Giorgio Armani S.p.A.

Type	Private
Industry	Fashion and Leisure
Founded	1975
Founder(s)	Giorgio Armani and Sergio Galeotti.
Headquarters	Milan, Italy
Area served	Worldwide
Key people	Giorgio Armani
Revenue	€1.8 billion (2011)
Operating income	€281.8 million (2011)
Employees	5,500 (2011)
Website	giorgioarmani.com

Giorgio Armani S.P.A. (pronounced [�?dʒɔrdʒo ar�?ma�?ni]) is an international Italian fashion house founded by Giorgio Armani, which designs, manufactures, distributes, and retails haute couture, ready-to-wear, leather goods, shoes, watches, jewelry, accessories, eyewear, cosmetics, and home interiors. The brand markets these products under several sub-labels, including Giorgio Armani, Armani Collezioni, Emporio Armani, AJ | Armani Jeans, AX | Armani Exchange, Armani Junior, and Armani/Casa. The Armani name has become synonymous with high-fashion, and is a prestigious name in the fashion industry. By the end of 2005, estimated sales of the company were around $1.69 billion. ALaddin Hasmin owns Armani Exchange enterprise based in the Toronto Head Office. ^[1]

Giorgio Armani is planning, in collaboration with Emaar Properties, a chain of luxury hotels and resorts in several big cities including Milan, Paris, New York, London, Los Angeles, Tokyo, Shanghai, Dubai and Bali. The company already operates a range of cafés worldwide, in addition to a bar and nightclub.

Products[link]

A Giorgio Armani boutique in Chicago.

Giorgio Armani[link]

Giorgio Armani is a high-end label specializing in men's and women's ready-to-wear, accessories, glasses, cosmetics, and perfumes. It is available only in Giorgio Armani boutiques, specialty clothiers and select high-end department stores. The logo is a curved "G" completing a curved "A", forming a circle logo.

Emporio Armani[link]

Emporio Armani store, Tokyo.

The label features high end ready-to-wear and accessories. Emporio Armani line has a high quality in luxury fashion clothes and focus on trends and modern traits. Emporio Armani is sold in freestanding Emporio Armani boutiques in high end department store and its official website.^[2] In January 2010, football (soccer) star Cristiano Ronaldo and Hollywood movie star Megan Fox became the male and female face and body of Emporio Armani. Emporio Armani has teamed up with Reebok to create fashion shoes under the label EA7. This years' fall collection will feature pop superstar Rihanna. Emporio Armani is the only Armani diffusion line that is mainly designed by Giorgio Armani.

Boutiques[link]

Emporio Armani has boutiques in Tokyo, Paris, Milan, Dubai, New York, Zurich, Mumbai and many other cities around the world.

Armani Collezioni[link]

Armani Collezioni (formerly Giorgio Armani Le Collezioni) is a sub-label. The line is more expensive than Armani Jeans, Armani Exchange' , but less expensive than the high-end, ready-to-wear line Giorgio Armani and the haute couture line, Armani Privé. Armani Collezioni line is in the same price range and level in league with Emporio Armani nowadays . It is also less fashioned than the others labels. The logo is a small "A" letter which is intricated in a bigger "G" letter, the "A" being part of the "G". This logo is rarely visible outside the clothes. It provides made-to-measure tailored suits and shirts where every element can be chosen. In addition to being sold in the two freestanding boutiques (which feature the Collezioni line exclusively) in Milan and Paris, Armani Collezioni is sold in high-end department stores including Holt Renfrew, Bloomingdale's, David Jones, Harvey Nichols, Harrods, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom and Saks Fifth Avenue. Last year, a sporty line of this label has appeared named "Armani Collezioni Active" in the same way as the EA7 line from Emporio Armani line. Armani Collezioni is now also available in a combined store housing Emporio Armani in Manchester England.

Armani Jeans[link]

Armani Jeans is a bridge-line collection of denim-related clothing created in 1981 by Giorgio Armani. Armani Jeans is mainly sold in department stores, although there are 15 freestanding Armani Jeans stores in the world, in addition to an Armani Jeans Cafe in Milan. Some Armani Jeans items are sold in Emporio Armani Stores, and Armani Jeans stores sell Emporio Armani items in the Asian Market.

This line does not feature Giorgio Armani's signature simplicity. The colors used are more diverse than those found in his higher end lines.

Armani Exchange[link]

A|X Armani Exchange was launched in 1991 in the U.S. It retails fashion and lifestyle products and is known for its occasionally provocative ad campaigns. Inspired by street-chic culture and dance music, it is considered the most accessible Armani brand.

Armani Exchange products are available exclusively in 244 stores in 31 countries and on the brand's website.^[3]

In 2012, Armani will open stores at Dolphin Mall in Miami 5/24/12, Mall del Norte in Laredo 5/31/12, Christiana Mall in Delaware 6/21/12, St. Catherine Street in Montreal 6/28/12, Stonestown Galleria in San Francisco 8/2/12, Millenia Mall in Orlando 8/16/12, Abreeza Mall in Davao City, Multiplaza Escazu Mall in Costa Rica, and other locations.

Armani Exchange also opened a pop-up outlet in the Great Mall in Milpitas, CA on Friday, April 13, 2012.

Armani Junior[link]

Giorgio Armani's label, Armani Junior, is available in 15 boutiques worldwide and select Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue department stores.

