Victoria Beckham, otherwise known as ‘Posh Spice’, can be credited with a great deal of interest in the celebrity dominated fashion industry. Mrs Beckham was dubbed ‘posh’ in 1996, 12 years before she officially launched herself into the fashion industry with her debut collection at the September NYFW in 20
08. It was in April of the same year that she landed her first solo cover for Vogue UK, which has since been followed up by numerous more prestigious cover shoots and a host of worldwide magazine shoots have followed suit.
As another season of the fashion industry’s shows close, Victoria Beckham has once again made a splash across the worlds fashion pages, although not always for the right reasons.
VB’s SS16 collection was cited,”colourful, classy and adult” by Vogue, a far cry from the moody and dark demeanor she would have previously been attributed with. This comment in itself is high praise indeed for Beckham, suggesting that she has well and truly shaken the WAG title, added to her Spice Girl tag and has transitioned into a greatly respected and mature designer who has earned their place on fashion’s world stage. This year’s collection was simple and sophisticated, swapping the corsets and mini-skirts of her earlier collections for a more mature style of calf length dresses and high neck lines. The opening of her Dover Street store in London earlier this year has lent itself to become the perfect venue for the silhouette swathing collection aimed at more mature working women, much like Victoria herself.
“When I started out in fashion, everything had to be very structured and tight and controlling, and now I’m getting to a point where I think – I could wear a great big parka, that could be quite fabulous. I haven’t always got to show off my size, show off my shape. It’s a turning point for me.” – Victoria Beckham
Despite positive reports from some industry experts, previously Beckham came under fire for her use of ‘underweight’ models. Critics slammed her use of waif-like models at a time when the industry was attempting to break the usage of unhealthy models claiming them to be genuinely fit and encouraging the use of more diverse models take their place. In 2010 Beckham was quoted as saying she “took her role very seriously and wouldn’t want to use very skinny girls”, one might wonder if these casting choices are a personal preference or a tongue in cheek nod to all those who criticise Beckham’s own weight. Could it even be a signal about the paper thin models of the 90’s era in which Beckham blossomed into her state of celebrity?
One thing is for certain; Posh’s previous affiliation with ‘girl power’ has been firmly reinstated. Indeed she has seen a meteoric rise in her status in the fashion world and can now be regarded as at the top of her current chosen profession.
“I love fashion, and that’s how I express myself”- Victoria Beckham
Whilst she is certainly no longer cavorting in a LBD to “spice up your life” (not since the 2012 Olympic closing ceremony anyway), it is reported that her fashion empire is the largest source of income for the Beckham family and brand, quite an achievement considering her previous WAG status implied that it was her husband David who was the dominant brand in their partnership. One might argue that never the “shrinking violet” this girl has added plenty of “spice” to the financial status of one of the world’s most powerful celebrity couples.
The Victoria Beckham fashion brand appears to be going from strength to strength and diversifying into more fields than ever before, with the British Fashion Awards coming up on November 23rd, who better to represent the women’s wear category than a girl who has had two successful careers at the very top and looks set to keep the world of fashion on its toes for a very long time.
Meg Painter