Just a few days ago, my style icon, Victoria Beckham, was
named “Woman of the Decade” at the Glamour Women of the Year Awards so I thought
I should pen down my thoughts on her. I’ve been a Victoria Beckham fan since
the Spice Girls took over the pop music scene and continue to be a huge fan. When
I was about 18, I went on and bought her book “Learning to Fly” (named after a
Pink Floyd song), read it page to page and finished it in two days.
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| Victoria Beckham with her son Brooklyn at the Glamour Awards |
I’m not sure what about her made me such a huge fan, it
definitely wasn't her singing, maybe it was the way she dressed. I remember as
a teenager, I always wanted to know what Posh Spice was wearing! I do recall her wearing a lot of black. At some
point in my late teens, early 20’s I started using the line “that’s so
major” because I heard Victoria Beckham say it all the time. I've even seen all her documentaries!
Being Victoria Beckham, Coming to America, I’d seen them all!
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| The Spice Girls |
Once the Spice Girls broke up, every band member including
Victoria tried their hand at a solo career and sadly, none of them really
succeeded. However, I’m really glad that Posh decided to venture into fashion
design, because I never really thought of her a great singer, but fashion is
where her greatest strength lies. She initially started designing
by developing a successful line of denims and now she’s expanded into a full-fledged
clothing line and handbags. She’s not the first celebrity turned designer, yet hers
is one of the first few celebrity fashion empires that continue to grow with
every passing season.
One would think it was easy for her to break into the
fashion industry because of who she is, but that is not the case here. It came
with a lot of preconceived notions and ridicule when she chose this career. I was watching her interview with Alexandra Shulman (editor of British Vogue)a few weeks ago at the Vogue Fashion
Festival where she talks about presenting her first collection to various
retailers and buyers over a period of four days. She goes on to mention how she
deconstructed each garment (not literally)and explains over and over to
different people the making of each dress, the fabrics used, etc. This goes to show that this isn’t a bored pop
singer turned housewife trying to find a new hobby. This is someone who is genuinely
talented, doesn't shy away from hard work and knows the ins and out of garment construction.
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| Victoria Bekcham SS 2009 |
That’s the most inspiring part, despite all the negativity; is that she’s now one of the most sought after designers in the industry. Anna Wintour quoted “don’t underestimate her” after viewing one of her collections which surely means you've
made it or at least are on the path to making it. Sarah Jessica Parker, Cameron
Diaz, Gwenyth Paltrow and lots more high profile celebrities swear by her signature
sheath dresses. It’s not only Hollywood beauties that are seen in her designs;
she’s taken over Bollywood stars as well. Sonam Kapoor, Deepika Padukone,
Priyanka Chopra, Katrina Kaif, Natasha Poonawala have all been seen in her
clothes.
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| Deepika Padukone in Victoria Beckham |
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| Sonam Kapoor in Victoria Beckham |
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| Cameron Diaz in Victoria Beckham |
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| Gwennyth Paltrow in Victoria Beckham |
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| Eva Longoria in Victoria Beckham |
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| Katrina Kaif in Victoria Beckham |
What I like best about her designs is how simple they are. I’ve
noticed throughout the years, her dressing style has been very classic,
minimalistic and feminine (and let’s not forget, extremely tight fitted) with
an emphasis on impeccable tailoring, which is why no surprises here, her
designs reflect her personal style. She quoted “ultimately I’m designing
clothes that I want to wear myself”. I love how her dresses have zippers at the
back; she says that way when you put them on, you’re not going to ruin your
hair and make-up! I’m also a huge fan of the solid colors she uses in her
designs.
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| Victoria in her own designs |
Her emphasis on quality is evident with every finished
product. All her clothes for the main line are handmade in England whereas the
bags are made in Italy. Even for her slightly more affordable line, Victoria,
Victoria Beckham, she ensures that there is no compromise on quality. The
fabrics for her Victoria line are top notch; the only difference is that they
are made in Portugal where making costs are cheaper. Speaking of her diffusion
line, if you think her main line is too formal for your taste, the Victoria
line is very fresh and fun with prints (which you will NOT see in her Victoria
Beckham collections). Of course the tailoring behind all her garments is very crucial to her and she pays attention to it at every step. Same goes for her bags.
She also places a great importance on what her customers
want and you can see that in her evolving designs. Her initial collections
showcased a lot of sheath dresses, whereas her more recent designs have now
started to consist of separates and slightly looser silhouettes too. However,
her signature dresses are never too far behind, and why not? They are after all
the epitome of perfection.
But that’s not all that has me awestruck. The fact
that she has four kids, who are always a priority in her life and you can see
that, as her brood is never too far behind wherever she goes. One can easily
say, oh it’s a façade celebrities put on to show how perfect their lives are,
but I choose not to look at it that way. Every paparazzi shot you see of posh
consists of her family right next to her, and not just her kids but her mum too
and I think that’s just so sweet. I also love how she has no qualms about
stating her flaws. If you watch her interviews, she’s confident about the
mistakes she’s made and always adds humour to it.
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| The Beckhams |
She’s proven that if one has to will to do something they
can definitely do so. A successful designing career, a loving wife and mother; Victoria
Beckham is truly an inspirational woman.
