“Victoria’s Secret is trying to reboot itself for a new and enlightened age,” says Kat Rosenfield in UnHerd. The lingerie brand has ditched its band of beautiful spokeswomen in favour of models with “the proper politics”. The new line-up includes actress and Unicef ambassador Priyanka Chopra Jonas, the trans bikini model Valentina Sampaio and the footballer and gay-rights activist Megan Rapinoe.
The rebrand is no surprise – especially when you consider the business competition. These days the bestselling lingerie brand is Rihanna’s Savage x Fenty. “If Victoria’s Secret catered to the male gaze, then Savage x Fenty explicitly rejects it.” Its models come in all shapes and sizes and its products are practically unwearable – all mesh and rope. “This lingerie, we are told, is not for men.”
Really? Savage x Fenty might brand its fashion shows as edgy feminist triumphs, but ultimately they still involve “a bunch of beautiful women walking around in complicated, gorgeous lingerie”. The idea that straight men wouldn’t enjoy it is absurd: “They’re not that picky.”
I’m not willing to stay mum
The banjoist in Mumford & Sons has left the band after “falling victim to cancel culture”, says Anita Singh in the Telegraph. In March Winston Marshall tweeted praise for conservative journalist Andy Ngo, whose book Unmasked described the left-wing American protest movement Antifa as a “violent hate group”. He wrote: “Finally had time to read your important book. You’re a brave man.” His tweet drew a barrage of criticism and accusations of fascism.
Marshall initially issued a public apology for the band’s sake, but withdrew it in a lengthy blog post yesterday. He hopes that by leaving Mumford & Sons, he’ll be able to speak freely on controversial issues without his bandmates “suffering the consequences”. He says: “I could remain and continue to self-censor but it will erode my sense of integrity.” He is the son of Sir Paul Marshall, a hedge-fund boss and a financial backer of GB News.