Who Founded Victoria's Secret
Victoria's Secret was founded by Roy Raymond, a Stanford Business School graduate, who launched the first store in 1977 in Palo Alto, California, to create a comfortable retail environment for men buying lingerie as gifts. Raymond's initial concept addressed the embarrassment men felt shopping in traditional department stores, and the brand name was inspired by the Victorian era's association with feminine elegance and secrecy. The business model focused on catalog sales and flagship stores featuring supermodel fashion shows, which became a cultural phenomenon from the 1990s onward. Raymond sold the company to Limited Brands in 1982, just five years after founding it, for an undisclosed sum that positioned him for future entrepreneurial ventures Forbes.
Limited Brands, now known as L Brands, acquired Victoria's Secret in 1982 and expanded the brand into a global lingerie and beauty retailer under the leadership of then-CEO Leslie Wexner. The company's revenue peaked at approximately $7.7 billion in 2016 before declining due to shifting consumer preferences and increased competition from brands like ThirdLove, Savage X Fenty, and Aerie. Victoria's Secret's market share in the U.S. intimate apparel segment dropped from a dominant position to a fraction of the market as the industry pivoted toward comfort, inclusivity, and diverse representation Forbes.
Corporate Ownership and Financial Structure
L Brands and the Victoria's Secret Separation
L Brands spun off Victoria's Secret as a separate publicly traded company in 2021 through a special-purpose acquisition company (SPAC) deal, allowing the lingerie brand to operate independently while L Brands retained a controlling interest in Bath & Body Works. The separation was structured to unlock value for shareholders by focusing Victoria's Secret on its core lingerie business and enabling a strategic turnaround plan led by new leadership. The SPAC transaction valued Victoria's Secret at approximately $1.1 billion at the time of the deal announcement, reflecting the brand's restructuring potential amid a challenging retail environment SEC EDGAR.
Victoria's Secret's parent company, now operating as Victoria's Secret & Co., trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol VSCO following the separation from L Brands. The company's financial reports show a focus on digital sales growth, international expansion, and product diversification to recover market share lost during the brand's period of declining relevance. The financial structure includes a portfolio of intimate apparel, sleepwear, and beauty products, with a strategic emphasis on direct-to-consumer channels and e-commerce platforms to reduce reliance on physical retail locations SEC EDGAR Filings.
Current Brand Position and Strategic Direction
Leadership and Rebranding Efforts
Victoria's Secret appointed Martin Waters as CEO in 2021 to lead the brand's post-separation strategy, which includes a shift toward inclusive marketing, expanded sizing, and a focus