He built the kind of store he’d like to shop in- lots of wood paneled wall’s oriental rugs, Victorian vanities, and a helpful staff. Raymond’s idea was to sell lingerie in a setting that made men not feel like they are cross-dressers, by making them feel comfortable by employing sexy and friendly sales women who were there to help men pick out the right silk slips, lacy brassieres and underwear.
Business was so good that he opened three more stores and started a mail order catalog with beautiful models tooling around in their underwear.
In 1982, just five years after opening the first Victoria’s Secret in the Stanford Shopping Center across from the university, Raymond sold out to The Limited, which adhered closely to his formula as it expanded into shopping malls across the country.
Le Wexner, who founded The Limited clothing stores, took Victoria’s Secret to new heights by expanding the stores into shopping malls throughout the world.
In the 1990s, the company began hiring some of the most popular models to pose for their catalogs and ad campaigns.
In the fall of 1995, the Limited, attempting to lure stockholders to invest in its more profitable lingerie operations, spun off Victoria’s Secret as a separate unit, retaining 83 percent ownership and offering the rest for public ownership through a stock offering.
Victoria's Secret
