The Next Chapter Of Victoria’s Secret Is All About Self-Empowerment

What does confidence mean to you? It’s a question that is central to photographer Greta Ilieva’s work, in particular the way she perceives nudity. “There is a realness between myself and my subject when capturing someone in an intimate setting,” Ilieva explains. “It’s the most honest and authentic way to view a person. It’s an emotional experience.”

Ilieva’s latest project saw her capture women wearing Victoria’s Secret lingerie. The minimal setting was designed to be as relaxed and natural as possible, in order to let their personalities speak and to divert attention directly from the underwear. The artist’s one instruction to the models was to “please yourself,” says Ilieva. “I told them to imagine shooting their own pictures, and to think about how they would like to be seen.” There was no element of being asked to look sexy, or to feel sexualised. It was all about self-empowerment: a woman seen through a woman’s gaze.

The relaxed, fluid nature of shooting translates into the final images, which have a rawness about them. “I see beauty in imperfections,” says Ilieva. “I get a similar emotional reaction from both, because when a subject shows me their insecurities it is incredibly intimate and ultimately beautiful.”

The style and fit of the Victoria’s Secret underwear in the pictures illustrate how it has been designed for real women: from the pretty-yet-robust lace to the functional cross-back straps and discreet sheer mesh panels. In each portrait, “you believe in the women wearing the underwear,” Ilieva – who grew up perceiving nudity as art owing to the inspiring work of her photographer mother – continues. “I’m interested in nudity from a point of view, not just a body shape.” This authenticity is central to the next chapter of Victoria’s Secret.