A Senior capstone developed by Alexis Atkins
CURVE 1
CONTENTS
ON E
TWO
fi v e
s ix
Mission Statement (4-5)
Company History (6-9)
Competitive Analysis (24-29)
Capsule Collection (30-45) 2
t h ree
fo u r
s e ven
e ig ht
Target Consumer (10-17)
Market Analysis (18-23)
Marketing Strategy (46-51)
Final Thoughts (52-55) 3
, y d o b my . y x e s y m Every body is sexy.
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m i ss i o n s t a t e m e n t
D
olce and Gabbana once said
as well as through e-commerce on their
that “lingerie is the maximum
branded website.
expression of a woman’s
femininity”. It has the ability to transform the
My goal is to produce a capsule collection
way a woman walks, the way she feels and
for the new Victoria’s Secret brand
the way she carries herself. However, most
extension. The Curve Collection will feature
women with fuller busts cannot find their
bras sized between 32DDD and 42HH and
size in stores.
panties sized XL - 3X.
For my capstone, I have created Victoria’s
I want to use Victoria’s Secret’s mission for
Secret Curve, a brand extension for Victoria’s
inclusivity as a vessel to prove that sexiness
Secret, targeted towards women with larger
is not limited to a 26 inch waistline. Sexiness
bra sizes. This brand extension would fill
is defined by the confidence within a woman
the void in the market by providing a more
no matter what her size is. I hope you enjoy,
inclusive size range for fuller busted women. Victoria’s Secret Curve would be available in brick and mortar Victoria’s Secret locations
alexis atkins
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COMPANY HISTORY How did the Angels that we are so obsessed with come to fruition?
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clever space for men to be able to
R
shift its marketing initiative by include men
buy undergarments for the loved
in their catalogue. Men in the Victoria’s
one’s in their lives. The idea was to make it
Secret catalogs only lasted until about 1991
less embarrassing for men to shop for ladies’
when they were completely eliminated from
lingerie in department stores.
marketing materials.
In the mid-80’s, Victoria’s Secret began to
oy Raymond wanted to create a
In 1977, Roy Raymond and his wife Gaye
From there Victoria Secret focused on
opened the first Victoria’s Secret store in San
sticking with the trends. From high-cut
Francisco, California.
panties to lace bodysuits, Victoria’s was every woman’s dream store.
Although the original business model was targeted towards men, it has since grown to be
It was not until 1998 that the iconic
the leading brand for lingerie worldwide.
Victoria’s Secret Angels took the world by
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The Angels, including household names like,
shareholders.
Tyra Banks and Heidi Klum, paved the way for the annual Victoria Secret Fashion Show
Aside from acquiring a roster of iconic
showcasing the most extravagant and over
Angels, Victoria’s Secret has expanded to
the top lingerie.
include PINK, accessories and branded cosmetics including scented lotions and
Today, L Brands has become the parent
perfumes.
company of Victoria’s Secret.
As a company, L Brands is committed to building a family of the world’s best fashion brands offering captivating customer experiences that drive long-term loyalty and deliver sustained growth for their
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TARGET CONSUMER Who is out core customer? Who are we marketing to?
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target consumer
T
he target customer for Victoria’s Secret is a woman between the ages of 21-49. Within this age demographic, their core customers are millennial women. Victoria’s
Secret customers can be defined as experiencers, achievers, believers and strivers. She shops at Victoria’s Secret because she wants to look and feel sexy for every occasion.
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Age:
25
Location:
Los Angeles, C al if or nia
Occupation:
model and phot ographer
i-d, glamour and anyt hing about Anna Nic o le Smit h MY Favorite song: Tinie Tempah’s “G ir ls Like” Fave reads:
vals segmentation:
Exper iencer and Achiever
Fave snapchat filter: On the weekends I:
my best fr iends bra style:
l ove dancing t he night away wit h
Longl ine Bralette
bra goals: My Sexy:
Fil m Noir
a stylish bra wit h great support
bel ongs t o me 14
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Age:
28
Location:
New York City, New York
Occupation: Fave reads:
Refinery29
Founder of Curvenvy
Blavity,Bauce Magazine and
MY Favorite song:
Rihanna’s “Work”
vals segmentation:
Striver and Experiencer
Fave snapchat filter:
Pink Flower Crown
love spending quality time my family and traveling the world On the weekends I:
bra style:
Dream Angel Multi-Way
bra goals: My Sexy:
a universal bra with changeable strap
is ingrained in me 16
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MARKET ANALYSIS a look into the market and where Victoria’s Secret ranks within the lingerie market
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SWOT ANALYSIS a comparison of the areas of strength, areas of weakness, potential for growth and threats
STRENGTHS
WEAKNESSES
• Strong Brand Recognition: Victoria’s Secret’s branding is easily recognizable
• InConsistent Mission Statement: Lack of promoting inclusivity throughout the brand aside from corporate culture
• Strong Customer Loyalty: IBISWorld analysts calculated Victoria’s Secret share of the lingerie market at 61.8%
• Poor Fit: Victoria’s Secret is know to have improper sizing on their bras resulting in ill-fitting bras
• omni-channel marketing: VS has a consistent brand identity across all their marking platforms • Fashion Show: Annual VS fashion show generated over 23 million views in spring of 2016
OPPORTUNITIES
THREATS
• Entering the Curve Market: The plussize market continues to grow and has been reported by Bloomberg to be over a $20.4 billion dollar industry
• Un-retouched Movement: Lingerie brands like Aerie focusing on embracing the real you as opposed to promoting unrealistic body standards.
