Showing posts with label style. Show all posts
Showing posts with label style. Show all posts

Wednesday, June 24, 2015

AMANDA CERNY IN BIKINI PHOTOSHOOT FOR 138 WATER HD WALLPAPER

AMANDA CERNY IN BIKINI PHOTOSHOOT FOR 138 WATER HD WALLPAPER :

MODEL AMANDA CERNY  BIRTHDAY June 26, 1991 BIRTHPLACE Pennsylvania AGE 23 years old BIRTH SIGN Cancer  ABOUT Fitness professional, television personality, and founder of Play Foundation who has a strong online presence on both YouTube and Vine. She reached 1 million Vine followers by July of 2014. BEFORE FAME She is a former Playboy Playmate of the Month for the month of October in 2011. TRIVIA She was a cover model for Health & Wellness magazine. FAMILY LIFE She was born in Pittsburgh and later moved to Los Angeles, California. ASSOCIATED WITH She has collaborated with Rudy Mancuso on Vine videos.
AMANDA CERNY IN BIKINI PHOTOSHOOT FOR 138 WATER HD WALLPAPER
MODEL AMANDA CERNY
BIRTHDAY June 26, 1991
BIRTHPLACE Pennsylvania
AGE 23 years old
BIRTH SIGN Cancer

ABOUT
Fitness professional, television personality, and founder of Play Foundation who has a strong online presence on both YouTube and Vine. She reached 1 million Vine followers by July of 2014.
BEFORE FAME
She is a former Playboy Playmate of the Month for the month of October in 2011.
TRIVIA
She was a cover model for Health & Wellness magazine.
FAMILY LIFE
She was born in Pittsburgh and later moved to Los Angeles, California.
ASSOCIATED WITH
She has collaborated with Rudy Mancuso on Vine videos.

Tags : Amanda Cerny, 138 Water, HD Wallpaper, Bikini, Fashion, Beauty, Wallpaper, Style, Model, Supermodel

Saturday, June 06, 2015

CANDICE SWANEPOEL HD WALLPAPER QUEEN OF VICTORIA'S SECRET BIOGRAPHY

CANDICE SWANEPOEL HD WALLPAPER QUEEN OF VICTORIA'S SECRET :

