Victoria Beckham: I used to feel famous, but now I feel successful

The ex-Spice Girl has forged a fashion empire with hard work, sharp business sense and a real understanding of how women want to dress. The fashion industry admires her, the public love her and finally she believes in herself

One midsummer evening not long ago, I rang the buzzer of a Holland Park mansion, wedding-cake white with black railings. The lady of the house, barefoot in a floral-print dress, opened the door and politely held out a hand for me to shake. (It was her left hand, but its the thought that counts.) Hello! I had a party, she said. It was so good. It was my birthday. And now weve got goldfish. Have you got goldfish? And with that Harper Beckham, three, hopped on to her lilac scooter and led the way into the sitting room.

This is not how interviews with fashion designers usually begin. But Victoria Beckham has built a label which last year took £30 million in sales by doing things her own way. She is the ex-Spice Girl who took on the fashion industry and won them over; the Wag who became a player. Let other designers play the eccentric artist; Beckham is the multitasking modern woman, seating her children next to Anna Wintour at her last fashion show.