Shulman

Designer Victoria Beckham - Interview 2013 [ VOGUE Festival ] "My Fashion Life"

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• published: 09 May 2013
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At the Vogue Festival in association with Vertu, Victoria Beckham not only reaffirmed that she's the successful fashion designer and mother we already knew she was - she also won over the audience with her famous sharp wit and self-effacing humour. "I'm nice! Everyone thinks I'm going to be a cow," she said, smiling. "I understand it actually. I think the same when I see the pictures." Queues started forming two hours before the designer took to the stage with Alexandra Shulman this morning - and she did not disappoint as she discussed her life, career and how she established her two fashion labels. She was supported by 14-year-old son Brooklyn and her parents, Jackie and Tony, who watched from the front row. "There are a lot of people here, I hope I'm going to say something good now," she said, as she gazed around at the full auditorium. Addressing the cynicism surrounding her move into the fashion industry, she revealed that it was hard work that eventually made the fashion press take notice. "At the beginning there were a lot of raised eyebrows, from those who could raise their eyebrows," she laughed. "When I started, I did one-on-one presentations, I'd talk for hours to people who didn't even speak English. I think a lot of people probably thought, 'Shut up, stop going on about a bloody grosgrain waistband!' But I'm really grateful to the industry." The designer, who currently shows at New York Fashion Week, hasn't ruled out joining the London schedule in the future. "I'd never say never to showing in London, but I've got a great thing going in New York. Maybe one day," she said, following much encouragement from Shulman. "I am looking into [standalone] retail too - the e-commerce has been going really well. I get bored easily so it's time for something new. London is where I want to have my first store." But, almost despite herself, the topic Beckham returned to most often was the importance of her children. "My children are my priority and always have been. I'm up early in the morning doing spelling tests and maths quizzes before the school run, then up late with a baby and a 14-year-old who refuses to go to bed - Brooklyn," she said, gesturing to her son in the audience. "I've got great people who handle my schedule and everything does revolve around the children. If there's a parents' night or an Easter bonnet parade or a nativity play, whatever it might be, then I plan everything around that." And even while she's at work, the children are never far from her side. "I love having children in the office, mine are always running around," she said. "I had one of those swingy chairs for Harper in my office and she'd bounce one way and swing into a roll of fabric and then bounce the other way and crash into a bag of samples." Now at the helm of an ever-expanding empire, the designer revealed that a high street collaboration is not out of the question ("Maybe one day, but right now I don't have the time"), and that a fragrance launch is something she would consider in the future. She also explained how she copes with doing so much travelling ("Dark glasses, Alex"); revealed her role model ("My Mum. Don't cry, Mum"); and advised budding entrepreneurs on how to make it in the fashion industry ("You have to be prepared to start at the bottom and work up"), before answering questions sent in by Twitter users to the @BritishVogue account. As the talk drew to a close, Beckham seemed almost surprised that she'd held the audience's attention for so long. "Gosh, is that it?" she exclaimed. "Thank you so much to everyone that came, I didn't expect so many people. If you'd told me how many, I might have got up and sung a song. Now that would have been a worry." - Lisa Niven and Ella Alexander