Lizzo questioned whether brands 'value true inclusivity' after Victoria's Secret announced the return of its controversial fashion show

• Lizzo criticized Victoria's Secret's fashion show, calling it "inclusivity for inclusivity's sake." 
• She questioned if company CEOs value inclusivity or if they "value money." 
• Victoria's Secret announced the return of its fashion show following controversies and backlash.

Lizzo criticized the return of the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, calling the brand's attempt at body positivity "inclusivity for inclusivity's sake."

The "About Damn Time" singer's comments about the controversial lingerie retailer came on Sunday, just two days after the company's chief financial officer announced a "new version" of the fashion show would debut in 2023. The brand has not yet revealed how this fashion show will specifically be different than past iterations.

"This is a win for inclusivity for inclusivity's sake," Lizzo, 34, wrote of the upcoming fashion show. "But if brands start doing this only because they've received backlash then what happens when the 'trends' change again?"

—FOLLOW @YITTY (@lizzo) March 5, 2023

Lizzo, who partnered with Fabletics to create her inclusive shapewear line Yitty, added: "Do the CEOs of these companies value true inclusivity? Or do they just value money?"

In a statement to Insider, a VS&Co representative said it will continue to "reinforce our commitment to championing women's voices and their unique perspectives."

"As we've previously shared, our new brand projection and mission will continue to be our guiding principle," the statement read. "This will lead us into new spaces like reclaiming one of our best marketing and entertainment properties to date and turning it on its head to reflect who we are today. We're excited to share more later this year."

Victoria's Secret stepped back from its fashion show in 2019, but scandals plagued the company before then

Victoria's Secret began airing its fashion show in 1995 with supermodels like Tyra Banks, Gisele Bündchen, and Heidi Klum. The company enjoyed commercial success throughout the 90s and early 2000s, but that began crumbling in 2015. 

In addition to some shoppers complaining that the quality of the company's underwear slipped, more body-positive brands like ThirdLove emerged, prompting some customers to accuse Victoria's Secret of being non-inclusive and unable to adapt to the times. 

Victoria's Secret took another hit in November 2018 after Ed Razek, chief marketing officer of L Brands, told Vogue that its fashion show wouldn't include "transsexuals" because "the show is a fantasy." 

Razek apologized for his comments, but that year's fashion show saw viewership slip and the decline forced the televised special off the air in 2019. Victoria's Secret attempted to switch course by hiring its first transgender model and more body-positive models. However, it couldn't escape headlines when the founder of L Brands — Les Wexner — was linked to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in July 2019.

The company has continued its attempt to rebrand, revealing in June 2021 that the Angels would be replaced with more diverse brand ambassadors like actress Priyanka Chopra Jonas and soccer star Megan Rapinoe. The New York Times reported that these ambassadors, dubbed the VS Collective, will advise the brand, appear in advertisements, and promote Victoria's Secret on Instagram as they work to "'advocate' for female empowerment."

Meanwhile, companies like Lizzo's Yitty and Rihanna's Savage x Fenty have capitalized on Victoria's Secret's inability to adapt

As Victoria's Secret stumbled during the 2010s, other companies with more inclusive sizing and advertisements made waves with customers. 

Rihanna's Savage x Fenty received praise upon release, and as of Monday, it offers panties in sizes XS to 4X. Lizzo's Yitty sells underwear between sizes XS to 6X, and ThirdLove sells similar products up to 3X in size. 

In comparison, the Victoria's Secret website doesn't appear to offer underwear sizes above 2X.