A year later, the New York Times accused him of sexually harassing models and bullying employees when he worked at the company. Razek with Weinstein, Klum, and Banks in Cannes. Wexner claims that he had no knowledge of Epstein’s conduct. After the incident, Arden filed a sexual battery report with the police, but Epstein was never charged. Arden claims that he lured her to a Los Angeles hotel with the premise of hiring her to model for the Victoria’s Secret Catalog. Model and actress Alicia Arden says she was sexually assaulted by Epstein in 1997. Epstein Allegedly Posed as a Victoria’s Secret Model ScoutĮpstein reportedly used his ties to the lingerie brand to prey on women. Epstein later used the jet, which tabloids dubbed the “Lolita Express,” to traffick underage girls between his homes in Palm Beach, New Mexico, and his private island, Little St. It was later described as Epstein’s “ house of horrors,” as he was accused of sexually abusing minors in the home.Īccording to the docuseries, Epstein also purchased his Boeing 727 from Wexner’s The Limited.

Many high-profile guests visited Epstein at the mansion, located at 9 East 71st St. Eventually, some of the biggest names in fashion (like Naomi Campbell, Claudia Schiffer, and Karen Mulder) were lining up to model Victoria’s Secret lingerie.Įpstein’s former New York City residence. This all changed in the ’90s when supermodel Stephanie Seymour appeared in the Victoria’s Secret Catalog. “If you were a Victoria’s Secret contract girl, that meant your high-fashion days were over.It was basically where models went to die,” said the brand’s former casting director James Scully. In fact, the company originally struggled to find models. Tyra Banks, Heidi Klum, and Gisele Bündchen became household names thanks to Victoria’s Secret, but posing for the brand wasn’t always lucrative. Victoria’s Secret Was Once Considered a Graveyard for Models In order to keep up with demand, L Brands began outsourcing manufacturing to low-wage factories in China-a practice that’s now considered commonplace for many popular retailers. To get customers hooked, Wexner made sure his stores had inventory that was constantly revolving.

Wexner’s stores dominated the American shopping mall (remember those?). Wexner further expanded his business by acquiring brands like Victoria’s Secret, Abercrombie & Fitch, and Lane Bryant. By the 1970s, The Limited became a national chain with more than 100 stores across the United States. Wexner founded his first clothing store, The Limited, in 1963. “The founder, the leader of us all was speaking.” Wexner Invented Fast Fashion “There was this tremendous adoration,” said Fedus-Fields. Annual company-wide meetings resembled megachurch services when Wexner spoke, his image was projected onto billboard-sized screens as thousands of cheering employees looked on. “People used to say that working at Victoria’s Secret was a cult,” said Cindy Fedus-Fields, the former CEO of the Victoria’s Secret Catalog.

Play icon The triangle icon that indicates to play Some Employees Described Victoria’s Secret as Cultlike

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