Candice Swanepoel  Born  October 20, 1988 (age 24) Mooi River, Natal Province, South Africa Height 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) Hair color Dark blonde Eye color Blue Measurements (US) 33-23-34.5 (EU) 84-59-88 Dress size (US) 0-2 ; (EU) 32-34 ; (UK) 4-6 Manager Ice Model Management IMG Models Why Not Model Agency Modelwerk Website Official web site : www.candiceswanepoel.com   Candice Swanepoel (born 20 October 1988) is a South African model best known for her work with Victoria's Secret. In 2012, she came in 10th on the Forbes top-earning models list.  Career   Candice Swanepoel was spotted by a model scout in a Durban flea market at age 15. Swanepoel's resume includes covers for Australian, Greek, Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese and Italian Vogue, Brazilian, German and South African ELLE, British, South African, Romanian, Mexican and Chinese GQ, Turkish, Spanish, Russian, Czech and Argentinian Harper's Bazaar, i-D, Lush and Ocean Drive (U.S.) and advertisements for Nike, Diesel, Guess?, Tommy Hilfiger, Tom Ford, Prabal Gurung, Swarovski, Colcci, True Religion, Ralph Lauren, Miu Miu, Juicy Couture and Versace. Swanepoel has walked the runway for Tommy Hilfiger, Dolce and Gabbana, Michael Kors, Donna Karan, Giambattista Valli, Jason Wu, Prabal Gurung, Rag & Bone, Oscar de la Renta, Fendi, Chanel, Elie Saab, Diane von Fürstenberg, Sportmax, Betsey Johnson, Stella McCartney, Viktor and Rolf, Givenchy, Jean Paul Gaultier, Christian Dior, Blumarine and numerous other designers, as well as for Victoria's Secret since 2007. In addition to appearing in the lingerie brand's commercials, she was a featured model in the 2010 "SWIM" catalog, along with Lindsay Ellingson, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Behati Prinsloo and Erin Heatherton.In 2010, Swanepoel became a Victoria's Secret Angel. Swanepoel modeled for the Kardashians' 2010 swimwear line. On 12 August 2010 Swanepoel officially opened the first Victoria's Secret retail store in Canada, at West Edmonton Mall, Edmonton. In 2013, Swanepoel was named the cover model of the coveted Victoria's Secret Swim Catalogue.  Popularity  Swanepoel was voted #61 in 2010 and #62 in 2011 in FHM's annual "100 Sexiest Women in the World" poll and #31 in 2012 Maxim's "Hot 100 List".  Wealth  Swanepoel made her debut at No. 10 on Forbes' The World's Top-Earning Models list, with estimated earnings of $3 million between 2010 and 2011.  Personal life   Swanepoel was born and raised in a small town called Mooi River in Natal Province, South Africa. She is fluent in Afrikaans and Portuguese, which she learned from her boyfriend, Hermann Nicoli, a Brazilian male model. She has been dating him since she met him in Paris when she was 17. Candice Swanepoel is close friends with fellow African and Victoria's Secret Angel Behati Prinsloo and British model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley.  References    a b c d e f g Profile at Fashion Model Directory  Solomon, Brian (14 June 2012). "The World's Highest Paid Models". Forbes.com. Forbes.com LLC. Retrieved 2012-06-20.  "Mooiriver magic". Carte Blanche. 2005-05-29. Retrieved 2008-01-06.  Go Behind the Scenes of the Victoria's Secret Swim Catalog! ETonline.com.  Supermodel to open Edmonton Victoria’s Secret edmontonjournal.com  Candice Swanepoel at FHM.com, 2011-02-04.  http://www.maxim.com/hot-100/2012  and Steven Bertoni, Keren Blankfeld (5 May 2011). "The World's Top-Earning Models". forbes. Retrieved 11 May 2011.  Born (New York Magazine) and raised (Daily Mail)  "'Pretendo morar no Brasil', conta a angel Candice Swanepoel.Confira!" (in Portuguese). 180graus. 29 January 2011. Retrieved 20 August 2011.  "?Candice Swanepoel para WLM??". YouTube. Retrieved 2011-07-03.  "GQ South Africa". Img208.imagevenue.com. Retrieved 2011-07-03.
CANDICE SWANEPOEL HD WALLPAPER QUEEN OF VICTORIA'S SECRET

Candice Swanepoel

Born October 20, 1988 (age 24)
Mooi River, Natal Province, South Africa
Height 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Hair color Dark blonde
Eye color Blue
Measurements (US) 33-23-34.5
(EU) 84-59-88
Dress size (US) 0-2 ; (EU) 32-34 ; (UK) 4-6
Manager Ice Model Management
IMG Models
Why Not Model Agency
Modelwerk
Website Official web site : www.candiceswanepoel.com


Candice Swanepoel (born 20 October 1988) is a South African model best known for her work with Victoria's Secret. In 2012, she came in 10th on the Forbes top-earning models list.

Career 

Candice Swanepoel was spotted by a model scout in a Durban flea market at age 15.
Swanepoel's resume includes covers for Australian, Greek, Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese and Italian Vogue, Brazilian, German and South African ELLE, British, South African, Romanian, Mexican and Chinese GQ, Turkish, Spanish, Russian, Czech and Argentinian Harper's Bazaar, i-D, Lush and Ocean Drive (U.S.) and advertisements for Nike, Diesel, Guess?, Tommy Hilfiger, Tom Ford, Prabal Gurung, Swarovski, Colcci, True Religion, Ralph Lauren, Miu Miu, Juicy Couture and Versace. Swanepoel has walked the runway for Tommy Hilfiger, Dolce and Gabbana, Michael Kors, Donna Karan, Giambattista Valli, Jason Wu, Prabal Gurung, Rag & Bone, Oscar de la Renta, Fendi, Chanel, Elie Saab, Diane von Fürstenberg, Sportmax, Betsey Johnson, Stella McCartney, Viktor and Rolf, Givenchy, Jean Paul Gaultier, Christian Dior, Blumarine and numerous other designers, as well as for Victoria's Secret since 2007. In addition to appearing in the lingerie brand's commercials, she was a featured model in the 2010 "SWIM" catalog, along with Lindsay Ellingson, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Behati Prinsloo and Erin Heatherton.In 2010, Swanepoel became a Victoria's Secret Angel. Swanepoel modeled for the Kardashians' 2010 swimwear line. On 12 August 2010 Swanepoel officially opened the first Victoria's Secret retail store in Canada, at West Edmonton Mall, Edmonton. In 2013, Swanepoel was named the cover model of the coveted Victoria's Secret Swim Catalogue.

