Why Victoria Beckham Is So Desirable? Here Are Few Takes

A decade ago, no one would have believed Beckham would become a fashion superstar. We look at how she did it. He decided to send her a real one and there began the start of an unlikely friendship; the WAG and the forefather of fashion grunge.

“I hardly dreamed that my ultimate goal would be to have Posh Spice carrying a Louis Vuitton handbag,” she told Neubauer Artists in 2021. “It was kind of funny.”

Although Beckham would doubtlessly flinch at the idea of wearing a counterfeit today, their mutual respect for one another has not waned, culminating in the reimagining of Jacobs’ famed 2008 campaign, in which she was pictured emerging from a shopping bag like an abstract doll. This time round, the bag bares not Jacobs’ name, but the name of her own eponymous brand – a critically-acclaimed business that now boasts 400 stores in over 50 countries internationally, and offices in both London and New York. This season, as a celebration of her brand’s 10th anniversary, Beckham will bring her show from NY to London Fashion Week for the first time.

Beckham has surprised everyone. Fashion is a snobby place, where acceptance isn’t solely about whether or not you’re wealthy enough to buy its key pieces. And there’s little that the industry hates more than a celebrity-turned-designer, especially one that was previously defined as a WAG. Rumour has it that the woman formerly known as Posh Spice was repeatedly turned away from fashion shows. But sometimes, the greatest part of being underestimated is that the rise is all the more impressive. In September 2008 when Beckham presented her first collection – a range of 10 dresses – there were distinct doubts among fashion editors gathered at the Waldorf Hotel in New York, who were poised to file scornful reviews.

“She was a pop star and I don’t think particularly revered for her style, so her own fashion line seemed out of character.”

“I remember well when Victoria started her collection,” said BFC chairman Caroline Rush. “As with every celebrity turned designer, there was some scepticism from the industry which was very quickly dispelled when she started presenting her collections. There was a lot of interest from press and buyers and definitely a lot buzz around the brand. It very soon became one of the hottest tickets of NYFW.”

“At the start the fashion set were very dubious about Victoria doing her own line,” agrees George V Magazine senior fashion editor Miranda Almond. “After all, she was a pop star and I don’t think particularly revered for her style, so her own fashion line seemed a little out of character.”

However, Beckham’s debut collection was immediately well-received by fashion editors, who praised the “sophistication” of the cut and fit. The Timescalled it a “very impressive, accomplished collection, with not a single dud”.

She also made the clever decision not to stage a large-scale show, but to host a salon-based presentation, where she personally talked editors through the collection.

“It was a smart move,” recalls Almond. “She personally introduced each look herself in a room with models walking through it, naming fabrics, techniques and the thinking behind each look. It was so personal and touching and there wasn’t one person in the room who wasn’t moved by what they experienced and saw. She really laid herself bare to what can be a very cynical crowd and she won over each and everyone. She was a huge success from day one.”

In fact, the offering was so desirable that insiders questioned whether or not Beckham had enlisted a designer to do the hard work, while she served as the face (rumours she always denied); an indicator of quite how accomplished a feat it was. It was the start of Beckham’s reinvention, both in terms of her career and aesthetic. She emerged post-show with a gamine pixie crop in lieu of her polished bob – a show of intent.

Prior to her show debut, Beckham had lent her name to denim and sunglasses ranges where she first started to learn about the inner workings of the fashion world. She might have had the financial backing to launch her own brand and a high profile that might appeal to shoppers, but she knew she’d have to prove herself to the fashion industry.

“I was so nervous,” she told George V Magazine of her debut, “because this has been a lifetime in the making.”

“She fought her way through the industry and is now a very well-respected designer and businesswoman,” says Rush. “Victoria was always been loved by the public and the fact that she was known before being a designer definitely helped her gaining attention and customers.”

Almond said her attitude from the beginning thawed her cynics. “She was very open and humble and the first to admit that she wouldn’t have trusted her to do a credible fashion line either,” she says.

Beckham’s first few collections were successful both critically and commercially. Selfridges was among her first stockists – and the brand has sold well ever since, based on the fit and shape of her designs. The novelty factor of Beckham as a celebrity has long worn off.

“She fought her way through the industry and is now very well-respected”

“Victoria began by co-designing with some huge names in the fashion industry before establishing the VB line,” notes Lydia King, womenswear buying and merchandising director at Selfridges. “She has a great eye for shape and fit and seamlessly transfers this into the design of the garments.

“There was a lot of hype around Victoria starting her own label and the brand received a hugely positive reaction,” she added. “As a British retailer, supporting British designers – both emerging and established – is important to us and it was this, alongside a natural curiosity, which initially attracted us to the brand.”

Beckham never claimed to be an artisanal designer – in fact, she’s admitted that drawing and pattern-cutting are not her forte. What she did do was create a strong vision, and put in the hours ingratiating herself with any potential detractors.

“Over the last 10 years she has developed personal relationships with buyers and editors,” said King. “She takes the time to walk us through her collections to describe the fabrics and cuts.”

Beckham’s celebrity might have given her the platform and financial security that alludes most emerging designers, but fame doesn’t necessarily equate to long-term sales success. While buying a dress designed by a celebrity might have a novelty factor for the first season or two, that product has to continue to be desirable to shoppers as time goes on. Most brands work with celebrities on collaborations that have a limited time frame for exactly this reason – it’s difficult to sustain consumer interest based on fame alone.

Along with Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen’s The Row, Beckham is among the few celebrities to have launched brands that have continued to sell well after the hype has died down. At Selfridges, shoppers return season after season for her collections, with separates and knitwear proving particularly popular. It’s a similar story at Net-a-Porter – the brand’s cashmere roll-neck sweaters often sell out, forcing the online destination to place re-orders on them every season. Net-a-Porter is currently increasing the order number of favourite dress styles as they always over-perform.