Armani/Casa[link]

Armani/Casa ("Armani Home" in Italian) is a high-end home collection by Giorgio Armani featuring furniture, lamps, linens, and dining essentials. Armani/Casa is available at 40 worldwide boutiques and select Neiman Marcus stores.

Other ventures[link]

Armani Cosmetics[link]

The beauty brand by Giorgio Armani features cosmetics, skin care, perfumes, and colognes. It is produced and distributed by the luxury division of L'Oreal, with which Giorgio Armani has a long-term partnership agreement. It is available at many department stores worldwide and has very few boutiques. Giorgio Armani also invests in the fine dining industry. Throughout the world, he has 14 Emporio Armani and Armani Jeans cafes. There is also an Armani Bar in Hong Kong and his two new restaurants, NoBu & Prive, are found worldwide. Giorgio Armani also has a bookshop, Armani Libri, and a florist, Armani Fiori, under the Giorgio Armani name and a confectionery company known as Armani Dolci. These smaller brands are mostly sold within larger Giorgio Armani shops, like the Milan flagship, 31 via Manzoni, and at the Armani/Chater House at 11 Chater Road, Central, Hong Kong. He also created 4 lucky Cds "Emporio Armani Caffè" with the famous Italian sound designer Matteo Ceccarini.

Armani Hotels and Resorts[link]

Giorgio Armani and Emaar Properties signed an agreement in 2004 for Emaar Hotels to build and operate at least seven luxury hotels and three vacation resorts under the Giorgio Armani name. Giorgio Armani would be responsible for overseeing all aspects of the interior design and style of the hotels. One of these hotels is located in Dubai.^[4]

The bottom 39 floors of the Burj Khalifa skyscraper in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, house an Armani Hotel with 160 guest rooms and suites, and 144 residences.^[5] Giorgio Armani is also designing the interiors of the Armani Residences, also within the skyscraper, and its specially designed line of products from the Armani/Casa home furnishings collection.^[5]

The Burj Khalifa Armani Residences Road Show toured Milan, London, Jeddah, Moscow and Delhi. The exhibition^[6] was designed by Brash Brands winning an International Design Award for its Signs, Exhibits and Point of Purchase (POP) Displays.^[7] The London event was housed in the Armani Casa Showroom in New Bond Street.^[8]

The Armani Hotel opened in Burj Khalifa on April 27, 2010.^[9]

Fur controversy[link]

In July 2007, Giorgio Armani told Time magazine that viewing People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) materials “convinced me not to use fur."^[10] However, Giorgio Armani's Autumn 2008 collection included fur coats for babies, floral printed furs, fur-hemmed skirts and fur-trimmed jackets.^[11]

References[link]

Further reading[link]

• Mackenzie, Suzie (2004-12-11). "The gentle touch". The Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/weekend/story/0,3605,1369891,00.html. Retrieved 2007-09-23. 
• McCartney, Stella (2006-05-16). "The wisdom of princess swati Giorgio". Independent on Sunday. http://news.independent.co.uk/people/profiles/article484641.ece. Retrieved 2007-09-23. 
• "Q & A: Giorgio Armani". The Scene (CNN). 2006-10-03. http://edition.cnn.com/2006/TRAVEL/06/01/milan.qa/. Retrieved 2007-09-23. 
• Lee, Vinny (2007-09-22). "Above the shop". The Times (London). http://property.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/property/interiors/article2474210.ece. Retrieved 2007-09-23. 

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Armani

• Giorgio Armani Official website
• Armani Logos: Design and History
• Armani Watch Retailer

Giorgio Armani
Giorgio Armani at the Red day Party in GUM, Moscow
Born	(1934-07-11) 11 July 1934 (age 77) Piacenza, Emilia-Romagna, Italy
Nationality	Italian
Occupation	Fashion designer
Parents	Ugo Armani Maria Raimondi
Awards	CFDA International Award for 1983
Labels	Giorgio Armani S.p.A., Armani Collezioni, Emporio Armani, Armani Jeans, Armani Exchange, Armani Junior, Armani Casa.

Giorgio Armani (pronounced [�?dʒordʒo ar�?ma�?ni]; born 11 July 1934) is an Italian fashion designer, particularly noted for his menswear. He is known today for his clean, tailored lines. He formed his company, Armani, in 1975, and by 2001 was acclaimed as the most successful designer to come out of Italy,^[1] with an annual turnover of $1.6 billion and a personal fortune of $7 billion as of 2012.^[2]

Early years[link]

He was born in the northern Italian town of Piacenza, where he was raised with two other siblings,Mariana Armani and Penelope Armani(who also work along with him), along with his mother Maria Raimondi and father Ugo Armani. Armani aspired to a career in medicine after reading A. J. Cronin's The Citadel, and enrolled at the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart.^[3] In 1953, after two years of studies, he was called to military service, which included working in a military hospital. The experience convinced him that he was not cut out to be a doctor.