Popularity 
Swanepoel was voted #61 in 2010 and #62 in 2011 in FHM's annual "100 Sexiest Women in the World" poll and #31 in 2012 Maxim's "Hot 100 List".

Wealth 
Swanepoel made her debut at No. 10 on Forbes' The World's Top-Earning Models list, with estimated earnings of $3 million between 2010 and 2011.

Personal life 

Swanepoel was born and raised in a small town called Mooi River in Natal Province, South Africa. She is fluent in Afrikaans and Portuguese, which she learned from her boyfriend, Hermann Nicoli, a Brazilian male model. She has been dating him since she met him in Paris when she was 17.
Candice Swanepoel is close friends with fellow African and Victoria's Secret Angel Behati Prinsloo and British model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley.

References 

 a b c d e f g Profile at Fashion Model Directory
 Solomon, Brian (14 June 2012). "The World's Highest Paid Models". Forbes.com. Forbes.com LLC. Retrieved 2012-06-20.
 "Mooiriver magic". Carte Blanche. 2005-05-29. Retrieved 2008-01-06.
 Go Behind the Scenes of the Victoria's Secret Swim Catalog! ETonline.com.
 Supermodel to open Edmonton Victoria’s Secret edmontonjournal.com
 Candice Swanepoel at FHM.com, 2011-02-04.
 http://www.maxim.com/hot-100/2012
 and Steven Bertoni, Keren Blankfeld (5 May 2011). "The World's Top-Earning Models". forbes. Retrieved 11 May 2011.
 Born (New York Magazine) and raised (Daily Mail)
 "'Pretendo morar no Brasil', conta a angel Candice Swanepoel.Confira!" (in Portuguese). 180graus. 29 January 2011. Retrieved 20 August 2011.
 "?Candice Swanepoel para WLM??". YouTube. Retrieved 2011-07-03.

 "GQ South Africa". Img208.imagevenue.com. Retrieved 2011-07-03.


Saturday, May 09, 2015

CANDICE SWANEPOEL CLOSE UP VICTORIA'S SECRET WALLPAPER

CANDICE SWANEPOEL CLOSE UP VICTORIA'S SECRET WALLPAPER:



PLUS CANDICE SWANEPOEL CLOSE UP VICTORIA'S SECRET WALLPAPER.jpg
Date: Dec 10, 2014, 9:48 PM

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Candice Swanepoel

Born October 20, 1988 (age 24)
Mooi River, Natal Province, South Africa
Height 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Hair color Dark blonde
Eye color Blue
Measurements (US) 33-23-34.5
(EU) 84-59-88
Dress size (US) 0-2 ; (EU) 32-34 ; (UK) 4-6
Manager Ice Model Management
IMG Models
Why Not Model Agency
Modelwerk
Website Official web site : www.candiceswanepoel.com


Candice Swanepoel (born 20 October 1988) is a South African model best known for her work with Victoria's Secret. In 2012, she came in 10th on the Forbes top-earning models list.

Career

Candice Swanepoel was spotted by a model scout in a Durban flea market at age 15.
Swanepoel's resume includes covers for Australian, Greek, Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese and Italian Vogue, Brazilian, German and South African ELLE, British, South African, Romanian, Mexican and Chinese GQ, Turkish, Spanish, Russian, Czech and Argentinian Harper's Bazaar, i-D, Lush and Ocean Drive (U.S.) and advertisements for Nike, Diesel, Guess?, Tommy Hilfiger, Tom Ford, Prabal Gurung, Swarovski, Colcci, True Religion, Ralph Lauren, Miu Miu, Juicy Couture and Versace. Swanepoel has walked the runway for Tommy Hilfiger, Dolce and Gabbana, Michael Kors, Donna Karan, Giambattista Valli, Jason Wu, Prabal Gurung, Rag & Bone, Oscar de la Renta, Fendi, Chanel, Elie Saab, Diane von Fürstenberg, Sportmax, Betsey Johnson, Stella McCartney, Viktor and Rolf, Givenchy, Jean Paul Gaultier, Christian Dior, Blumarine and numerous other designers, as well as for Victoria's Secret since 2007. In addition to appearing in the lingerie brand's commercials, she was a featured model in the 2010 "SWIM" catalog, along with Lindsay Ellingson, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Behati Prinsloo and Erin Heatherton.In 2010, Swanepoel became a Victoria's Secret Angel. Swanepoel modeled for the Kardashians' 2010 swimwear line. On 12 August 2010 Swanepoel officially opened the first Victoria's Secret retail store in Canada, at West Edmonton Mall, Edmonton. In 2013, Swanepoel was named the cover model of the coveted Victoria's Secret Swim Catalogue.

