I didn't think Victoria Beckham was my type of designer. She's too wrapped up in the commercial business side of the industry. "If you don't match up the patterns, you use 50% less fabric and that makes a huge impact on the bottom line," Beckham mentioned in an interview with the Guardian. I feel uncomfortable when I think designers are compromising creativity for sales. Indulgent perhaps, but I want the flamboyant Galliano type tangled in fabric throwing sketches in the air...perhaps minus the anti-Semitism.
That said, however, I am impressed by Victoria's austere work ethic. Although her models occasionally look like Beckham clone dolls marching down a catwalk, it's not vanity that compels her to that uniform; I now understand that it's a disciplined dedication to making clothes that flatter the form whilst fitting her ideal.
In spite of myself, I've liked all of her previous designs, especially witnessing their evolution from just covetable dresses into a coherent luxury collection. Thematically, the line graduated from last season's sportswear into a military flavour. However, having a houseful of sportsmen this was not a complete departure as she drew inspiration from son Brooklyn's baseball shirt collars and slouchy rimmed sports socks. But the gallant military inferences did prevail through army greens, epaulettes, a commander's khaki trench coat and even FLAT boots - quelle horreur!
Undeterred by the masculine text embedded in the military styling, the collection somehow retained feminine allure as taut jersey dresses fell into a streamlined hourglass silhouette. Starting with a mature pencil shape, skirts developed into a short cheerleader pleated gym style, but it was still sophisticated with a high kneckline and belted waist.
The absence of evening-wear was unconventional, not to mention risky for a collection that débuts two weeks before the Oscars. Knowing Beckham's sharp business mind, the bold move was obviously an educated one and probably to her advantage. A barrage of dainty floor-length gowns would have been disconnected from the urban feel, looking clumsy.
Victoria did, however, compensate for the lack of glamour with elegant accessories. Boots came in all shapes and sizes along with a range of bags, featuring a new addition named after her daughter Harper. And if you can't work with those accessories you could always revert back to the fundamental VB signatures; shades, stilettos, tight dress and don't forget the baby.
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