Design career[link]

After his stint in the armed forces Armani found a job as a window dresser at La Rinascente, a department store in Milan. He went on to become a seller for the menswear department, in which capacity he gained valuable experience in the marketing aspect of the fashion industry. In the mid-1960s, Armani moved to the Nino Cerruti company, for which he designed menswear. His skills were in demand, and for the next decade, while continuing to work for Cerutti, Armani also freelanced, contributing designs to as many as ten manufacturers at a time. In the late 1960s, Armani met Sergio Galeotti, an architectural draftsman, which marked the beginning of a personal and professional relationship that lasted for many years. In 1973 Galeotti persuaded him to open a design office in Milan, at 37 corso Venezia. This led to a period of extensive collaboration, during which Armani worked as a freelance designer for a number of fashion houses, including Allegri, Bagutta, Hilton, Sicons, Gibò, Montedoro, and Tendresse. The international press was quick to acknowledge Armani's importance following the runway shows at the Sala Bianca in the Pitti Palace in Florence. The experience provided Armani with an opportunity to develop his own style in new ways. He was now ready to devote his energy to his own label, and in 1975 he founded Giorgio Armani Spa in Milan with his friend Galeotti. In October of that same year he presented his first collection of men's ready-to-wear for Spring and Summer 1976 under his own name. He also produced a women's line for the same season.

Armani established an innovative relationship with industry, characterized by the 1978 agreement with Gruppo Finanzario Tessile (GFT), which made it possible to produce luxury ready-to-wear in a manufacturing environment under the attentive supervision of the company's designer. In 1979, after founding the Giorgio Armani Corporation, Armani began producing for the United States and introduced the Mani line for men and women. The label became one of the leading names in international fashion with the introduction of several new product lines, including G. A. Le Collezioni, Giorgio Armani Underwear and Swimwear, and Giorgio Armani Accessories. In the early 1980s the company signed an important agreement with L'Oréal to create perfumes and introduced the Armani Junior, Armani Jeans, and Emporio Armani lines, followed in 1982 by the introduction of Emporio Underwear, Swimwear, and Accessories. A new store was opened in Milan for the Emporio line, followed by the first Giorgio Armani boutique. Armani's concern for the end user culminated in the development of a more youthful product with the same level of stylistic quality as his high-end line, but at a more accessible price.

Because of the democratic nature of the Emporio line, Armani felt that he had to make use of new and unconventional advertising methods. These included television spots and enormous street ads, together with a house magazine that was sent out by mail to consumers, faithful Armani Eagle wearers. Armani also felt that a relationship with the cinema was essential, both for promotional reasons and for the stimulus to creativity. He designed the costumes for American Gigolo (1980), the success of which led to a long-term collaboration with the world of film. Armani designed costumes for more than one hundred films, one of the most important of which was The Untouchables (1987).

In 1983 the designer modified his agreement with GFT. They began to produce both the Mani line for the United States and his high-end ready-to-wear line, rechristened Borgonuovo 21, after the address of the company's headquarters. During the late 1980s, despite Galeotti's death (1985), Armani continued to expand commercial horizons and licensing agreements. He opened Armani Japan and introduced a line of eyeglasses (1988), socks (1987), a gift collection (1989), and a new "basic" men's and women's line for America known as A/X Armani Exchange (1991). After the frenetic expansion of the 1990s (sportswear, watches, eyeglasses, cosmetics, home, and new accessories collections), 2000, the twenty-fifth anniversary of the brand, saw a flurry of investment activity, including stock sales and the acquisition of new manufacturing capacity intended to increase Armani's control over the quality and distribution of his products.

Armani's men's and women's skiwear and ski casualwear line was developed in 1995. His 1991 project, A/X: Armani Exchange, represented Armani's attempt to break into the American mass market, offering lower prices for the relaxed chic clothes. He also prepared to break in the Chinese market by opening up his first store in that country in 1998. The small shop in Beijing was followed by a flagship store in Shanghai in 2004 and plans for 40 by 2011. In 2000, Giorgio Armani SpA was introducing new lines of cosmetics and home furnishings, and expanding its line of accessories. At the same time, the Guggenheim Museum in New York hosted an exhibition of Armani's work, a first for a living designer. With average attendance of 29,000 a week, the show featured Armani's eveningwear for women, which although one of the designer's strong areas, was not even his main interest.

In 2008 Armani designed the bullfighting costume, called the "Goyesco", worn by Spanish bullfighter Cayetano Rivera Ordóñez at the "Corrida Goyesca" in Ronda, Spain. They have also collaborated on several fashion shows and other events.^[4]

As of 2009, Armani has a retail network of 60 Giorgio Armani boutiques, 11 Collezioni, 122 Emporio Armani, 94 A/X Armani exchange, 13 Armani Junior, and 1 Giorgio Armani Accessori spread over 37 different countries.

Innovations[link]

Armani was the first designer to ban models with a body mass index (BMI) under 18, after model Ana Carolina Reston starved herself to death due to anorexia nervosa.

Armani broadcast his collection live on the Internet, a first in the world of haute couture, on 24 January 2007. The Armani Privé Spring/Summer 2007 fashion show was broadcast via MSN and Cingular cellular phones.^[5]

After LG teamed with Prada to introduce the LG Prada phone, Samsung joined Armani to design the Giorgio Armani phone.

