It’s been two years and four seasons since Victoria Beckham first showed her work in Paris–a “flag in the sand moment” that put VB on the international fashion map as a serious designer. “I’m just so happy to be part of the conversation. This is me doing it my way,” she told Vogue of the “daunting, but fun” experience at the time. VB’s “way” involves dressing the part. Remember, Beckham is not a regular designer pulling all-nighters in the studio and living on coffee, Diet Coke, cigs and the like. This is Victoria Beckham! Matriarch of the family empire, fitness guru, beauty entrepreneur, fashion figurehead and soon-to-be Netflix lead. Exits from her hotel, La Réserve, to the atelier are everything. First thing’s first, Paris Fashion Week is, when laid bare, a trade show. Any street-style moment is a key opportunity to promote products – particularly leather goods, which are the lifeline of any brand. An outsized pochette glued tightly to the hip or clutched across the chest is a classic VB move–you will rarely see Victoria carry a shoulder bag because it is a wasted opportunity. Shoes and belts, too, are given pole position against the swathes of black she lives in when not occasionally popping in camera-friendly jewel tones.
Recently, Beckham has pivoted from carrying her own bag designs, pledging allegiance instead to the Hermès family, thanks to a healthy–and well-publicized–Birkin and Kelly collection. Holding the former–always unclasped, yet never a morsel of her busy daily life visible–is a badge of honor that shows Victoria was born to be in Paris. Her affiliation with Balenciaga’s pantaboots and Alaïa’s stilettos also paints her as a designer’s designer–one who’s appreciative of her counterparts’ craft. It’s a classy move to sit on another industry tastemaker’s front row, and Beckham frequently throws her support behind Rick Owens and Simon Porte Jacquemus (imagine that dinner party!) The other signifier of being a designer’s designer is the meticulously curated uniform. Creative directors live in the same rotation of (luxe) basics that are essentially a blank canvas for their work. Victoria’s wardrobe centers around belted high-waisted trousers and artfully undone blouses, form-fitting ruched midi-dresses, outsized yet impeccably tailored jackets, square-framed sunglasses and vertiginous heels. The fact that Beckham had her foot holed up in a medical boot last season did not lead her to tracksuit temptation. Rather, she wore a single Alaïa Le Cœur pump with her brace as a sign of her unwavering commitment to her personal image.
