A Dream in Pink
In a small shopping mall in California, back in 1977, a man named Roy Raymond felt very nervous. He wanted to buy something pretty for his wife, but the store made him feel weird. All the frilly things and fancy undies scared him!
"There has to be a better way," Roy thought. He counted his savings - $80,000. That's about as much money as 40,000 candy bars! With this money and a big dream, Roy opened the first Victoria's Secret store.
The Little Store That Could
The store was different from others. It had pretty wallpaper and nice wooden drawers. It looked like a fancy living room! Men didn't feel scared to shop there anymore. Women loved it too!
"This is amazing!" customers would say. They liked how the store made them feel special.
"I wanted to create a store where everyone feels welcome," Roy said to his friends. "Like visiting a cozy home with beautiful things."
The store did so well that Roy opened more stores. Soon, there were six Victoria's Secret shops! But something wasn't quite right. Even though people liked the stores, Roy had trouble making enough money.
The Big Change
Then came a businessman named Leslie Wexner. He saw something special in Victoria's Secret.
"I can help make this store even better," Leslie said to Roy. In 1982, Leslie bought Victoria's Secret for $1 million - that's like half a million boxes of cookies!
Leslie had new ideas. He thought, "What if we make the store more about what women want?" He filled the stores with:
Pretty bras in lots of colors
Soft pajamas that felt like clouds
Sweet-smelling perfumes
Makeup that made people feel beautiful
Fancy catalogs with pictures of the clothes
Growing Bigger
The stores started looking different. They used lots of pink! The walls sparkled. Everything felt magical, like a princess's castle.
"We want everyone who walks in to feel special," Leslie told his workers. And people did feel special! The stores became very popular. Soon, there were Victoria's Secret shops all over America!
A New Way to Show Pretty Things
But Leslie had an even bigger idea. "What if we show our pretty clothes in a special way?" he wondered. "Like a big party where models wear our newest things?"
This idea would change everything. It would make Victoria's Secret famous all over the world! But that's a story for another time...
Fun Fact: The first Victoria's Secret store was about the size of two classrooms put together. Now, some stores are as big as a whole school building!
The little store that started because a man felt nervous buying a gift had grown into something huge. But the biggest changes were still to come. Victoria's Secret was about to change how everyone thought about fashion shows forever! ✨Lights, Camera, Lingerie!
The year was 1995. Something exciting was about to happen in New York City! The Plaza Hotel was super busy. People were running around with clothes, lights, and music players.
The Very First Show
"Is everything ready?" asked Ed Razek, the show's boss. He looked nervous but happy. This was going to be Victoria's Secret's first big fashion show!
The room looked magical. Pretty lights made everything sparkle. Soft music played in the background. Only 100 special people got to watch the show. They sat in fancy chairs, waiting to see something new and different.
"We want to make this feel like magic," Ed told his team. "Like a fairy tale come true!"
The Models Walk
Beautiful models walked down a special path called a runway. They wore pretty things from Victoria's Secret. The crowd went "Oooh!" and "Aaah!"
Fun Detail: The first show was very simple compared to later ones. No wings or fancy costumes yet - just pretty clothes and happy smiles!
Not Everything Was Perfect
Some things didn't go as planned. One model almost tripped! The music stopped working for a minute. But nobody minded. Everyone was too excited about this new kind of show.
"We need to make it bigger!" Ed said after the show. "More lights, more music, more everything!"
Growing Bigger and Better
The team learned a lot from that first show. They made lists of what worked and what needed to be better:
More sparkly decorations
Bigger music and better speakers
Famous models who everyone knew
Special wings for the models to wear
TV cameras to show it to more people
A New Kind of Show
Other stores had fashion shows too. But Victoria's Secret wanted to be different. They wanted their show to feel like a party and a concert and a magic show all together! ✨
"Let's make it fun!" said the team. "Let's make people smile and dream!"
More and more people wanted to see the shows. Soon, they needed bigger places to fit all the people who wanted to watch. The little show at the Plaza Hotel had started something big!
Did You Know? The first show cost about as much as 1,000 toys to make. Later shows would cost as much as 1,000,000 toys!
Looking Forward
The people at Victoria's Secret were so happy. Their new idea was working! But they wanted to make the shows even more special. They had a new idea - what if the models weren't just models? What if they were angels?
The fashion world would never be the same. A new kind of star was about to be born - the Victoria's Secret Angel! The sparkly runway was just the beginning of something much, much bigger...Angels Take Flight
One day in 1997, someone at Victoria's Secret had a magical idea. "What if our models weren't just models?" they said. "What if they were angels?"
The First Angels
Five special models got beautiful white wings. Their names were Tyra Banks, Helena Christensen, Karen Mulder, Stephanie Seymour, and Daniela Pestova. They weren't just pretty - they were super nice and made everyone smile! ✨
Angel Fact: The first wings were made of real feathers and sparkly stuff. They were so light, the models could dance in them!
Tyra's Big Moment
Tyra Banks was extra special. She was one of the first Black models to be an Angel. She wore a special bra made of diamonds!
