US model
After sexism allegations: Why Bella Hadid is working for Victoria’s Secret again
Model Bella Hadid on the Victoria’s Secret catwalk in 2018
© Evan Agostini / Picture Alliance
Bella Hadid was among the models who accused Victoria’s Secret of misogyny and harassment. Now she works for the lingerie company again. The 25-year-old explained the reasons in an interview.
She never felt strong or sexy on the Victoria’s Secret catwalk. Model Bella Hadid said in an interview in autumn 2019, sharply criticizing the US underwear manufacturer. For three years in a row – from 2016 to 2018 – the 25-year-old ran at the label’s lingerie show.
The company came under massive criticism after several models accused marketing boss Ed Razek and other male executives of sexual harassment. the “New York Times” had published an article in early 2020 entitled “Angels in Hell: The Culture of Misogyny at Victoria’s Secret”. More than 100 models then turned to the company’s CEO with an open letter. Bella Hadid was one of the signatories.
It is all the more surprising that Hadid was presented as one of the new advertising faces by Victoria’s Secret. The label wants to get a new, more diverse image. This includes women like actress Priyanka Chopra and soccer player Megan Rapinoe, who are to represent the brand in the future. In an interview with the US magazine “Marie Claire”, Bella Hadid said that she had thought for a year and a half before she agreed to work with Victoria’s Secret again. Ultimately, they were convinced by the new concept and that the brand was now mostly run by women.
Bella Hadid is again modeling for Victoria’s Secret
“What moved me to return was that they came up to me and really proved to me that Victoria’s Secret has changed dramatically behind the scenes,” said Hadid. Specifically, she named new protocols for photo shoots and contracts that stipulate that the models can decide for themselves how much skin they want to show. In this way, she regained power over her body, says Hadid. Before that it was just a kind of money printing machine and served men’s ideas of what a woman should look like in lingerie.
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Now there is cooperation between women on an equal footing. Six of the seven board members are women, the new ambassadors from Victoria’s Secret have a say and want to design their own collections. “My life was all about work for so many years and how I managed to lose weight for one of these shows. Now I’m just who I am. And I don’t have to change for anyone,” said Hadid.
Source: “Marie Claire”