Armani designed made-to-measure suits for Christian Bale's character Bruce Wayne in The Dark Knight. Advertisements featuring "Giorgio Armani for Bruce Wayne" were released in 2008 with pictures of Christian Bale wearing Armani suits. However, Bale later claimed in a GQ interview that the campaign was produced without his permission.^[6]

Armani has designed many stage outfits for pop superstar Lady Gaga, including those worn on her record breaking Monster Ball Tour and Born This Way Ball Tour. And to many high-profile award shows, such as the 52nd Grammy Awards and the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards

Sport[link]

Giorgio Armani has a keen interest in sports. He is the president of the Olimpia Milano basketball team,^[7] Inter Milan fan,^[8][9] and has twice designed suits for the England national football team.^[8][10] He has since designed suits worn by players of the London club Chelsea since August 2007.^[11] He designed the Italian flag bearers' outfits at the opening ceremony at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin^[12] and has been chosen to design Italy's Olympic uniforms for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.^[12] Armani also designed and introduced the EA7 range, a brand inspired by Ukrainian footballer Andriy Shevchenko, who at the time played for A.C. Milan and wore the number 7 jersey.^{[citation needed]}

The Chelsea Football Club has commissioned Armani to create a new look for its Directors' Suite at Stamford Bridge. To be called the "Armani Lounge," the dining room and lounge area serves as the principal meeting place on matchdays for the Chelsea Board of Directors and for the entertainment of VIP guests. In total the "Armani Lounge" covers 200 square metres for which Giorgio Armani has personally designed a unique concept featuring furnishings from his Armani/Casa home interiors collection.^{[citation needed]}

Notes[link]

References[link]

• Mackenzie, Suzie (2004-12-11). "The gentle touch". The Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/weekend/story/0,3605,1369891,00.html. Retrieved 2007-09-23. 
• McCartney, Stella (2006-05-16). "The wisdom of King Giorgio". Independent on Sunday. http://news.independent.co.uk/people/profiles/article484641.ece. Retrieved 2007-09-23. 
• "Q & A: Giorgio Armani". The Scene (CNN). 2006-10-03. http://edition.cnn.com/2006/TRAVEL/06/01/milan.qa/. Retrieved 2007-09-23. 
• Lee, Vinny (2007-09-22). "Above the shop". London: The Times. http://property.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/property/interiors/article2474210.ece. Retrieved 2007-09-23. 
• Schinke, Amanda (2008-10-07). "Liar, Liar, Armani on Fire!". PETA. http://blog.peta.org/archives/2008/10/liar_liar_arman.php. Retrieved 2008-10-09. 
• Giorgio Armani, Spring-Summer Couture
• Giorgio Armani - The Businessman, the Designer and the Brand

External links[link]

• www.giorgioarmani.com — Company website
• www.giorgioarmanibeauty.com — Beauty website
• Giorgio Armani on Fashion Net
• Giorgio Armani, UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador
• Giorgio Armani interview with Harper's Bazaar

Victoria Beckham
Victoria Beckham at a May 2010 LG Mobile event
Born	Victoria Caroline Adams (1974-04-17) 17 April 1974 (age 38) Harlow, Essex, England
Other names	Posh, Posh Spice
Occupation	Singer-songwriter, dancer, model, actress, fashion designer, businesswoman
Years active	1994–present
Spouse	David Beckham (1999–present)
Children	4
Website
Official website

Victoria Caroline Beckham (née Adams; born 17 April 1974)^[1][2] is an English fashion designer, businesswoman and former singer. In the late 1990s, Beckham rose to fame with the all-female pop group Spice Girls and was dubbed Posh Spice by the July 1996 issue of the British pop music magazine Top of the Pops.^[3] Since the Spice Girls split, she has had a solo pop music career, scoring four UK Top 10 singles. Her first single to be released, "Out of Your Mind", reached Number 2 in the UK Singles Chart and is her highest chart entry to date. During her solo career, she has been signed to Virgin Records and Telstar Records.

Beckham has found more success as an internationally recognised and photographed style icon. Her career in fashion includes designing a line of jeans for Rock & Republic and later designing her own denim brand, dVb Style. Beckham has brought out her own range of sunglasses and fragrance, entitled Intimately Beckham, which has been released in the UK and the US. In association with the Japanese store Samantha Thavasa and Shiatzy Chen, she has produced a range of handbags and jewellery. In addition, Beckham has released two best-selling books; one her autobiography, the other a fashion guide.

In her television ventures, Beckham has participated in five official documentaries and reality shows about her, including Being Victoria Beckham, The Real Beckhams, and Victoria Beckham: Coming to America. She has since made a cameo appearance in an episode of American TV series Ugly Betty, and been a guest judge on Project Runway, Germany's Next Topmodel, and American Idol.

She is married to David Beckham and they have four children, Brooklyn Joseph, Romeo James, Cruz David, and Harper Seven. As of 2009, the couple's joint wealth is estimated at £125 million.^[4]

Early life[link]

Beckham was born at the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow, Essex and raised in Goffs Oak, Hertfordshire.^[5] She is the second child of three children born to Jacqueline and Anthony Adams. Her father worked as an electronics engineer,^[5] and he later founded an electronics wholesale business which allowed a comfortable upbringing for Victoria and her siblings,^[1] sister Louise and brother Christian Adams.^[6]

In 1980, when Beckham was seven years old, she watched the musical Fame and subsequently made the decision to pursue a music career.^[7][8] Jacqueline and Anthony Adams enrolled her at Jason Theatre School.^[1] In 1991, Beckham entered Laine Theatre Arts in Epsom, Surrey and studied dance and modelling.^[1][2] Beckham attended St. Mary's High School in Cheshunt, where she was embarrassed by her family's wealth and often begged her father not to drop her off outside the school in their Rolls Royce.^[9] She was frequently bullied and often felt treated like an outsider. Beckham later explained that she had never made any friends and the other children would throw rocks at her.^[10] Eventually, she became a member of a band called Persuasion.^[11]

