Capstone: Victoria's Secret Curve

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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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�

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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.

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