Victoria’s Secret has a secret that they would rather you didn’t know about.  The Federal Government has launched an investigation into the fashion powerhouse after a report released last month claimed the cotton harvested for use in its products is harvested with slave/child labor.

The Department of Homeland Security, the agency tasked with these investigations, is investigation whether children as young as 10 are forced to harvest the “Fair Trade Cotton” coming out of Burkina Faso in Africa. 

Limited Brands, which owns Victoria’s Secret, has said in a release that it takes the matter ‘very seriously’ and ‘does not tolerate child labor.”

The Bloomberg News Agency has been independently investigating the issue for years now and have found stories of children being forced into the fields to pick all the cotton used in the Victoria’s Secret products.  The Investigations found widespread reports of children being dragged out of school rooms and forced to work in the cotton fields.

According to the United States Department of Labor, Child and slave labor is used in cotton more than any other textile in the world and only gold mining has more violations. 

A spokesman for Victoria’s Secret had the following to say,

“We take these allegations regarding cotton farming in Burkina Faso very seriously,as they describe behavior contrary to our company’s values and the code of labor and sourcing standards we require all our suppliers to meet. Our standards specifically prohibit child labor. We are vigorously engaging with stakeholders to fully investigate this matter.”

The issue of slave labor has been pushed to the forefront of American life lately, with reports of several of the largest and most famous people accused of using slave labor to produce their goods.  Celebrities such as Martha Stewart and the Kardashians have been accused of using goods produced by child/slave labor.  Recently the X-Box and Apple products were highlighted for the lightly of the Chinese workers who make the high end products.

Do you think Victoria’s Secret should be held responsible if it is found the cotton they are using in their products has been picked with slave labor?

Victoria’s Secret Cotton Being Supplied by Slave Labor? is a post from: The Inquisitr

Victoria’s Secret model Lily Aldridge and Kings of Leon singer Caleb Followill are expecting their first child together.

The couple, who wed in May, said in a statement:

“We are thrilled to announce that we are expecting our first child together. We can’t wait to meet the new addition to our family.”

Caleb’s brother and Kings of Leon guitarist Jared Followill tweeted:

“So excited to be an uncle! Congrats Caleb & Lily! If it’s a boy, we gonna be hitting da club together every night! If it’s a girl . . . church.”

According to Cover Media, Aldridge is currently three months along which means that she was about three weeks pregnant when she walked the catwalk during the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show.

And Aldridge issn’t the only Victoria’s Secret model who is expecting a baby in 2012. Brazilian model Alessandra Ambrosio joined Aldridge and the other angels on the catwalk during the Victoria’s Secret Fashion show when she was a few months pregnant.

Ambrosio said:

“I didn’t tell anybody so no one knew at the show that I was pregnant… A week before, I told my booker I don’t think I’m going to be able to fit into the clothes because I gained a few pounds already, but we were just quiet. I cut all the sugars and sweets 10 days before and I got my trainer – the one I usually get – and we were doing lots of glutes and arms and back exercises.”

Could you tell that either Ambrosio or Aldridge were pregnant during the fashion show?

Lily Aldridge and Caleb Followill Expecting First Child is a post from: The Inquisitr

Victoria’s Secret supermodel Alessandra Ambrosio  has made it official, announcing  that she is expecting her second child with fiance Jamie Mazur.  Ambrosio posted a picture of her and her baby bump on her Facebook wall.

The 30 year old bombshell had just walked in the biggest lingerie fashion show of the year.

Victoria’s Secret Supermodel Alessandra Ambrosio Is Pregnant is a post from: The Inquisitr

Executives at intimates chain Victoria’s Secret say they are rushing to investigate claims that the clothing farms they buy from use child labor.

In a report released by Bloomberg on Friday one case examined a 13-year-old cotton picker in West Africa who is regularly beaten at the farm where she works.

In defending their purchases from the region a Limited Brands worker told CNN that only a “small portion of our Victoria’s Secret panty styles” use cotton from that part of the world.

In expounding their company’s core values executives released the following statement:

“If this allegation is true, it describes behavior that is contrary to our company’s values and the code of labor and sourcing standards that we require all of our suppliers to meet,” and “These standards expressly prohibit child labor.”

The company began purchasing Burkina Faso cotton in 2007 and now say they are “prepared to take swift action.”

Whether PR spin or a true sentiment of apology the company says they started the Burkina Faso cotton as a way to  ”generate life-changing opportunities for some of the world’s poorest women.”

Sadly while Victoria’s Secrets may have had good intentions most of the money going into the area doesn’t funnel down to the poor women they wish to help, who instead are treated as slave workers with very little pay and long hard hours.

Do you think company’s in the United States should face increasing fines and other penalties for failing to understand worker conditions throughout their supply chain?

[Image via PavelSvoboda / Shutterstock.com]

Victoria’s Secret Investigating Child Labor Claims is a post from: The Inquisitr

Last night, a group angels took to the walkway for the 2011 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show. The annual lingerie show featured gorgeous models, a $2.5 million diamond-studded bra, and performances by Kanye West, Nicki Minaj and Maroon 5.

The show, which was taped earlier this month, aired last night on CBS. If you missed the Victoria’s Secret Fashion show you can relive the show on December 14th on the CW.

Last night, supermodels Alessandra Ambrosio, Adriana Lima, Behati Prinsloo, Candice Swanepoel, Miranda Kerr and several others, donned outfits that were separated into different themes. The girls wore sexy lingerie inspired by superheros, ballet, passion, aquatics, burlesque, and Victoria’s Secret signature line, Club Pink.

Before the show, Miranda Kerr and Adriana Lima answered a couple of questions from their fans.

