Elegant collection of midi-length kilts and windowpane checks helps singer-turned-designer brush off ex-Spice Girl tag
"Impeccable" was how Natalie Massenet, chair of the British Fashion Council, described Victoria Beckham's autumn-winter 2013 collection at New York fashion week. And impeccable is the right word – not just for the sharp lines of the tailored cashmere coats, elegant tuxedo suits and graphic intarsia knits, but for the masterclass in brand strategy the label has become.
The distinctive sleek, sophisticated, body-conscious dresses of Beckham's early collections have proved to be a mere springboard for a fully formed fashion house that is holding its own at the highest levels.
Great care is taken that every aspect of this label is executed at the highest taste level. The trays of English Breakfast and Japanese popcorn tea, and the Diptyque scent emanating from the candelabras in the New York City public library show venue, set an elegant tone.
With every season in which the assembled fashion industry enjoys the spectacle of Anna Wintour engaged in an amiable front-row chat with David Beckham, another nail is struck in the coffin of the ex-Spice-Girl tag.
Victoria Beckham's customers have a voracious appetite for dresses that allow them to feel they are buying a piece of her lifestyle. (David might not be taking you to dinner at Gordon Ramsay's, but hey, you can wear the dress.) Her challenge is to balance that with the industry's desire for newness, and the need to be seen making a contribution to the wider fashion conversation, which is essential for the label to be seen as a fashion, rather than a celebrity, brand.
For now, Beckham is working this creative tension to her advantage. Where once the models on the catwalk looked like Victoria clones, now they are quite distinct – though this season they were carrying large handbags tucked under their arms, which is how the designer usually holds hers.
This collection was on trend in its emphasis on separates, soft volume, and menswear influences in fabrics and patterns. But Beckham always dresses to look sexy as well as stylish, and this was mirrored in the slim belts that added shape to tunics and the side splits in the midi-length kilt-style skirts.
Backstage after the show, Beckham enthused about the impact of her family's recent move to England. "This is a big collection, hopefully with a strong fashion message, and that reflects me being able to be hands on every minute of the day."
Traditional British fabrics, from windowpane-check wools to Scottish cashmere sweater dresses, were "the influence of coming home – but done in a sexy way," she said.