"I want little girls to see me and know they can be angels too," Tyra said with a big smile.
"Being an Angel isn't just about being pretty. It's about being strong and kind and brave!" - Tyra Banks
The Show Gets Bigger
People all over the world wanted to see the Angels! TV stations asked if they could show the fashion show. Magazines wanted to take pictures. The Angels were becoming as famous as movie stars!
Here are some cool things the Angels did:
Walked in sparkly costumes
Danced to fun music
Waved to happy crowds
Smiled for lots of cameras
Helped make people feel good about themselves
Making Magic Happen
The shows became like big parties! There were singers and dancers. The wings got bigger and prettier. Some looked like butterfly wings, some like bird wings, and some like fairy wings!
Wow Fact: Some wings were so big, they needed special helpers to carry them backstage!
Around the World
People in other countries wanted to see the Angels too! The show went to places like Paris, London, and Shanghai. Each place made the show extra special in its own way.
"The Angels bring happiness wherever they go," said Ed Razek. "They make everyone feel like they're part of something magical."
More Than Models
The Angels did more than just walk in shows. They helped people feel good about themselves. They showed that being strong and kind was just as important as being pretty.
Heidi Klum, another famous Angel, said: "We want to show girls they can do anything they dream of doing!"
A New Kind of Star
By now, becoming a Victoria's Secret Angel was like winning a gold medal in the Olympics! Models from all over the world hoped to get their wings one day.
The runway shows weren't just about selling pretty clothes anymore. They were about making dreams come true. The Angels had changed fashion forever!
Special Memory: Every Angel got to keep their first pair of wings as a special reminder of their magical moment! ✨
As the Angels soared higher and higher, something new was coming. The internet was about to make the shows even bigger and more exciting than ever before...Digital Wings Take Flight
The year was 1999. The internet was changing everything! Victoria's Secret had a big idea. "Let's put our fashion show online!" they said.
The Big Web Day
On February 3, 1999, something amazing happened. For the first time ever, people could watch the Angels on their computers at home!
Cool Fact: Over 1.5 million people tried to watch online! That was more people than lived in some big cities!
Making Friends Online
The Angels started using something new called social media. They could talk to their fans every day!
"Now we can say hi to everyone, everywhere, all the time!" - Adriana Lima, happy Angel
Fans loved seeing behind-the-scenes photos and fun videos. It was like having an Angel for a friend!
Growing Bigger
The show got super big on TV too. Here are some fun things they added:
Famous singers performing songs
Special light shows
Fancy cameras that flew around
Live tweets from the Angels
Fun backstage videos
Tech Magic
The wings got special lights in them! Some wings could change colors. Others had tiny screens showing pictures. Technology made everything more magical! ✨
Sparkle Fact: One pair of wings had 100,000 tiny crystals that lit up like stars!
Everyone's Invited
People in different countries could watch at the same time! The show was on TV, phones, computers, and tablets. No one had to miss out!
"We want everyone to feel like they're sitting in the front row," said the show director with a big smile.
Picture Perfect
Instagram made everything more fun! Angels shared silly photos getting ready. They showed their favorite healthy snacks. They even posted videos of them practicing their walks!
Candice Swanepoel said: "Now our fans can see what we do all day, not just on the runway!"
Digital Dreams
The internet helped make the show super popular. Millions of people watched each year! They made special apps and games too. You could even try on Angel wings using your phone!
Fun Fact: One year, they made a game where you could design your own wings!
Sharing Love
The Angels used their internet fame to help others. They shared messages about being kind. They told people to follow their dreams. They showed that beauty comes in many ways!
"The internet lets us spread happiness all over the world," said Lily Aldridge with a sparkle in her eye.
But as the internet grew bigger, people started talking about new things. They had questions about the show. They wanted to see different kinds of beauty...Beauty Standards Under the Spotlight
The sparkly world of Victoria's Secret started to change. People wanted to see all kinds of beautiful bodies on the runway!
New Voices Speak Up
"Why do all the Angels look the same?" asked many fans. They wanted to see models who looked like them and their friends. Some people felt sad when they didn't see anyone like themselves in the show.
Important Note: Everyone is beautiful in their own special way!
The Big Questions
People started asking lots of questions:
Why aren't there different sizes of models?
Where are models from different places?
Can we see different types of beauty?
Why do Angels need to be so tall?
What about models with different abilities?
Models Speak Their Truth
"I want little girls to know they're perfect just as they are," said Karlie Kloss after leaving the show.
Some Angels started talking about the hard parts of their job. They had to exercise a lot and eat very careful meals. It wasn't always fun and games behind the scenes. ️♀️
Changes in the Air
Other stores started showing all kinds of models in their ads. They had models of different:
• Sizes and shapes
• Ages and backgrounds
• Heights and looks
Fans Want More
People used social media to talk about what they wanted to see. They made pictures and videos showing different kinds of beauty. Many said, "We want to see real people!"
"Beauty comes in every size and color," became a...
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