Walking in the Victoria’s Secret Fashion show is the top prize for some supermodels and they’ll go to extreme lengths to make sure that their bodies are absolutely perfect for the runway. Adriana Lima admitted earlier this year that she goes on a crazy diet (she didn’t use the word crazy) before the lingerie show.

Miranda Kerr also had trouble living up to the expectations of the supermodel world. Before the show, Kerr told People Magazine:

“I just remember the first time I met Adriana Lima, she was so beautiful. I was like, ‘Why would they want me? I mean, look at her. She’s incredible.’ And then I met Heidi and Gisele and I was like, ‘What am I doing here?’”

Victoria’s Secret has a few images up on their website that you can peruse for shopping purposes, but here’s a clip of some of the hottest looks from last nights lingerie show.

So who wins? Superheros? Ballet? Miranda Kerr’s $2 million bra?

Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show 2011: Who Was Your Favorite Angel? [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

Want to look like Adriana Lima? Are you willing to go days without food? Lima’s liquid diet has been criticized by many health experts, but the fashion model says that her diet isn’t that crazy.

Probably because she doesn’t do it year round. The supermodel says that she only goes on the 9-day liquid diet prior to stepping on to the catwalk for the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show. Her diet is less strict at other times of the year.

Lima told E! Online:

“Everybody is talking about my crazy diet. I know it’s very intense but…I just have an athlete’s mind and I appreciate doing this thing,” she told me. “It’s not that I do crazy diets throughout the year. I just do it for this particular thing. After this show, I become normal again!”

Lima does double workouts during her nine day liquid diet, but E! Online reports that the supermodel took it a little easier this year because she didn’t want to be too muscular for the show.

Lima said:

“This year, even though my diet was intense, I took it a little bit easier on the working out so I won’t be as muscular.”

And after the show, Lima goes out for a big dinner to celebrate.

What do you think of Adriana Lima’s diet? Do you think the supermodel is taking her diet to dangerous extreme? Or is that really what it takes to be a Victoria’s Secret model.

Adriana Lima: My Liquid Diet Isn’t Crazy is a post from: The Inquisitr

Victoria’s Secret Model Miranda Kerr always looks hot in the newest line of the company’s bra and panties and this week the company rewarded his good looks by choosing the lingerie model to wear the company’s Fantasy Treasure Bra, a $2.5 million diamond-studded piece that will appear in the Christmas Dreams & Fantasies catalogue  and on-stage at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show in November

Kerr told PEOPLE:

“It’s such an honor to wear the bra,” and “And it’s such a piece of artwork! It’s absolutely stunning — it kind of feels a little mermaid-like — but I can’t believe I’m wearing $2.5 million on my chest.”

Created by Long Island’s London Jewelers the push-up bra was handset with 3,400 precious gems and offers 142 carats of yellow and white diamonds along with pearls, faceted citrines and aquamarines which were all set in 18-karat white and yellow gold.  If you don’t mind taking a second to stare at the bra you’ll also notice two 8 carat white diamonds in the centerpiece alongside two 14-plus-carat yellow diamonds.

Kerr returns to the Victoria’s Secret runway show one year after giving birth to her son Flynn.

The model joked about how she felt upon her return, joking:

“I feel like more than $1 million … I feel like $2.5 million.”

The Victoria’s Secret fashion show will air on CBS this November and will also include performance from Maroon 5 and Kanye West.

Will you be tuning in to catch Mirand Kerr and all of her fellow Victoria’s Secret runway models as they show off the newest in fall intimates?

Victoria’s Secret Model Miranda Kerr Sports $2.5 Million Bra [Photo] is a post from: The Inquisitr

Caleb Followill of Kings of Leon and Victoria’s Secret model Lily Aldridge were married at a small ceremony on Thursday, the wedding took place at San Ysidro Ranch in Montecito, Calif.

The happy couple announced their engagement last fall and originally met in 2007 at the Coachella music festival, Alridge was later featured in the bands music video for Use Somebody.

Caleb Followill of Kings of Leon Weds Lily Alridge is a post from: The Inquisitr

Trust Victoria’s Secret to do something sexy and different except this little promotion could end up with a lot of guys getting in serious trouble.

However if you are feeling adventurous and want to get that special someone in your life a little Facebook loving Victoria’s Secret has just the thing – a free limited edition pantie emblazoned with the now famous Facebook “.. you like this” button text and thumbs up image. All you need to do apparently is grab this printable coupon(pdf) and head to your nearest Victoria’s Secret store.

a great big hat tip to Allen Stern at CenterNetworks for finding this – I think.

Touching this Like could get you in trouble is a post from: The Inquisitr

“Victoria’s Secret TV,” announced this morning, streams over the MediaFLO “FLO TV” service in a partnership with CBS Mobile. The channel will focus on the upcoming 2008 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show. It’ll feature behind-the-scenes content from now until the event on December 3.

That day, the show will be streaming for bored men with mobile phones nationwide. It starts at 10 p.m. ET. Afterward, “Victoria’s Secret TV” will switch to post-show coverage, which will continue all the way through the start of 2009. (Seemingly, there is enough material to “discuss” for a full month after the event.)

“The dedicated ‘Victoria’s Secret TV’ channel is part of our commitment to providing subscribers with the programming they demand for their mobile lifestyle,” said Jonathan Barzilay, senior vice president of programming and advertising for MediaFLO USA.

“And by ‘mobile lifestyle,’ we mean ‘sexual fantasies,’” he neglected to add.

FLO TV is available for Verizon Wireless customers (branded as “V CAST Mobile TV”) and for AT&T Wireless customers (branded as “AT&T Mobile TV”). So far, only selected “major metropolitan” areas are included, and both networks do charge a subscription fee for the service.

Victoria’s Secret Launches 24/7 Mobile Video Channel is a post from: The Inquisitr