What's the best thing about being married to David Beckham?
Thank hello again everybody, thank you for coming back. So I'm thrilled, Victoria, to be talking with you this afternoon. Thank you so much for coming. I know you've just landed from somewhere exotic. So I was thinking over the weekend, knowing that this conversation was going to happen, that you and I actually go back a very long time. I first became aware of you through my children, who were huge fans and insisted that I take them to see you perform as a Spice Girl in New York City, and then go backstage to say hello, which is how the Spice Girls ended up on the cover of Vogue in 1998. It was a very much discussed cover and extremely well received. Then a few years later, Victoria, you and I would see each other when you would hold those small presentations for your Victoria Beckham collections. I remember thinking that was really brave of you because you were speaking directly to a slightly too cool for school group of journalists about your vision of fashion. But as Chloe just pointed out, this has clearly paid off because your recent show was the most viewed of the entire spring 2025 collections. So well, bravo. Thank you. And as I mentioned to those of you who were with us earlier this morning, and as Chloe pointed out, there is a film crew here today filming you for your Netflix documentary that's coming out, I think next year. Victoria, you and I have discussed your slight frustration that you are seen here in the United States particularly as a former Spice Girl, and your family are currently now filming a documentary that's based on you. So did this come about because of a perceived lack of recognition for Victoria Beckham as a designer and an entrepreneur? Was it a way for you to set the record straight?
Well, you started off by saying how we go quite a long way back, and I have to say that every time I come to New York, I love to catch up with Anna. We quite often have a very early breakfast, and you're always so kind and generous when offering advice and help. I'm like a sponge. I remember sitting in this office with you saying, 'Anna, how do I tell my story in America?' I think in the UK and Europe, people don't look at me as a Spice Girl first and foremost now because I do think that I've earned my stripes, if you like, with fashion and beauty. But I still think that I have to work on that messaging here in America. I think we talked about a documentary, and I think that I said something along the lines of, 'Oh my goodness, absolutely not.' Filming Beckham was hard. Then you said to me, 'But the power of Netflix and how you could use that to really shine a light on your brand, both fashion and beauty.' So the documentary that we're filming is not a lifestyle documentary; it's not Beckham 2.0. It really is about me building both fashion and beauty. The crew have been following me on the lead-up to my show in Paris, really showing what goes on behind the brand and how I built it. David actually told me in Paris that you were really enjoying it. Is that right?
Well, I fought against it for a long time, but you know, once I decide to do something, it is what it is. I have the most wonderful crew, all very talented. I respect them all a lot, and they're actually very nice to have around, I have to say. It's not sit-down interviews. I'm getting on with work, and they watch out; you forget they're there after a while. So, when the actual feature film comes out on the Beckhams, not the documentary, what would be your ideal casting for you, Victoria?
Oh my goodness, I don't know. I wasn't expecting that question. I don't know. Who do you think would be a good? Well, I actually thought Margaret Qualley would be a good. Yes. And then what about for David? Oh my goodness, I don't know. Oh my gosh, I wasn't expecting this question. I mean, I don't know. Let's say Brad Pitt? He looks good. I was thinking Joaquin, you know? Maybe a little younger. Yes, okay.
Okay, so Victoria, backstage you were talking about your children and how proud you are of them. Obviously they've grown up so much in the public eye, and I'm just curious as a mother how you've managed to navigate that. That must have caused you some concern at some point. Obviously except for Harper now, they're out in the world, but still, I know you're always a mother. I'm just wondering how you feel about that.
You know, being a mother is my most important role and what I am most proud of. I think it's about making sure that we're a very close family. It's all about communication. We talk all the time. There's always a safe space where all of the children can feel free to talk about anything. Our parents have always been very involved with bringing the children up as well. They're all very sweet, kind, funny, humble, hardworking, driven young people. Every time anybody meets one of the kids, they will always compliment the children on how nice they are, how humble they are. I think that is such a compliment when anybody says that your kids are great and they have excellent manners. Absolutely, they had no choice.