Music career[link]

Success with the Spice Girls[link]

Victoria Beckham performing in 2007 with the Spice Girls

Beckham auditioned for a March 1993 advertisement in The Stage which required girls who were "street smart, extrovert, ambitious and able to sing and dance".^[5] In 1994, Beckham joined the all-female group, the Spice Girls. In the recordings before her marriage, she is credited with her maiden name as Victoria Adams. The group's first single was called "Wannabe" (1996), and she worked alongside Geri Halliwell, Emma Bunton, Melanie Brown and Melanie Chisholm. It went to number one in the United Kingdom and United States, and another 29 countries. It was followed by nine further number one singles from their albums Spice, Spiceworld and Forever.^[2] Each member of the group received a nickname from the media. Beckham was named "Posh Spice".^[12][13] The group was one of the most successful pop acts of the 1990s, selling over fifty-five million records worldwide.^[14] After the release of their third album, Forever (UK number 2), which was far less successful than their previous two albums, the Spice Girls stopped recording, leading Beckham to try to build a solo career.^{[citation needed]}

Victoria Beckham performing with the Spice Girls in 2007

In 2007, the Spice Girls reformed and announced plans to embark upon a reunion tour,^[14] from which they were said to have earned £10 million each (approximately $20 million).^[15] Victoria had previously stated that she and her former Spice colleagues were enjoying their solo careers in various fields, saying "We're all still doing our own thing."^[16] Their "Greatest Hits" album was released in early November 2007 and the tour began on 2 December 2007. At its advent, Beckham said "I wanted my children to see that Mummy was a pop star. It was the last opportunity for them to stand in a crowd full of people screaming for the Spice Girls."^[17] When Beckham had her hair coloured brown for the tour, she stated that her sons immediately reacted by saying "Oh my goodness, it's Posh Spice. She's back."^[18] During one Spice Girls performance at London's The O2 Arena, her three sons accompanied her on stage during "Mama", along with the other Spice Girls' children.^[19] She was the only member of the group not to sing a solo song on the tour, instead posing in the style of a fashion show on a makeshift catwalk, whereas the others each performed a number from their solo careers.^[20] Polly Hudson wrote: "This time around Posh gets the biggest cheer when she sings her solo lines. She knows it too – and it seems to give her more and more confidence as the show goes on."^[21]

Film-maker Bob Smeaton directed an official film of the tour entitled Spice Girls: Giving You Everything, which was first aired on Fox8 in Australia. It later aired in the UK on 31 December 2007 on BBC One.^[22] As well as their sell-out tour, the Spice Girls were contracted to appear in Tesco advertisements, for which they were paid £1 million each.^[23]

[edit] Victoria Beckham solo album

On 14 August 2000, Beckham released her first solo single, "Out of Your Mind" in collaboration with Dane Bowers and Truesteppers.^[5] The week of release coincided with the release of "Groovejet (If This Ain't Love)" by Spiller featuring Sophie Ellis-Bextor, resulting in a chart battle dubbed 'Posh vs. Posher' by the tabloids.^[24] Following a huge publicity campaign, "Out Of Your Mind" was outsold by Ellis-Bextor, and debuted at Number 2 in the UK Singles Chart.^[25] Before the single's release, on 8 July 2000, Beckham made her public solo debut at London's Hyde Park at a concert to raise money for the Prince's Trust charity. She sang "Out of Your Mind" to a 100,000-strong audience.^[26] Beckham then signed a recording contract with her group label Virgin Records.^[2] Her next single as a solo artist, "Not Such An Innocent Girl", was released on 17 September 2001.^[1] Again, she faced competition in another hugely hyped chart battle, this time with Kylie Minogue's single "Can't Get You Out Of My Head".^[27] Despite a huge promotional campaign, Beckham was outsold eight to one, and her single debuted at number 6.^[28] Beckham's eponymous debut album, which was released on 1 October 2001, reached Number 10 in the UK album chart.^[29] The album cost a reputed £5 million to produce and it sold a modest 50,000 copies.^[30]

The second and final single to be released from the album was "A Mind of Its Own" on 11 February 2002. The single reached number 6 in the UK^[31] and sold 56,500 copies.^[32] Rumours soon spread that Beckham was to be dropped by her label for not charting in the Top Three. These were strongly refuted at the time.^[33] Beckham commented "You know what newspapers are like, they just like to put all the negative stuff in, but as far as I'm concerned and the record company is concerned it is all great."^[33] A third single, "I Wish", was promoted but never materialised. The single version was a remix featuring Robbie Craig, and was performed on TV on Friday Night's All Wright.^[34] Following the announcement of Beckham's second pregnancy, the single was shelved. Beckham and Virgin Records went their separate ways;^[35][36] a statement from her publicist read: "No-one has been dropped. The Virgin deal has come to a natural end and both parties have decided not to continue."^[35]

