Frederick's of Hollywood invented the push-up bra — then Victoria's Secret took everything

Frederick's of Hollywood was founded in 1947 by Frederick Mellinger, who invented the push-up bra and built a mail-order empire selling provocative lingerie that mainstream retailers would not touch. For decades it was the dominant American lingerie brand, with a flagship Hollywood store and a catalogue that reached millions. The brand's risqué image was its identity — and later its trap.

Victoria's Secret, founded in 1977, took the same product and sold it through mall stores with a polished, aspirational image. By the 1980s, Victoria's Secret had overtaken Frederick's. The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show and its Angels marketing machine made Frederick's look dated. Frederick's tried to imitate the mall strategy but never found the same footing.

The company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2000, emerged in 2003, then merged with Movie Star Inc. in 2006. After being taken private in 2014, it closed all 111 remaining retail stores in 2015 and filed for Chapter 11 a second time. The brand was acquired by Authentic Brands Group and relaunched as an online-only store — its physical retail life was over.