Adore Me

The Subscription Model That Victoria's Secret Had to Buy

A Wharton Business Plan (2011)

Morgan Hermand-Waiche was a French-born, Wharton-educated entrepreneur who saw an opportunity in the gap between Victoria's Secret's aspirational pricing and the uninspiring basics available at mass retail. In 2011, he launched Adore Me with a subscription model that would fundamentally challenge how women purchased lingerie.

The concept borrowed from the subscription box revolution sweeping DTC retail: members could select a lingerie set each month at a significant discount, or skip the month penalty-free. The model created predictable revenue, encouraged exploration, and lowered the barrier to trying new styles.

Inclusive From the Start

While inclusivity became a strategic priority for most lingerie brands only after 2018, Adore Me launched with extended sizing — 30A through 46G in bras and XS through 4X in clothing. The brand's campaigns featured models across sizes, ethnicities, and ages, not as a marketing initiative but as a foundational brand decision.

This early commitment to inclusivity generated fierce loyalty among plus-size customers who had been systematically ignored by the mainstream market. Adore Me became one of the first DTC brands to prove that inclusive sizing was not a charitable gesture but a massive business opportunity.

Technology and Personalization

Adore Me invested heavily in technology, building proprietary systems for personalized recommendations, virtual try-on, and inventory optimization. The company's data infrastructure allowed it to predict trends, manage inventory with unusual precision, and deliver increasingly personalized shopping experiences.

The brand also experimented with AI-driven design, using customer data to inform pattern development and color selection. This data-first approach positioned Adore Me as a technology company that happened to sell lingerie.

The Victoria's Secret Acquisition (2022)

In a move that symbolized the industry's tectonic shift, Victoria's Secret's parent company acquired Adore Me in 2022 for approximately $400 million. The acquisition brought Adore Me's technology platform, subscription model, and inclusive sizing expertise into the company that had long resisted all three.