[edit] Open Your Eyes

In 2002, Telstar Records signed Beckham in a deal made with 19 Management^[30] worth £1.5 million.^[2] Beckham spent much of that year recording a pop-influenced album called Open Your Eyes, which yielded the single "Let Your Head Go", but she allegedly chose not to release it after being disappointed with the results.^[37][38] Instead of pop, Beckham wanted a more urban sound, working with urban producer Damon Dash for a more RnB and hip hop influence.^[30][31] When he was first asked why he was working with Beckham he stated "Because I see how much she gets photographed over here."^[2] A Dash-produced track "It's That Simple" featuring M.O.P. premiered on radio stations in July 2003,^[31] generating mixed reviews.^[31] Beckham's first single with Telstar, "Let Your Head Go / This Groove",^[31] was released in the UK on 29 December 2003, following heavy promotion and many TV appearances across the Christmas period with the video being directed by Andy Hylton. The single charted at Number 3 in the UK.^[31] This double A-side lifted "Let Your Head Go" from Beckham's earlier pop-inspired work with "This Groove" one of her Hip-Hop/R'n'B songs and remains Beckham's last single release to date. She is currently the only Spice Girl never to have had a UK solo number one, though she is also the only Spice Girl to have all her single/album releases go Top 10.^{[citation needed]} Outside of the UK, Damon Dash had plans for Beckham in the US, including a potential release of "Let Your Head Go / This Groove" under the name of "Posh Spice Victoria Beckham". The release was proposed for sometime between March to May 2004, but never eventuated.^[39]

With the UK media describing her solo music career a failure, combined with a rumoured fall-out between Dash and Fuller, her hip hop album, Come Together, was not released.^[1][40] Beckham's fourth and last attempt at a solo career came with the announcement of a new single "My Love Is for Real", in which she ditched the attempt at urban music and went back to pop. This never materialized, and amidst the collapse of Telstar, remaining plans for Beckham's music career were cancelled.^[41][42] Beckham is the only Spice Girl to have all of her singles and albums chart in the Top 10 of the UK charts, but she also has released fewer albums (1) and singles (4).^{[citation needed]}

Post-music career[link]

Books[link]

On 13 September 2001, Beckham released her first book, Learning to Fly.^[43] The title was taken from a line in a song from the musical Fame, which Beckham had enjoyed as a child. The verse that inspired the title is: "I'm gonna live forever, I'm gonna learn how to fly".^[44] The autobiography documents her childhood, time during the Spice Girls, her marriage and family life, as well as her career at the time.^[45] Learning to Fly became the third best-selling non-fiction title of 2001 and the total UK sales stand at more than 500,000 copies.^[46] When the book was first released, it went to Number 1 in the book charts after four weeks of release, relegating Robbie Williams' book to second place.^[28] A high-profile guest appearance on Parkinson, watched by nine million people, helped to promote the book.^[28] Hello!, The Daily Mail and The Mail on Sunday joined to buy the rights to preview and serialise the book before its publication. The figure paid was thought to be near £1 million.^[11]

Beckham was quoted by a Spanish journalist in 2005 as saying "I've never read a book in my life".^[47] She later claimed this was a mistranslation from the original Spanish in which the interview was printed, saying she actually stated that she never had time to finish reading a book because she was always too busy looking after her children.^[48]

Beckham's second book, a fashion advice guide, entitled That Extra Half an Inch: Hair, Heels and Everything In Between, was published on 27 October 2006.^[49] That Extra Half an Inch: Hair, Heels and Everything In Between includes tips from Beckham on fashion, style and beauty,^[49] and also contains photography by Mario Testino, Annie Leibovitz and Steven Meisel. The book became another bestseller,^[50] and has sold 400,000 copies in Britain alone since it was published in hardcover.^[51] The rights have since been sold to the United States, the Netherlands, Japan, Portugal, Lithuania, Russia, and most recently China.^[51]

Television[link]

Victoria Beckham in Düsseldorf promoting her new jeans (2008)

Beckham has shot five official documentaries. The first, dated 11 January 2000, was called Victoria's Secrets, a programme only shown in the UK on Channel 4. It involved Beckham being followed by cameras while also discussing and interviewing other British celebrities, such as Elton John.^[52] The second, Being Victoria Beckham, was broadcast in March 2002 and saw Beckham discussing her career as a solo artist with the release of her first album, and also showed her at various photo shoots and recording sessions. The documentary attracted a strong audience of 8.83 million,^[53] coming top in its timeslot.^[54] One critic described her as "so clearly level-headed, happy with her not inconsiderable lot and seemingly unfazed by the madly intrusive nature of her monumentally ridiculous fame".^[55] The third, The Real Beckhams, aired on 24 December 2003 on ITV1 and focused on the Beckhams' move to Madrid from London after David Beckham was signed to Real Madrid. It also featured Victoria Beckham re-launching her solo career and showed her mocking the tabloid stories she reads in the paper every day. The special received an audience of 6.10 million viewers^[56] and was later released on DVD on 2 February 2004.^[57]

The fourth was entitled Full Length & Fabulous: The Beckhams' 2006 World Cup Party, and followed Victoria and David Beckham organising and making preparations to host a 2006 World Cup Party at a marquee in the grounds of their mansion in Hertfordshire, which aimed to raise money for their charity.^[58] Two tickets to attend the ball were auctioned on-line for charity, and sold for £103,000.^[59] The documentary aired on 28 May 2006 and showed the event itself, where the menu was designed especially by friend and chef Gordon Ramsay and the charity auction was hosted by Graham Norton.^[60] Ramsay catered for 600 guests, with the aid of 40 chefs and 100 waiting staff.^[60] The ITV documentary attracted an average of 7.56 million viewers.^[61]

