Victoria’s Secret storefront.Photo: Bob Levey/Getty Images
For the report, published on Saturday, theTimesspoke with over 30 current and former executives, employees and models.
Alyssa Miller, who occasionally modeled for the brand, told the Times that Razek’s attitude towards models was: “I can make you or break you.”
Model Andi Muise, who had participated in the fashion show for two consecutive years, told theTimesthat in 2007, when she was 19, she repeatedly rebuffed Razek’s advances. Then, she was not cast in the next year’s show.
Multiple people who spoke to theTimesalso claimed that Razek would sometimes ask models for their phone numbers while they were in their underwear.
“What was most alarming to me, as someone who was always raised as an independent woman, was just how ingrained this behavior was,” Casey Crowe Taylor, a former public relations employee, told theTimes.“This abuse was just laughed off and accepted as normal. It was almost like brainwashing. And anyone who tried to do anything about it wasn’t just ignored. They were punished.”
Les Wexner and Ed Razek.Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images
Bella Hadid, who participated in the fashion show several times, was also mentioned in the report. During a 2018 fitting, while the model was being measured for underwear, Razek allegedly said “forget the panties” and went on to remark about her “perfect” breasts, theTimesreported.
Razek denied the allegations, telling theTimesin an email that “the accusations in this reporting are categorically untrue, misconstrued or taken out of context,” adding, “I’ve been fortunate to work with countless, world-class models and gifted professionals and take great pride in the mutual respect we have for each other.”
A rep for Hadid did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
David Fisher/REX/Shutterstock
L Brands spokeswoman Tammy Roberts Myers released a statement to theTimessaying the company was “fully committed to continuous improvement and complete accountability.”
“We regret any instance where we did not achieve this objective,” she added in the statement. Myers did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
A spokesperson for Wexner declined to comment to theTimes.
Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show.Nicholas Hunt/Getty Images
Some of those photos were released in a 2014 coffee book titleAngels, which currentlysells for over $1,000 on his website.
James’ lawyer Martin Singer told theTimesthat all of the women featured in the book approved of the use of their images and that models were not required to pose for the photographer.
Singer did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
source: people.com
