Victoria's Secret boss apologizes for saying transgender models aren't cast in their show because it's based on 'fantasy' and claims they WOULD but none have been good enough

  • Victoria's Secret CMO made 'insensitive' comments about transgender people
  • Ed Razek, 70, said about criticism: 'Well, why not? Because the show is a fantasy'
  • He said Victoria's Secret doesn't 'market to the whole world'
  • Transgender model Andreja Pejic expressed her disappointment on Instagram
  • Victoria's Secret published a statement from Razek Friday 
  • Razek said sorry for the way his interview was received and that transgender models at their castings had not made it to the runway

By Leah Simpson For Dailymail.com

Published: 15:57 EST, 10 November 2018 | Updated: 15:59 EST, 10 November 2018

Victoria's Secret's 70-year-old senior creative has apologized for his 'insensitive' comments about transgender people.

Ed Razek – who is the chief marketing officer of Creative Services for parent company Limited Brands – was criticized after saying transgender models were not used in their annual show because the presentation is 'fantasy'.

The 2018 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show was held Thursday on at Pier 94 in New York City and wasn't representative of the demographic or of plus-sized people.

CMO senior creative Ed Razek (pictured center with from left Lais Ribeiro, Sara Sampaio, Martha Hunt, and Gigi Hadid in May 2018 in New York City) has apologized for his comments

CMO senior creative Ed Razek (pictured center with from left Lais Ribeiro, Sara Sampaio, Martha Hunt, and Gigi Hadid in May 2018 in New York City) has apologized for his comments

Ed Razek (pictured December 2014) controversially said transgender people do not feature in the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show because it's a show based on 'fantasy'

Ed Razek (pictured December 2014) controversially said transgender people do not feature in the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show because it's a show based on 'fantasy'

On Friday Victoria's Secret tweeted his statement after a public uproar on the matter

On Friday Victoria's Secret tweeted his statement after a public uproar on the matter

Razek told Vogue about past criticism: 'It's like, why doesn't your show do this? Shouldn't you have transsexuals in the show? No. No, I don't think we should.

'Well, why not? Because the show is a fantasy. It's a 42-minute entertainment special. That's what it is.'

Razek went on the boast of how the show - which features the likes Of Kendall Jenner, Gigi and Bella Hadid and this year saw Adriana Lima walk her final catwalk in the event - is the 'only branded special in the world'.

He declared how it's 'seen in 190 countries, by 1 billion 6 million people' after stating Victoria's Secret abandoned the idea of also targeting a plus-sized audience because a TV special pitch on the subject flopped 18 years ago.

Ed Razek speaks to the 2018 Victoria's Secret runway models backstage during the 2018 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show

Ed Razek speaks to the 2018 Victoria's Secret runway models backstage during the 2018 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show

Kelsey Merritt, Maia Cotton, Willow Hand, Iesha Hodges, Myrthe Bolt and Melie Tiacoh walk the runway at the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show on November 8, 2018 at Pier 94 in New York 

Kelsey Merritt, Maia Cotton, Willow Hand, Iesha Hodges, Myrthe Bolt and Melie Tiacoh walk the runway at the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show on November 8, 2018 at Pier 94 in New York 

Still, he claimed the brand is moving with the times, despite it not being inclusive.

'I think we address the way the market is shifting on a constant basis,' he said. 'If you're asking if we've considered putting a transgender model in the show or looked at putting a plus-size model in the show, we have. We invented the plus-size model show in what was our sister division, Lane Bryant.

'We market to who we sell to, and we don't market to the whole world.'

Transgender model Andreja Pejic expressed her disappointment at the Victoria's Secret boss

Transgender model Andreja Pejic expressed her disappointment at the Victoria's Secret boss

Razek's comments received backlash as seen on social media and transgender model Andreja Pejic expressed her disappointment.

She worked as an androgynous model until she revealed she was a trans woman in 2013. 

'It's really sad when you see powerful people in our industry holding such backward views and being so comfortable in expressing them on a public platform,' Pejic wrote on Instagram. 

Victoria's Secret published a statement from Razek, who said sorry for the way his interview was received.

He added that the brand had been open to seeing transgender models but it just so happened none had scored a job with them so far.

'My remark regarding the inclusion of transgender models in the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show came across as insensitive. I apologize,' Razek said. 

'To be clear, we absolutely would cast a transgender model for the show. We've had transgender models come to castings… And like many others, they didn't make it… But it was never about gender. I admire and respect their journey to embrace who they really are.' 

'It's really sad when you see powerful people in our industry holding such backward views and being so comfortable in expressing them on a public platform,' Pejic wrote on Instagram

'It's really sad when you see powerful people in our industry holding such backward views and being so comfortable in expressing them on a public platform,' Pejic wrote on Instagram

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Victoria's Secret apologizes for 'insensitive' comment and says they WOULD cast transgender model

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