To document Victoria Beckham's preparations for her family's move to the US, she signed a deal with NBC for six episodes of a half-hour unscripted reality TV series. Despite original plans for six episodes, the show was cut to a one hour special only as there "just wasn't enough (material) for a series."^[62] The show, called Victoria Beckham: Coming to America, aired on 16 July 2007 in the US and Canada. It was heavily scrutinised by the American media and critics, with The New York Post describing it as "an orgy of self-indulgence" and also describing Beckham as "vapid and condescending".^[62] The programme was the third-most-watched programme in its time-slot and received viewing figures of 4.9 million in the US, beaten by a repeat of Wife Swap and two sitcoms.^[63] The programme aired in Britain on 17 July 2007 on ITV with 3.84 million viewers tuning in.^[64] The programme was produced by Simon Fuller who managed her and the Spice Girls on their come-back tour.^[65]

In July 2007, it was announced that Beckham would shortly begin filming a cameo appearance as herself in an episode of the second season of ABC's TV series Ugly Betty.^[66] The episode, "A Nice Day for a Posh Wedding", aired on 9 November 2007 in the United States and on 23 November in the United Kingdom.^[67] Beckham's first line was "This is major", said when bursting through a curtain at a dress fitting for a wedding, in which she was the bridesmaid.^[67] Beckham has said she only agreed to the part because of her interest in fashion, and not for the acting opportunity.^[67] Despite her forays into television, Beckham has denied plans to embark upon a Hollywood movie career.^[68] In February 2008, it was revealed that Beckham would be the guest judge for the finale of fourth season of Project Runway, which aired on 5 March 2008 in the US.^[69]

Fashion[link]

Beckham has become better recognised as an international style icon, rather than a music artist.^[14][70] Beckham made a guest appearance on the catwalk for Maria Grachvogel in 2000, marking her debut as a model at London Fashion Week.^[71] Beckham also acted as a British ambassador for Dolce and Gabbana^[72] and was briefly the face of Rocawear in 2003.^[73] Beckham designed a limited-edition fashion line for Rock & Republic called VB Rocks in 2004, consisting mainly of jeans for the high end of the market, retailing at approximately $300 in the US.^[74] She had previously "hit it off instantly" with Rock & Republic designer, Michael Ball, in Los Angeles. He commented "She not only understands fashion and trends but has been a trend-setter and fashion icon for years."^[75]

On 16 January 2006, Beckham walked the runway for Roberto Cavalli at Milan Fashion Week, and was for a period exclusively dressed by him for red-carpet and social events.^[76] For the March 2006 issue of Harper's Bazaar, Beckham acted as fashion editor when she styled her close friend, Katie Holmes, for a fashion shoot.^[77] In July 2006, Beckham released a line of sunglasses, called dvb Eyewear.^[78][79] She has admitted to a personal love of sunglasses, saying "I'm quite obsessed with sunglasses. I collect vintage Guccis and Carreras — they can make virtually any outfit look cool."^[8] After Beckham's departure from Rock & Republic, in September 2006, she furthered her fashion ventures by launching her own denim label, of which she acts as creative director. The new line of Beckham's jeans collection is called dvb Style.^[51][74] In the same month, Intimately Beckham, a his-and-her fragrance line, was launched at a lavish press conference in Venice.^[78][79] Beckham then launched her new official website, dvbstyle.com, which promotes her fashion work.^[80][81] She also produced a range of handbags and jewellery in association with the Japanese store, Samantha Thavasa.^[78][79]

Beckham in 1999

On 5 June 2007, Beckham won two British Glamour Magazine Awards, one for "Woman of the Year" and another for "Entrepreneur of the Year," which celebrated her fashion achievements.^[82] On 14 June 2007 Beckham launched her dvb Denim collection in New York at the high-end Saks Fifth Avenue, along with unveiling her eye-wear range in the United States for the first time.^[83] In the same month, Beckham made her first appearance at London's annual Graduate Fashion Week as a judge alongside Glenda Bailey (editor-in-chief of Harper’s Bazaar) and Lanvin's Alber Elbaz, to choose the winner of the River Island Gold Award, worth £20,000.^[84] In August 2007, Intimately Beckham perfume hit US stores for the first time.^[85][86] Victoria Beckham has stated "We are not just saying, 'We are celebrities, put our name on it.' I love to be involved with the whole process."^[87] The Intimately Beckham line has been predicted to sell over $100 million worth of sales internationally, doubling this estimate in 2008.^[87] In September 2007, Beckham released Intimately Beckham Night a new range of his-and-her fragrances,^[88] and her debut cosmetics line V-Sculpt was unveiled and launched in Tokyo.^[89] In a 2007 appearance at an LA Galaxy press conference, Beckham is credited with having popularised Roland Mouret's 'moon dress' and his brand,^[90] and Beckham was also the face of Marc Jacobs for his Spring 2008 collection.^[91] Beckham's own fashion collection debuted during the 2008 New York Fashion Week at the Waldorf Hotel,^[92] featuring dresses, of which only 400 will be made.^[93] Her first collection, that will retail between £650 and £1900,^[93] was met with positive reviews; "it was a very impressive, accomplished collection, with not a single dud. ... it was the fabrics (silk, wool and organza) and the attention to detail that impressed", wrote one critic,^[94] whilst others called it "Beautiful", "desirable" and "classy".^[95]