• Collaboration: Opportunities to collaborate with public figures who align with VS brand identity
• All Size brands: Companies like Adore Me and Wacoal that offer pretty bras in an extensive size range • Foreign Competitors: Lingerie brands overseas often offer better ranges and size options by providing bras in both whole and half sizes.
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PERCEPTUAL ANALYSIS How are we ranking against our key competitors?
HIGH PRICE
LOW ACCESSIBILIT Y
HIGH ACCESSIBILIT Y
LOW PRICE
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COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS Who are we competing against? Which brands are pioneering the curve lingerie movement in the industry currently?
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ASHLEY GRAHAM “i
am size sexy”
Ashley Graham believes that beauty goes beyond size. Her consistent advocacy for body positivity and inclusivity for all body types in the media, makes her a huge competitor for Victoria Secret Curve. The Ashley Graham Lingerie Collection is available online at Nordstrom, Bare Necessities and Dillard’s. Size and Scope: ashley Graham’s Lingerie is available in both brick and mortar stores and through e-commerce sites including Nordstrom, Addition Elle and NAVABI. Current Campaign: The current campaign is “I am #SizeSexy” which advocates that all body sizes are sexy. 26
WACOAL “the
art and science of intimates�
Wacoal is a European lingerie brand that uses design engineering to produce bras that not only look beautiful but they fit well. Ranging from every day bras to decorative lingerie pieces, Wacoal HAS AN extensive size range going up to a size H. Size and Scope: Wacoal is available ON MULTIPLE PLATFORMS. Wacoal lingerie is can be purchased through their own branded site as well as through third party retailers like Nordstrom. Current Campaign: Wacoal is focusing on promoting their sportswear line, their new swim collection and their Bra of the Month. 27
ELOMI “beautiful
lingerie for the fuller figure�
Elomi is a European lingerie brand that focuses on promoting body confidence through their beautifully comfortable lingerie. Their bra construction provides their customer with the proper fit and support. Elomi’s extensive size range makes them a go-to brand because their bras and swimwear are offered up to a size J. Size and Scope: Elomi is available globally through a variety of stockists online as well as in-store. Some of the stockists include Nordstrom and Intimacy. Current Campaign: The current campaign for the brand is focused on promoting the latest collections for both the lingerie and swimwear categories. 28
LANE BRYANT “inspired
by
#thisbody”
Lane Bryant has womenswear and lingerie designed for full-figured women. Today, Lane Bryant is apart of the Ascena Retail Group, which owns DressBarn And continues to lead the market as an accessible curve brand for women in the United States. Size and Scope: Founded in 1901, Lane Bryant has over 830 brick and mortar stores located in the United States of America as well as e-commerce. Current Campaign: The current campaign is “Inspired by #ThisBody”. It features a collaboration with Prabal Gurung, advertising campaigns with Ashley Graham and Danielle Brooks of Orange Is The New Black as the spokesperson. 29
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CAPSULE COLLECTION the inspiration behind the 8 piece spring capsule collection
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the
EMBRACE
collection
summer/spring ‘17-’18
T
he debut capsule collection for Victoria’s Secret Curve will be entitled “Embrace”. The name symbolizes Victoria’s Secret’s mission to promote inclusivity in
retail, Additionally, by joining the body positive movement with a better product range, they will be embracing the everyday women who want to shop Victoria’s Secret. The color palette is inspired by organic images from nature and the over all message to love yourself. The color story will feature soft shades of pink, gray, purple, and green.
