Victorias Secret

was founded in San Francisco, California, USA, in 1979 by Roy Raymond, who sold it in 1982 to The Limited Inc., and it is now owned by The Limited's successor company, Limited Brands. Plus Size Clothing

Since the takeover the company has been based in Columbus, Ohio, though it has at times sought to foster an image of being British. Raymond eventually committed suicide in 1993, jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge.

Victorias Secret sells: SLEEPWEAR, CLOTHING, SHOES and BEAUTY PRODUCTS. The store competes with Frederics of Hollywood.

The company made history in 1999 with the first televised appearance of the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. The web broadcast, one of the first mass market Internet programs, drew 1.5 million viewers, with many others unable to view the show. The fashion show was advertised on the Super Bowl. Annually, Victoria's Secret also stages a fashion show that is televised later in the year. The show is generally held in the New York Armory on Lexington Avenue, and attracts hundreds of celebrities and entertainers. In the past, most of the clothing exhibited was not available to the general public, but in 2005 the show was specifically redesigned to feature clothing available to the general public through the catalogue.

In July, 2004, company executives launched Victoria's Secret PINK, a lineup of loungewear, sleepwear, and intimate apparel geared towards college undergraduates. Alessandra Ambrosio was named the line's spokesperson. Pink models tour the country at college campuses. The company markets to youth through MySpace, partnerships with MTV, and youth-oriented blogs. In 2006, Ashlee Simpson was named as the spokesmodel for Pink, making it the first time that a non-model is a spokesperson of any VS brand. Victoria's Secret is considering building individual Pink stores in the future to further differentiate the brand and compete with other youth clothing brands such as Wet Seal and Forever 21.