was on offer.
Roy also felt that the female staff didn’t take him seriously.
Speaking to Newsweek at the time, he said: “When I tried to buy lingerie for my wife, I was faced with racks of terry-cloth robes and ugly floral-print nylon nightgowns.
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“And I always had the feeling the department store sales women thought I was an unwelcome intruder.”
With this in mind, Roy set about creating Victoria’s Secret.
Victoria’s Secret’s is born
Fans of the brand have often wondered how the name Victoria’s Secret came about.
The lingerie shop is named after the Victorian era, and the secret nature of underwear during that time.
Roy also wanted to emulate in his stores, the vibe of boudoirs in that time period.
He wanted his brand to evoke the sense of Victorian sophistication while being suggestive of women’s ‘secret’ underwear.
Stylish women of this time wore an array of undergarments, from corsets to petticoats to suspenders.
As this clothing was kept a secret under their long dresses, the idea of this lent itself to the name of the lingerie brand and Victoria’s Secret was born.
First ever store
Roy opened his first Victoria’s Secret store in the suburbs of San Francisco in 1977.
In order to do this, the Stamford graduate took out a $40K loan.
Believing in the store’s success he also borrowed the same amount of money from his relatives.
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The idea turned out to be successful and by 1982 Roy had opened six stores.
He also launched catalog sales, where people could purchase lingerie from their homes.
Tragic death
Despite the company’s success, Roy faced financial difficulties, which saw him sell Victoria’s Secret to Leslie Wexner, the owner of The Limited stores.
The sale went through and the company was sold for $4 million.
The brand then branched out globally, and was soon worth a lot more than it had been sold for.
Sadly in 1993, Roy took his own life.
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Victoria’s Secret as it is today
In modern day, Victoria’s Secret is known for its catalogue of supermodels aka Angels, and of course their annual fashion show.
Over the years huge stars like Tyra Banks, Gigi Hadid, Adriana Lima and Heidi Klum have strutted their stuff at the famous event.
The highly-anticipated show promotes the lingerie giant’s new seasons of lingerie, swimwear and loungewear.
Victoria’s Secret now has stores all over the world and is estimated to be worth around £2 billion.
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988, chat on 988lifeline.org, or text Crisis Text Line at 741741.