“It comes back to this idea of women designing for women,” says Elizabeth von der Goltz, global buying director at Net-a-Porter. “Victoria is a successful businesswoman who juggles a busy life with family. She has a true understanding of what women want to wear and what makes them feel good in their day-to-day lives. In terms of aesthetic, bestsellers tend to be the wearable wardrobe staples that are timeless in style – whether it’s a great cashmere knit or silk blouse.”

Rush agrees; Beckham has worked out what women want to wear on a daily basis.

“The design aesthetic is beautiful and appeals to a strong modern woman,” she says. “Women are attracted by clothes they can wear both at the office and when they go out and Victoria’s pieces are perfectly fit for both.”

en years ago it would have been difficult to imagine Beckham’s design success. While as a Spice Girl, fashion was always her USP, her fashion choices – in keeping with the group’s inclusive, fun-loving ethos – were not considered high-end. As she started making big money, her love of luxury took hold.

Then she met David Beckham, who enjoyed dressing up and experimenting with fashion as much as she did, and her WAG incarnation was born. Cue plenty of peacocking – matching couple outfits in shiny fabrics, tiny body-con dresses, heavily branded designer handbags and sadistically high Louboutins.

“Fame doesn’t necessarily equate to long-term sales success”

As she entered the fashion business, her look changed again – this time opting for a more classic Audrey Hepburn-inspired wardrobe. Gone with the mini-skirts and hair extensions and in was the pixie crop, longer hemlines and tailored dresses.

Over the past decade, Beckham’s brand aesthetic has changed with her personal style. While back in 2008, she remained rooted to fitted dresses and high heels, now she favours a looser, more modern silhouette. Tailoring is key, as are chic midi-length dresses and skirts that imbue a more relaxed elegance.

“At first, Victoria was very strict with her silhouette; it was very body-con and fitted,” says Almond. “But over the years, she has softened that silhouette and loosened the look up massively. She is a great tailor and makes a great wide-leg trouser that suits and flatters many body shapes.”

It’s an aesthetic that shoppers can’t get enough of. “We have seen a big shift in the direction of the collections,” says von der Goltz. “Previously, our bestsellers were the iconic body-con dresses, but now our bestsellers include tailoring and knitwear. That said, dresses remain a key category. Current bestsellers are the fluid midi styles.”

Beckham has honed her vision at New York Fashion Week (although this week she will stage her first show in London as part of her 10-year celebrations), a decision that CFDA chairman Stephen Kolb thinks was wise.

“Since the launch, Victoria Beckham’s choice to be part of New York Fashion Week demonstrated her astute understanding of the global fashion industry,” he says. “It is here that, season after season, she refined her aesthetic to become one of the most refined and sophisticated collections on the official NYFW schedule, earning the respect of some of the world’s most influential editors and retailers.”

eckham has never enlisted supermodels to help promote her collections because she knows that she is the best ambassador her brand could be. Her understanding of what women want to wear comes from what she wants to wear herself. And when she steps out in a full VB look, which she often does, looking polished yet modern, the sales start to roll in.

King believes that Beckham’s personal patronage of her work is far more persuasive to shoppers than any campaign or advert.

“Victoria is the perfect ambassador for the brand as she wears it herself and is often captured wearing a key look before it comes to market,” says King. “This kind of authentic promotion builds hype ahead of the products arriving in store, and often results in a sell-out for the style. For example, the beautiful cape dress she wore to the royal wedding this summer already has a waiting list.”

“As her own style has changed, so has it been reflected in her label and collections,” adds Almond. “Especially in her accessories – shoppers can buy a pair of sunglasses that’s akin to buying a little piece of her. It feels very personal still and reflects her and her look.”

King points out that the outfits she wears to take her post-show bow always tend to sell out.

one would buy Beckham’s collections if they didn’t like her. In the flesh, she is the opposite of her public image. While she might be known for pouting, in reality she is warm and funny.

This is a woman, who after being asked who she would like to present her with the award for Harper’s Bazaar 2017 Designer of the Year, chose Susanne Jones because she was a fan of TV show Doctor Foster and hoped that if they met they’d soon become friends. She endearingly and persistently forced the point throughout the evening, both on stage and during an interview.

Beckham is funny. “Her fun pieces a great reflection of her sense of humour,” says Rush. “Her ‘Fashion Stole My Style T-shirt‘ is a great example of that.”

She doesn’t pretend the Spice Girls didn’t happen, and admits to having made a few questionable fashion choices, telling Net-a-Porter in 2016 that perhaps the PVC catsuit was an error of judgement and that the nine-inch Louboutins she wore round Disneyland while heavily pregnant were a mistake – she’s more of a Stan Smith woman these days. It’s also fair to say that anyone who doesn’t mind crawling out of a paper bag to create a tongue-in-cheek fashion campaign is no kill-joy.

So what’s next for brand Beckham? Rush says further success is ahead, predicting “more beautiful collections while she keeps on strengthening her business, something that has already started with the appointment of Paolo Riva as CEO and the investment the brand has received. Both are great platforms for growth.”

“In the flesh, she is the opposite of her public image.”

Almond hypothesises over new product categories. Her 2017 collection for US giant Target saw her launch childrenswear for the first time.

“I think the brand will only continue to expand and succeed,” says Almond. “Perhaps she may move into menswear and homewear as a natural progression into buying into the ‘Beckham’ world, husband, home, kids and and all.”

To the next 10 years of fashion’s great re-inventor.