Brand Beckham isn’t generally known for doing things by halves. Earlier this week, Victoria launched her first collection of three fragrances. Next week the new Netflix documentary, Beckham, featuring David will drop. In between she debuted her style notes for spring, with a duo of Kardashians on the front row - Kim and Kris - and of course as is de rigueur for an au courant fashion “moment”, one to close the show, Kendall Jenner. The Kardashian-two sat cushioned by Anna Wintour, next to the Beckham famille, David, Harper, Cruz, Brooklyn and wife Nicola Peltz.
The show itself was held in a palatial gilt and chandelier strewn abode, formerly owned by Karl Lagerfeld; the venue had been in use earlier in the week for Marni, the Italian brand, having switched from its usual Milan fixture, to make its Paris debut.
On each guests’ seat was an elegantly packaged bottle of the new perfume; the space was heavily fragranced with “Suite 302” a heady, amber perfume named after the Parisian suite Mr and Mrs Beckham used to stay in at the Ritz.
The collection took its cue from a ballet meets the English countryside theme, with a few signature biographical details thrown in for good measure. Speaking at a preview before the show, Beckham explained that “This is a very personal collection to me. My passion and my background was always the love of dance. I wanted to be a ballet dancer, this is really looking at my life as a dancer before the Spice Girls and before what I’m doing now.”
Pieces included white and grey softly draped jersey dresses, shaped with wire to offer a rigid structure and in Beckham’s words to “create the illusion and exaggeration of posture and gesture.” Tailoring was turned inside out, to show the workmanship of the atelier, seams were revealed, lining was left trailing from sleeves and vents. Stiff-hooded parkas and open-backed heavy set black boots gave a nod to the Beckham’s Oxfordshire adventures, as did pretty cotton dresses with embroidery details inspired by vintage napkins and tablecloths from Sunday jaunts to local antiques shops.
Sheer tulle gowns found their cue from Beckham’s unearthing of her teenage tutus from her mother’s house. Beckham said that she “dragged [them] out of my mum’s loft and brought them into the studio. I had fun putting them on, I hadn’t put these tutus on since I was about 16 years old.” She’d even popped on her old pointe shoes and impressed daughter Harper with “my pointe work in the kitchen”. “It’s like riding a bike, you don’t forget” she added, as an aside.
The looks were paired with long socks, echoing dancers’ leg warmers - there to “elongate the leg.” Relaxed touches came from backless pointed loafers, and squishable clutch bags. Knitwear, which has always been a strength for Beckham, came in cream cardigans worn loosely over structured bodysuits and a navy striped sweater with wire shaping. The brand, which finally turned a profit last year, will be hopeful that her customers are keen to pirouette into next summer, well spritzed in her new fragrances, too.