Popularity
Swanepoel was voted #61 in 2010 and #62 in 2011 in FHM's annual "100 Sexiest Women in the World" poll and #31 in 2012 Maxim's "Hot 100 List".

Wealth
Swanepoel made her debut at No. 10 on Forbes' The World's Top-Earning Models list, with estimated earnings of $3 million between 2010 and 2011.

Personal life

Swanepoel was born and raised in a small town called Mooi River in Natal Province, South Africa. She is fluent in Afrikaans and Portuguese, which she learned from her boyfriend, Hermann Nicoli, a Brazilian male model. She has been dating him since she met him in Paris when she was 17.
Candice Swanepoel is close friends with fellow African and Victoria's Secret Angel Behati Prinsloo and British model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley.

References

 a b c d e f g Profile at Fashion Model Directory
 Solomon, Brian (14 June 2012). "The World's Highest Paid Models". Forbes.com. Forbes.com LLC. Retrieved 2012-06-20.
 "Mooiriver magic". Carte Blanche. 2005-05-29. Retrieved 2008-01-06.
 Go Behind the Scenes of the Victoria's Secret Swim Catalog! ETonline.com.
 Supermodel to open Edmonton Victoria’s Secret edmontonjournal.com
 Candice Swanepoel at FHM.com, 2011-02-04.
 http://www.maxim.com/hot-100/2012
 and Steven Bertoni, Keren Blankfeld (5 May 2011). "The World's Top-Earning Models". forbes. Retrieved 11 May 2011.
 Born (New York Magazine) and raised (Daily Mail)
 "'Pretendo morar no Brasil', conta a angel Candice Swanepoel.Confira!" (in Portuguese). 180graus. 29 January 2011. Retrieved 20 August 2011.
 "?Candice Swanepoel para WLM??". YouTube. Retrieved 2011-07-03.
 "GQ South Africa". Img208.imagevenue.com. Retrieved 2011-07-03.

Original enclosures:


Saturday, September 13, 2014

PHOTO GALLERY Ralph Lauren Black Label New Arrivals

Ralph Lauren Black Label New Arrivals:

Fall is just around the corner (unfortunately), and you can't help but notice that stores are already putting out their fall merchandise.  I dropped into Ralph Lauren, and of course...I've found some fabulous pieces from the amazing American designer.   This is a collection of some of the new arrivals for pre-fall 2014, from the Ralph Lauren Black Label Collection.  There are stunning and glamorous additions, showing luxe leopard prints, along with rich shades of camel.  So many sleek, modern pieces, to add to your fall wardrobe! Enjoy!!
Black Label Haircalf-Trim Farrah Dress
Black Label Stretch-Wool Lana Pant
Black Label Stretch-Wool Lana Pant

Black Label Stretch-Leather Abbey Pant
Black Label Stretch-Leather Abbey Pant
Ralph Lauren Soft Ricky Bag

Black Label Camel-Hair Dabney Jacket
Black Label Stretch-Leather Abbey Pant
Black Label Leather-Trim Winton Dress
Ralph Lauren Soft Ricky Bag
Black Label Bonded-Leather Vivien Jacket
Black Label Bonded-Leather Vivien Jacket
**ALL IMAGES VIA RALPH LAUREN**
Black Label Leather-Trim Winton Dress

**CLICK ON READ MORE BELOW FOR CROPPED IMAGES FOR PINTEREST**




Black Label Stretch-Leather Abbey Pant
Ralph Lauren Soft Ricky Bag
Black Label  Stretch-Leather Abbey Pant
Black Label Stretch-Leather Abbey Pant
Black Label Stretch-Wool Lana Pant
Black Label Stretch-Wool Lana Pant
Black Label Leather-Trim Dalphine Cape
Black Label  Leather-Trim Winton Dress
Black Label Leather-Trim Winton Dress
Black Label Stretch-Leather Abbey Pant
Black Label Bonded-Leather Vivien Jacket
Black Label Haircalf-Trim Farrah Dress
Black Label Camel-Hair Dabney Jacket

