Victoria Beckham on Marc Jacobs’ Advice and Overcoming the Celebrity Designer Stigma
It’s no secret that celebrities-turned-designers face more than a little scrutiny from the fashion industry.
Sometimes, it’s, er, warranted (remember Heidi Montag’s Heidiwood?) and, other times, the transition is seamles—as Victoria Beckham knows very well.
“When I was starting out I remember Marc Jacobs saying, ‘As long as the quality is great, then people can say it’s not their personal taste, but they can’t say that it’s rubbish,’” Beckham told Women's Wear Daily at the publication’s Apparel and Retail CEO Summit. “And that’s very true.”
Not only has the Victoria Beckham collection garnered such high-profile (and stylish!) fans as Gwyneth Paltrow, Blake Lively, Heidi Klum, and Elle Macpherson, but the company is poised to make close to $100 million in 2011.
In addition, Posh recently launched a secondary line of dresses under the Victoria by Victoria Beckham label.
“I’m very aware of people’s preconceptions,” she said. “But the product spoke for itself.”
Though Beckham’s first foray into design, the dVb line of denim and sunglasses, was created via licensing agreement, she admitted to relishing the creative freedom she has with her line now.
“I just wanted to design. [dVb] was a great learning curve,” she said. “I learned so much about how I like to do things, how I don’t like to do things, the pros and cons of having someone to answer to. And as soon as we could—myself and Simon [Fuller] and David [Beckham]—afford to bring everything in-house, I jumped at the chance to do that. I could bring in the correct experts for each category and now it’s a dream come true. I have two partners who give me free rein to do pretty much what I want to do creatively. No one is breathing down my neck.”
And if the numbers are any indication, trusting her instincts is working out just fine for her. “I never try to follow a trend or fashion; I just do what feels right,” she said. “Everything that I make, from glasses to a handbag to a dress, is something I would wear and carry myself.”
In related news, check out which other former Spice Girl is trying her hand at designing.
