[Chapter 371: Investing in Victoria's Secret]
In late April, while Linton was anxiously preparing for the Mission: Impossible movie, Heidi Klum returned to Los Angeles for a vacation, bringing news that greatly piqued Linton's interest.
Victoria's Secret was planning a major revamp and seeking funding to expand its shares.
When it came to Victoria's Secret, hardly anyone in the world hadn't heard of it. It was a brand that drove the whole world crazy. Women went wild for the sexy and alluring lingerie, while men went crazy dreaming of the women who could look even more irresistible in it.
Of course, the biggest craze was the annual Victoria's Secret Fashion Show -- twenty "Victoria's Secret Angels" strutted down the runway wearing barely-there lingerie, with angel wings on their backs, showcasing their incredible bodies and seductive lingerie.
Each show also invited the hottest movie stars from all over the globe, featuring special guest performers -- it was the ultimate extravaganza in the fashion world.
At its peak, the show's TV broadcast drew over 500 million viewers worldwide, second only to Super Bowl halftime show.
Every year, the fashion show sparked endless imagination among viewers, creating an aura of mystery and luxury around the product. Victoria's Secret gradually became synonymous with mystery, glamour, luxury, and indulgence.
The brand led not just fashion but a lifestyle. Victoria's Secret advocated the slogan: "Wear your lines, wear your charm, and wear your own secret sight."
In every annual fashion show, a unique "Fantasy Bra" was unveiled, worn by the year's top Angel supermodel. After the runway, the bra was auctioned off on the spot.
In the 2000 Victoria's Secret Show, when Gisele Bundchen closed the show wearing the Fantasy Bra, it was astonishingly auctioned for $15 million by a wealthy buyer. That solidified Victoria's Secret as a worldwide iconic brand.
Models all over the world considered becoming a Victoria's Secret Angel the ultimate honor.
The criteria for Angels were different from typical runway models in the European and American fashion circles. Unlike the skinny, almost skeletal, and often unusually featured runway models, Victoria's Secret Angels were all voluptuous with long legs and curvy figures, matching the global standard of beauty.
But this was the Victoria's Secret of the future.
At that time, Victoria's Secret was just a widely recognized lingerie retailer in the U.S., known mainly for sexy lingerie but not yet invested with any other cultural meanings.
The brand was born in 1978 on a California beach, sparked by a misunderstanding between a woman named Grace and a young man observing her. Thᴇ link to the origɪn of this information rᴇsts ɪn novel★fire.net
Legend has it that Grace Nichols, a beautiful British woman on vacation, caught a young man named Raymond secretly sketching her. After days of covert observation, she confronted him, snatched the drawing, and saw detailed sketches of her figure.
The misunderstanding unfolded -- Raymond explained he was searching for lingerie store name inspiration, while Grace, wary of him, lied that her name was Victoria.
Thus, from a beautiful misunderstanding, the brand Victoria's Secret was born.
It referenced the Victorian era, when women's clothes were layered and tightly secured; the secrets beneath the skirt inspired curiosity and voyeuristic desire.
Raymond wanted his store and products to reflect that Victorian boudoir scene. Following this idea, he designed lingerie that revealed the secret charms of Victorian women.
Unexpectedly, the lingerie line became wildly popular among young women.
However, the company's growth was slow and steady until 1991, when the visionary businessman Les Wexner acquired Victoria's Secret, becoming its new leader.
Under Wexner's stewardship, the brand focused heavily on marketing and promotion, hosting numerous annual Victoria's Secret lingerie shows.
Victoria's Secret development entered the fast lane. By last year, it had over 500 stores nationwide and sales surpassing $1 billion.
Wexner believed Victoria's Secret could offer much more cultural value -- not just dominating the mass women's market but also taking over the wardrobes of upscale women and expanding globally, becoming a leading brand for women's "inner beauty."
For this reason, he planned a large-scale financing round to raise capital and overhaul the brand with fresh elements.
His primary targets for investment were those who could bring value to Victoria's Secret.
Entertainment and fashion had long been intertwined, especially with Hollywood's global influence. As one of the top directors, movie stars, and music icons, Linton's works easily reached worldwide audiences, making him a major influencer in Hollywood.
Naturally, Wexner's eyes turned to Linton as the perfect investor for Victoria's Secret's expansion.
Heidi Klum, as a top supermodel, was already Victoria's Secret's close partner. And with Linton backing her, it was impossible for anyone with an agenda to miss the connection.
So Wexner specially asked Heidi to pass along the news to Linton about the financing opportunity, hoping to spark his interest.
After hearing Heidi's introduction and then being asked if he had any interest, Linton was silently laughing inside.
"Absolutely interested -- more than interested. Help me reply to Wexner that I'm very keen and will arrange for someone to discuss detailed cooperation tomorrow."
Victoria's Secret's development was beyond imagination -- its influence broke all boundaries, and its valuation soared. This was a sure-fire investment.
Even just for the Angels, it was totally worth it. Each Victoria's Secret Angel was a stunning beauty.
Becoming a major shareholder meant these top Angels -- Adriana Lima, Gisele Bündchen, Alessandra Ambrosio, Miranda Kerr, Irina Shayk, Behati Prinsloo, Doutzen Kroes, Candice Swanepoel, Karlie Kloss, and many more -- would practically be under his wing.
What about Leonardo DiCaprio? Sorry, buddy, you'll have to wait your turn.
Thinking of this, he didn't hesitate and immediately informed Winnie and Goodman to represent him and head to Victoria's Secret's headquarters in Columbus, Ohio, to discuss investment matters with Wexner.
Heidi saw Linton's decisiveness, thinking it was because of her, and was over the moon. She immediately threw herself into Linton's arms to plant a kiss on him.
"Darling, you're too good to me. How can I ever thank you?"
Sweet and joyful singing echoed through the building...
The collaboration between Linton and Wexner was a perfect match of mutual desire. Soon, they finalized the investment deal.
Victoria's Secret was valued at $800 million, with the financing round raising $200 million, boosting its total valuation to $1 billion.
Linton invested $150 million to acquire 15% of Victoria's Secret, becoming the company's second-largest shareholder.
To broaden the influence, Wexner flew to Los Angeles and, at the Hilton Hotel in Hollywood, signed the cooperation agreement with Linton in front of countless media.
News quickly spread across America and even internationally that a top Hollywood director and superstar had invested in Victoria's Secret.
This instantly added a halo to the brand and significantly boosted its popularity.
After signing, Linton had an in-depth conversation with Wexner and summarized three key points for Victoria's Secret's future success, based on its later achievements:
1. Invest heavily in assembling a professional squad of Victoria's Secret Angels, but the models must match global aesthetic preferences -- curvy, with ample figures and long legs. In short, sexy enough to make women jealous and men stand up. They must avoid the typical stiff-faced, skinny supermodels seen in fashion.
2. Find peak moments to launch professional Victoria's Secret Angel lingerie shows -- such as the Super Bowl halftime, NBA Finals halftime, or the Oscars red carpet.
3. After building fame, hold a grand annual Victoria's Secret Angel lingerie fashion show, inviting the hottest stars globally, signing contracts with TV networks worldwide, creating a unique fashion event that spreads Victoria's Secret's cultural fashion ideals.
These suggestions struck a chord with Wexner, who admired Linton as a genius among geniuses and promised to make these three strategies the company's next major initiatives.
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