Black Label Bonded-Leather Vivien Jacket
Black Label Leather-Trim Winton Dress

Black Label Leopard-Print Roxana Jacket


























































































































ALL IMAGES VIA RALPH LAUREN


Thursday, March 20, 2014

CHARLIZE THERON MODEL ACTRESS 1136 x 640 fashion victoriassecret style beauty CharlizeTheron

CHARLIZE THERON MODEL ACTRESS 1136 x 640
#fashion #victoriassecret #style #beauty #CharlizeTheron 

CHARLIZE THERON Wallpaper Google + Size 1136x640

CHARLIZE THERON Wallpaper Google + Size 1136x640
#fashion #victoriassecret #style #beauty #CharlizeTheron 

Thursday, October 31, 2013

Princess Charlene Goes Toe-To-Toe With A Mini 'Princess' In A Ball Gown

Princess Charlene Goes Toe-To-Toe With A Mini 'Princess' In A Ball Gown:

Wednesday night's Princess Grace Awards Gala honored one princess, the beloved Princess Grace of Monaco, with a tribute from another, Princess Charlene of Monaco. But there was a third little "princess" grabbing a bit of the spotlight, too.

Charlene was presented a bouquet of flowers from a young girl identified as Maya Eisenberg. Posing with the Monaco noble on the red carpet, Maya was decked out in her own impressive dress: a shiny pink number with voluminous tiers and floral embroidery on the bodice.

Lest she be out-dressed by a pre-teen, Princess Charlene turned it out in a dramatic dark green taffeta gown from Ralph Lauren's Fall 2013 collection featuring a high halter neckline. Oh, and a totally gracious smile when posing with Maya for photos. She is Her Serene Highness, after all.

Check out last night's photos. Got a pick for best-dressed?

PHOTOS:

charlene maya

princess charlene

charlene maya

charlene maya eisenberg

This noble knows how it's done:


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Gwyneth Paltrow's Farrah Fawcett Tribute Ad Doesn't Look Much Like Farrah... Or Gwyneth

Gwyneth Paltrow's Farrah Fawcett Tribute Ad Doesn't Look Much Like Farrah... Or Gwyneth:

 We could recognize Gwyneth Paltrow's gorgeous signature look -- bronze skin, blonde hair, perfect white smile -- pretty much anywhere. But the actress appears slightly less like herself in her new ad for Max Factor.

To kick off the makeup brand's Modern Icon campaign, Gwyneth posed in a glam gold dress in an homage to Farrah Fawcett, the first of the five icons Max Factor will feature. But while Fawcett's signature look was her voluminous hair and lively glow, Gwyneth looks a little... flat, you might say. Taut, even. Dare we utter the word Photoshop?

That, or some exceptionally transformative makeup. It is a cosmetics ad, after all. Check it out -- do you sense foul airbrushing play?

gwyneth paltrow farrah fawcett
Gwyneth Paltrow's Farrah Fawcett Tribute Ad Doesn't Look Much Like Farrah... Or Gwyneth

Last we checked, Gwyn looked like this:


Want more? Be sure to check out HuffPost Style on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, Pinterest and Instagram at @HuffPostStyle.

Sigourney Weaver Looks Amazing In Low-Cut Gown

Sigourney Weaver Looks Amazing In Low-Cut Gown:

Now this is how it's done.

Yesterday (Oct. 30), actress Sigourney Weaver stole the show (and the red carpet) at the American Ballet Theatre's 2013 opening night fall gala in New York City.

The "Avatar" star was a vision of elegance and glamour in a sexy black sequined dress with a plunging neckline.

sigourney weaver

sigourney weaver

Weaver finished off her gorgeous look with simple gold jewelry and smooth, wavy hair.

sigourney weaver

Can you believe the Academy Award-nominated star is 64 years old? She remains a timeless fashion inspiration decade after decade.

Halloween Costume Or Regular Celebrity Outfit?

Halloween Costume Or Regular Celebrity Outfit?:

Celebrities always seem to have the best Halloween costumes. Maybe it's because they have endless resources, or perhaps it has to do with their creativity, but one way or another, we're always eager to see what they'll be wearing.