Okay, so let's move to fashion. So Victoria has a wardrobe. I have seen it about as large as this room, full of Prada and Comme des Garçons. So when you're not wearing Victoria Beckham, who do you go to?
My closet is what I would call organized chaos. I know where everything is, and I have a storage facility so I can rotate things. I do have more clothes than him, quite often samples that I've borrowed for shoots from work. What other brands do I wear? I occasionally wear a bit of Balenciaga, a little bit of Celine. But what I love now about what I'm doing is, after I first started my collection 17 years ago, I focused just on dresses. Now I'm doing knitwear and tailoring and really every element of the wardrobe including accessories. So I don't often wear other brands because ultimately I'm creating what I want and what I desire.
Well, Vogue is very curious about your closet policy. Can family members borrow your vintage? What are the rules? Do they have to check them in and out?
Yeah, I'm not too precious about those things unless it's Harper's. And when Harper eyes up those handbags, not just yet, not just yet. But other than that, I love my clothes and I look after my clothes. I think clothes are also there to be enjoyed. If one of the young kids wants to borrow my clothes, whether it's Harper or one of the boys' girlfriends, that's flattery, right? Because they're significantly younger than me, so that's good.
So Victoria, recently you decided to move your show to Paris. Obviously there are many reasons why people want to show in Paris beyond the fact it's the most beautiful city in the world. But how has showing in Paris really changed your look on what you do? Obviously what we'll be seeing in the documentary. I'm interested to know from showing from those little shows that we used to see here in New York, and sometimes bigger shows here and in London, what made you decide to go to Paris?
Well, Paris was always the dream. You know, you've got to bring your A-game when you show in Paris, and I felt that pressure. I enjoy that pressure. It's made a huge difference business-wise to me. To be there amongst the biggest houses and the most respected houses in the industry has been really quite incredible. I have noticed a big difference in how it's affected the business in such a positive way. It really is the main stage, I believe.
So you'll be staying there? We won't welcome you back to New York anytime?
But I love the fact that I can travel and there's so much that we can do. When we had breakfast a few months ago, we talked about do I show a pre-collection here? America is so important to me. This is where I started. I spent nine years living in America. I showed my collections here in New York. So having the opportunity to travel and think outside of the box is something that excites me as well. But definitely main collections are staying in Paris at the moment. Our loss.
So you're good friends, of course, with many famous people, but you also hang out with designers like Marc Jacobs. I'm just curious who has given you good advice over the years that you really remember. Is it Tom, is it Marc? Whose words do you remember?
You know, Marc Jacobs right at the beginning said to me, 'You've got to stop saying that people left their preconceptions at the door when they reviewed your collection.' I said, 'But they did. I don't come from a traditional design background.' He said, 'They did not leave their preconceptions at the door. What happened is the product was good.' He said, 'As long as the product and the quality is good, no one can ever say it's rubbish.' So that stayed with me. Roland Mouret also was a mentor at the beginning. He is probably the one designer that believed in me right at the beginning and supported me and made me believe in myself as well.
In our Vogue 90s documentary, you talk about the designers that inspired you. But I'm just curious, what's your very first fashion memory? Do you have one as a child?
Oh my gosh, I do. When I was in the Spice Girls, Donatella Versace invited me to go to Milan to a fashion show. I remember she sent a private plane. I'd never been in a private plane before. I went to Milan and she took me to the Versace store to dress me in Versace for the fashion show and for the party afterwards. I put the clothes on and then I said, 'Yeah, I like it, but how about we change the length, take this...' I completely redesigned the outfit. I think back to it and I think, my goodness, I can't believe I had the audacity to do that. How was the show? The show was great and I really liked what I was wearing. But it was coming from such a sweet innocent place. I look back and I think how could I ever have said to Donatella, 'I like your dress but how about...' I'm sure she liked you more for your honesty.