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capsule collection
Et h er ea l R o s e pa n to n e 1 6 9 c
l a dy l i l a c pa n to n e 679 c
sprig pa n to n e 74 8 5 c
sto n e pa n to n e c o o l g r ay 7 c
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TH E EM BR A C E C OLLECTION Designs by Molly Gildersleeve
perfect coverage bra high cut brief
SEXY LACE BODYSUIT
sexy sheer coverage bra lace trim thong
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SEXY TEE PERFECT COVERAGE bra lace trim cheekini
LONGLINE BRALETTE Lace shortie 37
dream angels multi-way cheekini
perfect coverage bra high cut brief
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SEXY LACE BODYSUIT
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sexy sheer coverage bra lace trim thong
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SEXY TEE PERFECT COVERAGE bra lace trim cheekini
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LONGLINE BRALETTE Lace shortie
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dream angels multi-way cheekini
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ASSORTMENT PLAN the assortment of capsule collection with pricing and size availability st yle
c o lo r
pric e
sizes
Pe r f e ct C ov e r ag e Bra
Ethereal Rose
$65.00
32DDD - 42HH
S he e r S e x y C ov e r ag e Bra
Ethereal Rose/ Lady Lilac
$75.00
32DDD - 42HH
Sexy Tee Pe r f e ct C ov e r ag e Bra L ong l i n e B r al e t t e
Sprig
$65.00
32DDD - 42HH
Ethereal Rose
$45.00
32DDD - 42HH
D re a m An g e l s M u l t i- Wa y
Sprig/Stone
$70.00
32DDD - 42HH
Sexy Lace B o d y Su it
Lady LILAC/ Sprig/Stone
$80.00
32DDD - 42HH
High-cut B r i ef
Ethereal Rose
$14.50
XL-3X
L ace - T r i m C he e k i n i
Sprig
$12.50
XL-3X
L ace - t r i m thong
Ethereal Rose/ Lady Lilac
$12.50
XL-3X
L ace Sho r t ie
Ethereal Rose
$14.50
XL-3X
C he e k i n i
Sprig/Stone
$12.50
XL - 3X
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MARKETING STRATEGY a look into how to market the collection to reach the targeted demographic
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e th meet . s l e ang summer/spring ‘17-’18
V
ictoria’s Secret Curve is all about increasing representation within the fashion industry but specifically within the lingerie sector. By introducing an extended
size range for Victoria’s Secret’s product, it essential to add new Angels into the current group. This not only will solidify Victoria’s Secret’s support for the #SexyForAll movement but will also bring in new customers from the followers of these influencers. These six women have all made an impact for body positivity in the fashion industry and would be a great addition to the existing Victoria’s Secret Angels.
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Flo ra Ki m
stefan ia ferrari o
model
model & artist
gabi fresh
nad ia abou lh osn
fashion designer
fashion designer
Osha Waiters
tabria majo rs
fashion photographer
Host of “the thick� 49
MARKETING PLAN
T
he launch marketing campaign for Victoria's Secret Curve is centered around the tagline
"My body, my sexy". The core of Victoria's Secret brand identity is about being sexy and loving the skin that you are in so it's key to carry this theme through to the Curve brand extension.
The purpose of "My body, my sexy." is to reclaim ownership over our bodies and to redefine "sexy" as uniquely our own.
The focus of the strategy will be placed on digital promotion and print graphics showcasing The Angels and the tagline.
INSTAGRAM: With over 52 million follower on the photo-based social media platform, Instagram is key to the marketing plan. All posts would be tagged with #MYBODYMYSEXY
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PRINT: Print media like billboards would make a huge statement for the new brand extension. These billboards would be placed in 4 key cities: Los Angeles, New York City, Miami and San Antonio.
WEB: It’s important to push the new campaign to the forefront of Victoria’s Secret’s digital platform during the launch to raise awareness of the new line. This is a mock layout for the landing page for the company website featuring Nadia Aboulhosn.
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FINAL THOUGHTS a summary on what I have learned through the creation of this collection
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final thoughts
I
believe that this capsule collection
representation. As a designer or marketing
would be an great addition to the
specialist, you have to keep your customer at
Victoria’s Secret franchise. Not only
the top of your priority list but that customer
would it bring in a new influx of customers
needs to be carried all throughout each step
into the store but it also starts to erase the
in the company.
perception that Victoria’s Secret’s product is only for skinner women.
I realized that in the curve industry, retailers are attempting to fill the need for extended
As the body positivity movement continues
bra sizes but then are using skinnier models
to grow, Victoria’s Secret will have to start
to showcase the product. In turn, the
shifting their marketing strategies to fit
women looking for the product do not know
today’s social climate. I feel that launching
that it’s designed for them because they are
Victoria’s Secret Curve would be an
not being represented in retail.
excellent way for the company to enter this new market.
Victoria’s Secret Curve has the potential to bridge the gap between curve and retail
The most important thing I learned
by not only having the product but by
throughout the development of this
representing the women it’s designed for on
collection, is the importance of
a global scale. 55
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