Sometimes you don't have to wait until Oct. 31 to see celebs in outrageous outfits -- A-listers wear some pretty shocking things year-round. Check out the photos below and take your best guess: Halloween costume or regular clothes?

Nicky Hilton

nicky

ǝɯnʇsoɔ

Lady Gaga

gaga

sǝɥʇolɔ

Anna Dello Russo

anna

sǝɥʇolɔ

Hulk Hogan

hulk hogan

ǝɯnʇsoɔ

CeeLo Green

ceelo

sǝɥʇolɔ

Imogen Heap

imogen heap

sǝɥʇolɔ

Ok Go

ok go

sǝɥʇolɔ

Jamie Lee Curtis

jamie lee curtis

ǝɯnʇsoɔ

Tara Reid

tara

ǝɯnʇsoɔ

Ke$ha

kesha

sǝɥʇolɔ

Alicia Keys

alicia keys

sǝɥʇolɔ

Rita Ora

rita ora

sǝɥʇolɔ

Now these celebs are definitely wearing costumes:



Want more? Be sure to check out HuffPost Style on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, Pinterest and Instagram at @HuffPostStyle.

The Tragic Story Behind Victoria's Secret

The Tragic Story Behind Victoria's Secret:

  slatelogo
The Tragic Story Behind Victoria's Secret
The Tragic Story Behind Victoria's Secret


A Stanford MBA named Roy Raymond wants to buy his wife some lingerie but he's too embarrassed to shop for it at a department store. He comes up with an idea for a high-end place that doesn't make you feel like a pervert. He gets a $40,000 bank loan, borrows another $40,000 from his in-laws, opens a store, and calls it Victoria's Secret. Makes $500,000 his first year. He starts a catalog, opens three more stores, and after five years he sells the company to Leslie Wexner and the Limited for $4 million. Happy ending, right? Except two years later, the company's worth $500 million and Roy Raymond jumps off the Golden Gate Bridge. Poor guy just wanted to buy his wife a pair of thigh-highs.

—Sean Parker (Justin Timberlake) to Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg) in The Social Network (2010)

In this scene, Zuckerberg has just asked Parker why his girlfriend looks so familiar; turns out the woman on Parker’s arm is a Victoria’s Secret model. Parker, founder of Napster (and the first president of Facebook), is impressing upon young Zuckerberg that the true genius behind what he calls a “once-in-a-generation-holy-shit idea” isn’t necessarily the idea itself, but the insight, drive, and perseverance to see just how far the idea can go. There’s no better example to prove his point than the story of Raymond, Wexner, and Victoria’s Secret.

In the mid-1970s, Roy Raymond did indeed walk into a department store to buy his wife lingerie, only to find ugly floral-print nightgowns—made even uglier under harsh fluorescent lights—and saleswomen who made him feel like a deviant just for being there. Realizing that other male friends felt the same way, the 30-year-old saw an opportunity to create a market where none existed: A lingerie store designed to make men feel comfortable shopping there.

Raymond imagined a Victorian boudoir, replete with dark wood, oriental rugs, and silk drapery. He chose the name “Victoria” to evoke the propriety and respectability associated with the Victorian era; outwardly refined, Victoria’s “secrets” were hidden beneath. In 1977, with $80,000 of savings and loans from family, Raymond and his wife leased a space in a small shopping mall in Palo Alto, Calif., and Victoria’s Secret was born.

To understand how novel Raymond’s idea was, it helps to have a little context. In the 1950s and ’60s, underwear was all about practicality and durability. For most American women, sensual lingerie was reserved for the honeymoon trousseau or the anniversary night; Frederick’s of Hollywood was the granddaddy of the specialty lingerie retailers. When the women’s movement of the late 1960s and ’70s called for women to liberate themselves from the bondage of bras, the intimate apparel industry responded with new designs that they claimed would give women the natural look they desired without the embarrassment of a sagging bustline. But for the most part, underwear remained functional, not fun.

Victoria’s Secret changed all that, and in the Bay Area, its sales continued to boom—thanks in large part to its catalog, which reached customers across the country. Within five years, Raymond had opened three more stores in San Francisco. By 1982, the company had annual sales of more than $4 million—yet something in Raymond’s formula was not working. According to management experts Michael J. Silverstein and Neil Fiske’s book Trading Up, Victoria’s Secret was nearing bankruptcy.

