Victoria’s Secret - Angels and Demons review: The unholy nexus between fashion, money and powerful men

3/5

Story: The three-part documentary examines how Leslie Wexner, the founder of L Brands Inc, bought the lingerie brand Victoria’s Secret and turned it into a billion-dollar company. A growth that hinged on disturbing definitions of sexy. More importantly, it attempts to figure out how convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein came to be an integral part of Wexner’s life.

Review: When you sit down to watch a documentary about one of the world’s most popular lingerie brands, Victoria’s Secret, the expectation is either for a lot of behind-the-scenes footage of its famous Angel ramp walks and the impossible standards of body image that’s projected, or reportage about the wild side of the fashion world. The three-part Hulu original documentary, which LionsgatePlay has now brought to India is a lot murkier – at its core it is about the rise and slight fall of Victoria’s Secret, but the layers surrounding it are about its owner and longest-serving CEO Leslie Wexner and his strange connection to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The makers speak to former employees of the brand, models, journalists, among others, to present the story of the inner workings of Victoria’s Secret.

For very many years, the high-point of a model’s life would be to get on to the Victoria’s Secret catalogue, or, better still, get to wear the wings as a Victoria’s Secret Angel. But that meant adhering to body standards dictated as ‘sexy’ by the men running the company, in simpler terms, it was a about being tall and skinny, yet curvy in the right places. Everything was hyper-sexualised, including their exclusive range for teenagers and tweens.

If that doesn’t sound problematic enough, what is worse is that Les Wexner’s financial advisor, who also held Power of Attorney privileges for a long time, was Jeffrey Epstein, the former financier, who was convicted of sexual abuse and sex trafficking of underage girls. But the question, as to why Wexner would give Epstein such unfettered access to both his personal and company finances, remains unanswered. How and why did Epstein go on to have such a hold on Wexner, pushing out anyone who stood between them, including the latter’s mother, Bella?

Although Epstein never officially worked for Victoria’s Secret, he posed as a talent scouting agent for the lingerie brand, which he is believed to have used to take advantage of aspiring models. The Wexner connect allowed him to legally fly in young girls from across the world, on what was called the Lolita Express; a jet he bought from Wexner at below market rate.

In fact, Model and actress Alicia Arden, who’d done work for a lot of brands but not Victoria’s Secret, met Epstein in his hotel room in the hope of making the cut. What she didn’t bargain for was that she’d be expected to strip down to her undergarments and walk in front of him, only to then have him grope her behind. Alicia filed a police report later, claiming Epstein attempted to undress her, among others; but he denied these allegations.

Verdict: The documentary presents a bunch of uneasy questions, most of which remain unanswered because Wexner did not deign to speak to the makers to present his version of events. It is still an interesting watch if you’ve, at some point, been fascinated by the diamante-studded, lacy pieces of lingerie and the stunning women trotting down the ramp in those skimpy outfits.