Victoria's Secret is going to college. The lingerie retailer unveiled the "Pink" line of cotton loungewear and sleepwear targeting 18- to 22-year-olds on Thursday.
At the launch of the fall 2004 collection, model Alessandra Ambrosio shepherded 20 college students, who were selected from a nationwide search to be spokeswomen in university dorms.
It is Victoria's Secret's first fashion line designed specifically for college-aged women.
Ambrosio and "Team Pink" (as the college gals have been named) arrived in their new short-shorts and tank tops at the Manhattan flagship store of Victoria's Secret in pink and white Hummer limos.
The "Pink" collection is not necessarily pink, but is necessarily girlie. The line features vibrant-colored thongs, polka dot panties, tequila-blue colored T-shirt bras, and plenty of soft cotton pajamas.
The spokeswomen were selected from thousands of applications from universities across the country in a search for what the "Team Pink" recruiter, Sara Tervo, calls "our ambassadors on campus."
Tervo's criteria was not to find the sexiest or thinnest young women, but to find the ones who are "a leader on their campus — girls who everyone knows when they walk around campus."
They are already getting the word out.
Kokoa Lawson, a 20-year-old San Francisco State University student, said "You want to be cute, but comfortable" at school.
Amy Porter, 20, of Ohio State University, likes the new direction for Victoria's Secret: "They have a lot of froufrou things, lots of lace. It was kind of constrictive and not comfortable. Now everything is comfortable."
One potential consumer isn't disagreeing. Christian Bonds, 17, finds the clothes "really bright and really sexy."
Victoria's Secret proclaims in a statement that the "Pink" collection "expresses that lingerie is more than just underwear, but a necessary and fashionable wardrobe extension."
Some of the "ambassadors" are ready to wear the longer, more substantial pajamas right into the classroom.
"You can sleep in it and get up for that 7 a.m. class, and go!" said Porter.