Enter Leslie Wexner, the man who had ushered in the mass-market sportswear boom with a store he called The Limited. While still in his 20s, Wexner had recognized that women were forgoing dresses for separates and casual wear. So in 1963, he opened a store “limited” just to sportswear. Wexner’s foresight paid off. The Limited grew to 11 stores by 1970, and 188 by 1977, according to a Forbes profile published that year. Wexner, now 40, was worth $50 million.

By the early 1980s, Wexner was looking to branch out into new brands. While visiting one of his Limited outposts in San Francisco, he stumbled across Victoria’s Secret. “It was a small store, and it was Victorian—not English Victorian, but brothel Victorian with red velvet sofas,” Wexner told Newsweek in 2010. “But there was very sexy lingerie, and I hadn’t seen anything like it in the U.S.” (A quick review of early Victoria’s Secret catalogs—you can check out a couple here and here—supports Wexner’s observation; despite elegant bras, panties and slips, the models look uncomfortably like Susan Sarandon’s high-end prostitute in Pretty Baby.)

Wexner quickly saw what was wrong with the Victoria’s Secret business model: In focusing on a store and catalog that appealed to men, Raymond had failed to draw a large following among women. According to Trading Up, Wexner surmised that women were about as uncomfortable in Victoria’s Secret as Raymond had been in that flourescent-lit department store.

Nevertheless, Wexner saw the company’s potential, and in 1982, he bought the stores and the catalog for about $1 million (not $4 million, as was reported at the time). His first step, Silverstein and Fiske wrote, was to study European lingerie boutiques, whose female customers approached lingerie as an everyday essential. Wexner returned home convinced that if American women had access to the same kind of sexy, affordable lingerie as their European counterparts, they, too, would want to wear it every day. He also saw a gaping hole in the intimate apparel market—next to no products that filled the gap between the luxury brands and the Maidenforms and Cross Your Hearts. Wexner envisioned “a La Perla for the mass market.” Finally, a new shopping environment—one that was inviting to women and fulfilled an attainable fantasy of glamour and luxury—would help create greater demand.

Wexner ultimately decided to create for the company what Ralph Lauren mastered the decade before him: A British-inspired aspirational world that the American consumer would clamor to enter. Gone were the dark woods and deep reds of the original stores; now, gilded fixtures, floral prints, classical music, and old-timey perfume bottles filled the space. Lacy bras and panties hung neatly under warm-hued lights. Even a London home address—No. 10 Margaret Street—was invented, even though headquarters were in Columbus.* The catalog, which had become modern and racy, was softened to reflect the new image, with models who looked like they had just walked off the pages of Vogue or Glamour. New products like the Miracle Bra became top sellers.

In short, women were buying, while men continued to ogle the catalog. Wexner’s plan was working. By 1995, according to Trading Up, Victoria’s Secret had become a $1.9 billion company with 670 stores nationally. As they continued to refine and tweak the company image (they abandoned the English-boudoir theme around 2000), Victoria’s Secret became the most popular apparel brand in the world today, according to YouGov BrandIndex, with a net income of nearly $5 billion.

Sadly, as Wexner’s and Victoria’s Secret’s success grew, Roy Raymond, despite his keen instincts, saw his life fall apart. After selling the company to Wexner, Raymond stayed on as president of Victoria’s Secret for about another year before leaving to open My Child’s Destiny, a high-end children’s retail and catalog company based in San Francisco. But, according to a New York Times article at the time, a poor marketing strategy (focused too much on attracting only well-heeled parents) and an even poorer location (little walk-in traffic) forced them to file a Chapter 11 petition two years later in 1986. The Raymonds ended up divorcing, and in 1993, Roy Raymond jumped to his death from the Golden Gate Bridge, leaving behind two teenage children.

Roy Raymond’s genius was recognizing the need to remove shame from the process of buying unmentionables. But much like the failure of Friendster and the old MySpace as Facebook began to reign supreme, his story reads like a cautionary tale of how a brilliant opportunity can be seized and yet missed. Wexner, on the other hand, had both vision and skill. He imagined a world where there was no such thing as an unmentionable, and figured out a way to make it so. He made sexy underwear commonplace, and convinced us that investing in what’s underneath our clothes is as necessary as the clothes themselves. The world and its skivvies would never be the same.