2009 Victoria’s first dress collection in many ways owed a debt to Roland Mouret and his Galaxy Moon Dress, which she had so memorably worn in LA the previous year. But Victoria still managed to put her own unique stamp on the pieces she presented to the expectant fashion world. Although small, the collection was arguably the hottest ticket at New York Fashion Week, and it marked the point at which Victoria began to be taken seriously both as a designer and as a fashion entrepreneur. The collection was actually only presented in a private hotel room to a handful of fashion cognoscenti, so there were no press photographs of the show, but major retailers immediately began vying for exclusive rights to sell the collection, not only because of the Beckham name, but also because of the verve and attention to detail that had gone into her creations.
The sophistication of the cut and fit of each individual piece portrayed a deep understanding of how clothes looked and functioned when worn. Perhaps one of the most refreshing things about the collection was that all of the dresses reflected the key elements of Victoria’s day-to-day wardrobe. The tight yet flattering silhouette and the fitted and sensuous lines meant that the wearer would feel adored and admired – and as elegant as Victoria herself. While the collection exuded glamour, the wearability of each piece was always a key factor in the design, and the dresses refined the shape of the models in subtle but flattering ways. Victoria stated that the capsule collection had been ‘a lifetime in the making’ and that she wanted to create a range that had longevity, so that the dresses would remain key staples in any modern woman’s wardrobe.
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Left This silky textured black dress is representative of a lot of Victoria’s own style, with oversized sleeves but a feminine fit that flares in the skirt. The detail subtly matches the shoes making the outfit suitable for both day and evening events. Right This model at New York Fashion Week elegantly stands out against the monochrome background in Victoria’s peach bodycon dress and coral tote bag. The stitch detail elongates her legs while twisting in a way that gives the body a sinuous, feminine shape.
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Left What in some ways was one of Victoria’s most straightforward designs is made memorable by a striking use of pink. The season’s primary themes were the use of precise dress collars – which featured in ten of the ensembles – and black and white as the overarching colour mix. Right Delicate finishes, clever construction, a boyish mode and clean lines throughout. ‘It’s everything I want to wear!’ Victoria stated when presenting this collection. It reinforced the notion that Victoria designs as much for herself as she does for her worldwide client base.
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the headlines from the beginning. With that in mind Fall 2015 was an interesting mix, with models being draped in a variety of knitted dresses interspersed with some of Victoria’s best coat creations to date. The coats in some ways referenced the military look of the previous collection with their asymmetry and defiant texturisation, but they were also fun and quirky with their oversized flaps and armoured collars. The most spellbinding of all these pieces came halfway through the show when model Maartje Verhoef strutted out in a full- length white coat; the beautiful bow-like belt perched above the oversized left-hand pocket enhancing the ribbed detail on the coat itself. Here was a statement piece that would last you a lifetime. The last four pieces, three full-length skirts and one dress, mixed materials to create texture and detail but still retained a very feminine feel. This was Victoria at her most inspired and playful. As with the Fall 2014 collection and its foregrounding of the gold chain, here large horn buttons were used as a motif across the entire collection, either as an additional detail or as an integral decoration.
Left The later months of each year, after the collections have been shown, are often extremely busy for Victoria, both professionally and socially. Here she and David add some A-list wow factor to the British Fashion Awards at the London Coliseum.
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Previous page Victoria is seen visiting her showroom in New York in December 2015. She happily admits to being a perfectionist, and as such she supervises every part of the production process for each collection. Given the unrelenting nature of the fashion world and the extremely tight deadlines she has to work to, it means that Victoria is always on the go.
Above left Victoria and Eva Longoria appear together to support the Global Gift Gala, this time at the Four Seasons Hotel in London. Above right Team Beckham in action again, with Brooklyn escorting Victoria to Glamour magazine’s 25th Anniversary Women of the Year Awards at New York’s Carnegie Hall.
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Left The cut-outs are a fun and quirky touch that featured on two of the ensembles in this collection. When Victoria’s creations put skin on show it tends to be in an unexpected way, not just the décolletage or the legs. This is a piece for a woman dressing on her own terms. Right A lovely use of colour contrast is given extra emphasis with the cinched waist on the beautifully gathered skirt.
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