Earlier this year, I published a long feature about Victoria’s Secret’s attempts to bring sexy—and its business—back.
Well, it’s official. Today, the retailer’s parent company Victoria’s Secret & Co. announced it would change its ticker on the New York Stock Exchange from VSCO to VSXY—or very sexy.
Re-embracing sexiness has been at the core of CEO Hillary Super’s turnaround strategy for the business. As I explored in February, Victoria’s Secret had struggled to find an identity in the years after cleaning up the mess left by former parent company L Brands, where founder Les Wexner had deep ties to Jeffrey Epstein and allegations of sexual harassment proliferated. After separating from L Brands and forming an independent public company, Victoria’s Secret tried an era of female empowerment and body positivity, without the glamor that ruled the runways for years. Super’s shift has been to bring back the flashiness and sparkle that characterized Victoria’s Secret’s dominance in the 2000s, without the baggage.
At the reimagined Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show in October, “Very Sexy” was a message emblazoned on everything from waiters’ aprons to macarons. And it’s one the retailer has continued to embrace.