Beckham sealed her status as a fashion icon by appearing on the cover of different editions of Vogue Magazine three times in a the space of a year.^[96] Beckham's first appearance was on the April 2008 cover of British Vogue, then in November she appeared on Indian Vogue, and in February 2009 she made the cover of Russian Vogue.^[97] Beckham has voiced her anti-fur beliefs, and promotes an animal friendly wardrobe filled with faux/synthetic furs. Her stand against the fur industry has generated admiration from animal rights organizations, including PETA. Of PETA's numerous anti-fur campaigns, Beckham stated that she is "supportive of its high-profile anti-fur campaigns," and pledged "never to work with fur in any of her own fashion collections".^[98] Beckham is also well known for her love of designer high heeled shoes.^[99] In November 2011, Beckham was awarded the "Designer of the Year" gong at the annual British Fashion Awards.^[100]

Personal life[link]

David and Victoria Beckham in Silverstone Circuit during the British Grand Prix 2007.

Beckham began a relationship with Corey Haim in 1995, which ended on mutual terms.^[101][102]

In 1997, she started dating footballer David Beckham after they met at a charity football match, prompting him to request a meeting with her.^[103] Of their initial meeting, she said, "I didn't really know who he was. I was never into football."^[104] The couple announced their engagement in 1998 and were dubbed "Posh and Becks" by the media.^[105] On 4 July 1999 they were married by the Bishop of Cork, Paul Colton, at Luttrellstown Castle, Ireland.^[106] The wedding attracted much media coverage.^[107] Beckham's team-mate, Gary Neville, was the best man,^[103] and the couple's four month old son Brooklyn was the ring bearer.^[108] Most of the media were kept away from the ceremony as an exclusive deal with OK! magazine had been arranged, but photographs were released showing the Beckhams sitting on golden thrones.^[109] Victoria wearing a diamond coronet created for her by jewellery designer Slim Barrett. A total of 437 staff were employed for the wedding reception, which was estimated to have cost £500,000 (US$823,650).^[110] The couple bought what would become their most famous home for £2.5 million in 1999;^[111] the property, which is set in 24 acres (97,000 m²) of land, was duly given a £3 million renovation and was subsequently dubbed Beckingham Palace by the media.^[111]

Victoria and David Beckham have four children: sons Brooklyn Joseph (born 1999, Westminster, London),^[112] Romeo James (born 2002, Westminster,^[113] London),^[114] Cruz David (born 2005, Madrid, Spain);^[115][116] and daughter Harper Seven (born 2011, Los Angeles).^{[117][118][119][120]} Elton John and David Furnish are reportedly the godparents of Brooklyn and Romeo, and the godmother is Elizabeth Hurley.^[121] Prior to Harper's birth, Victoria and David Beckham stated that they had a strong desire for a daughter.^[122]

In January 2000, a tip-off to Scotland Yard detectives exposed a plot to kidnap Victoria and Brooklyn Beckham and hold them at a house in Hampstead, London.^[123] The family was then moved to a secret location, but no arrests were made.^[123] Later in March 2000, she received a death threat prior to performing at the Brit Awards with the Spice Girls,^[123] and in the show's rehearsal, a red laser light appeared on her chest and she was rushed off stage.^[123] After a fire door was found to be lodged open, it was thought that there had been an assassin there, and Beckham later revealed that she was terrified by the experience.^[123] In November 2002, five people were arrested after another plot for her kidnap was infiltrated by a tabloid newspaper.^[124] All charges were dropped after a witness was deemed unreliable.^[125] In 2004, allegations surfaced that David Beckham had had a brief affair with a former personal assistant, Rebecca Loos.^[126] The affair had apparently taken place when David had moved to Madrid, although he denied all the allegations.^[126]

The family moved to Los Angeles, California on 12 July 2007 as a result of David being signed to play for the LA Galaxy. On their arrival in America on 12 July 2007, Victoria and David were met by hundreds of paparazzi and media representatives, causing a media frenzy.^[127] They currently reside in a $22 million Beverly Hills mansion with ten security guards.^[128] To create publicity for their move to America, the couple were photographed in their underwear for the fashion magazine, W,^[127] which also included an interview in which Victoria said that David's supposed affair with Loos had made their marriage stronger.^[127]

It was reported in October 2007 that Beckham had turned down the opportunity to appear in Sex and the City: The Movie. She stated in an interview: "...asked to be in the Sex and the City film, which I would have loved to have done, but because I am in full-on Spice Girls rehearsal mode, unfortunately, I can't do it."^[129] Beckham's marriage and career as a singer have made her the 52nd richest woman in Britain.^[130] and the 19th richest person in Britain with husband David, with an estimated joint wealth of £112 million ($225 million USD).^[4] In 2010, Beckhams's charity work with Save the Children earned her a nomination for the Do Something With Style Award from the VH1 Do Something Awards. The awards show, produced by Vh1, is dedicated to honouring people who do good and is powered by Do Something, an organization that aims to empower, celebrate, and inspire young people.^[131]

Filmography[link]

Discography[link]

Studio albums[link]

Singles[link]

See also[link]

• Girl power
• Spice Girls

References[link]