Victoria’s Secret is an American designer, manufacturer, and marketer of women’s premium lingerie, womenswear and beauty products. The brand, known for its lingerie for females, has been a retail powerhouse for years since being founded by Roy Raymond, an American businessman, in 1977.
Every November in New York, fantasy becomes a reality when several of the world’s most beautiful women take to the catwalk in stunning lingerie for the famous Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show. But there are many surprising facts of the company that may not be so well known as its recognizable products.
Here are some interesting Victoria’s Secret business facts you probably didn’t know.
1. The History Of Victoria’s Secret
We always have wondered who Victoria is and why she has a secret. It all started when businessman Roy Raymond went to a department store to buy his wife something nice, only to find saleswomen watching his every move, he told Newsweek back in 1981. To open the store, he took a $40,000 bank loan and borrowed $40,000 from his parents to found Victoria’s Secret. He wanted to make a lingerie business that not only made men feel comfortable buying lingerie for their wives and significant others, but also carried attractive lingerie.
2. There was no Victoria
Raymond picked the name Victoria to associate with the refinement of the Victorian era. The Secret was what was hidden underneath the clothes.
3. There was a fake headquarters
To keep up the upscale, British-influenced image, the company used to list its address on catalogs as “no. 10 Margaret Street, London” even though the company was actually headquartered in Columbus, Ohio.