Victoria’s Secret: From 1995 To 2013 (part 1)

While we are waiting for the great Victoria’s Secret Show, here are pictures from every show from the past 18 years. Victoria Secret was founded by Roy Raymond and his wife Gaye, in San Francisco, California on June 12, 1977. Eight years before founding Victoria’s Secret, Raymond has been embarrassed when purchasing lingerie for his wife at a department store. Looking back at the even Raymond declared: “When i tried to buy lingerie for my wife I was faced with racks of terry-cloth robes and ugly floral-print nylon nightgowns, and I always had the feeling the department store saleswomen thought I was an unwelcome intruder.”

Raymond studied the lingerie market for eight years before borrowing $40,000 from his parents and $40,000 from a bank to establish Victoria’s Secret: a store men could feel comfortable buying lingerie.The company’s first store was located in Stanford Shopping Center in Palo Alto, California.

Raymond’s philosophy of focusing on selling lingerie to male customers became increasingly unprofitable and Victoria’s Secret headed for bankruptcy.In 1982 it had grown to six stores, a 42-page catalogue, and was grossing $6 million annually. Raymond sold Victoria’s Secret Inc. to Leslie Wexner, creator of Limited Stores Incof Columbus, Ohio, for $4 million.

In 1983 Leslie Wexner revamped Victoria’s Secret. He discarded the money-losing model of selling lingerie to male customers and replaced it with one that focused on women. Victoria’s Secret transformed from “more burlesque than Main Street” to a mainstay that sold broadly accepted underwear. And that is how everything started.

Feast your eyes on the wonder that is Victoria’s Secret.

Stephanie Seymour at a fitting before the 1995 Victoria’s Secret show, which was a small affair.

Veronica Webb takes to the catwalk for the first annual Victoria’s show on August 1, 1995, at The Plaza Hotel in New York.

Naomi Campbell on the catwalk for the 1996 Victoria’s Secret show.

Helena Christensen in the 1996 Victoria’s Secret show.

Veronica Webb in a demure creation at the 1995 Victoria’s Secret show.

Tyra Banks on the catwalk for the 1996 Victoria’s Secret show.

Stephanie Seymour in the 1996 Victoria’s Secret show.

Karen Mulder on the catwalk for the 1996 Victoria’s Secret show.

Tyra Banks getting fitted for the Victoria’s Secret fashion show at the Grand Ballroom of the Plaza Hotel in 1996.

Naomi Campbell getting ready backstage at the Victoria’s Secret fashion show, at the Plaza Hotel in New York, in 1996.

Stephanie Seymour in the 1996 Victoria’s Secret show.

Naomi Campbell backstage at the second annual show, in 1996.

Heidi Klum on the catwalk for the 1997 Victoria’s Secret show.

Naomi Campbell on the catwalk at the Victoria’s Secret show in 1997.

Claudia Schiffer on the catwalk for the 1997 Victoria’s Secret show.

Naomi Campbell reminds us what it means to be a supermodel on the catwalk in 1997.

Rebecca Romijn during the third Annual Victoria’s Secret show in February, 1997.

Naomi Campbell looks ready for a fight (in a good way) on the 1997 catwalk.

Victoria’s Secret model Laetitia Casta during the 1997 catwalk show.

Tom Jones poses with models Karen Mulder, Tyra Banks, Eva Herzigova and Stephanie Seymour at the after party following the 1997 Victoria’s Secret show.

Karen Mulder wings it at the Victoria’s Secret fashion show in 1998 at the Plaza Hotel.

Bridget Hall on the catwalk at the Victoria’s Secret show in 1998.

Kirsty Hume backstage before the 1999 Victoria’s Secret fashion show.

Carmen Kass in wings and a basque at the 1998 show.

Heidi Klum on the catwalk at the fifth annual show in 1999.

Former model, now actress, Jaime King takes to the catwalk in 1999.

Gisele Bundchen makes her Victoria’s Secret debut, aged just 19, at the 1999 show.

Eva Herzigova takes to the catwalk in 1999.

Kirsty Hume wears the 1999 version of Angel wings at the Victoria’s Secret show.

Carmen Kass in wings and a basque at the 1998 show.

The 1999 show finale.

Tyra Banks takes to the catwalk for the 2000 show, held during the amFAR benefit party in Cannes in May.

Gisele Bundchen wearing pale blue sequins for the 2000 show.

Trish Goff on the catwalk for the Victoria’s Secret show in 2000.

Adriana Lima – who is still an Angel today – takes to the catwalk for the second year, in 2000, aged just 19.

Eva Herzigova leads the way in gold at the 2000 Victoria’s Secret show.

Gisele Bundchen wears the 2000 ruby Fantasy Bra as she poses with her dog backstage.

The 2000 Victoria’s Secret show finale.

Bridget Hall in golden wings at the 2001 show.

Heidi Klum trying her wings ahead of the 2001 Victoria’s Secret show.

Molly Sims on the Victoria’s Secret catwalk for the 2001 show.

Alessandra Ambrosio – who is still an Angel now – on the 2001 catwalk, her second appearance.

Fernanda Tavares takes to the catwalk in 2001.

Model Alek Wek on the Victoria’s Secret catwalk in 2001.

Gisele Bundchen in wings and knee-high boots at the 2001 show.

Destiny’s Child perform at the Victoria’s Secret show in 2002.

Karolina Kurkova sports some silver fringing at the 2001 show.

Related articles

• Taylor Swift Performing At The 2013 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show (hollywoodlife.com)
• Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show-Behind The Curtain (astairwaytofashion.com)