Victoria Beckham has a profile and interview in The Telegraph to promote her VVB line, which is a more accessible branch of her fashion brand. “Accessible” is of course extremely relative, her VVB fashion is still wildly expensive, dresses are around $1,000, but they’re not astronomically priced like some of her ready to wear pieces. She’s hoping to branch out with a “high street brand” so that those of use who can only spend a fraction of that on clothing can actually own a VB dress. In her interview with The Telegraph, Victoria talks about the rumors that her early work was actually co-designed by Roland Mouret (because her dresses looked so much like his, in actuality she just hired some of his people) and about criticism of her line. She takes it seriously and into consideration, which is rare to hear.
On rumors that Roland Mouret ghost designed her line
I’m very thankful to Roland, if it wasn’t for him I wouldn’t have met Mel or Tracy [her heads of collections and sourcing], but he’s never had anything to do with the collections. I knew what everyone was thinking and what the whispers were, of course I knew.On if she reads reviews of her line
I [read them] as soon as they come in, so I am very aware. I think people who say they don’t read everything are probably lying, people who say they don’t care are probably lying. There’s nothing wrong with constructive criticism, and I learn from that and better myself. I’m not expecting anyone to be sycophantic in any way, I never expected that.On Internet comments about 17 year-old model, Peyton Knight, being too thin
I wasn’t the only show she did, I wasn’t the only designer to use her. Our casting director spoke to the [model] agencies, and we know that all our girls are healthy. They’re young, they’re thin, but that doesn’t mean they’re ill. People are mean on social media, whoever you are. It’s a shame people have to be that way.On her work with the UN
For whatever reason, people will listen to what I have to say, and so I can speak on behalf of these incredibly brave, strong women. I can tell people not just how terrible the situation is, but that we’re really making a difference.
I don’t blame Victoria for using the same models everyone else in the industry does, or for following the same very small, very young aesthetic. It’s more an issue with the high fashion “look” and it’s easy to criticize Beckham for following that because she’s a celebrity and is high profile. While I agree with her that just because these young women are thin it doesn’t mean they’re ill, I like France’s solution to institute a height and weight guideline for models so that those with a BMI under 18 are excluded. This would allow thin but not underweight models to walk the catwalk and would discourage models from getting extremely tiny. A 5’7″ model should be at least 115 pounds, which sounds pretty reasonable and not like they’re excluding thin but still healthy women. (Victoria is reportedly 5’4″ tall and 108 pounds, which puts her BMI at 18.5.)
Here’s the specific model who was mentioned, Peyton Knight, on the runway for Victoria Beckham Spring 2016. In this photo, and in other photos, she just looks very young to me. I’m including some more photos from that runway below.
photo credit: WENN.com and Getty Images
VB looks amazing in that red dress. What’s she doing differently? No snark intended.
She does look good there.
It looks to me like she had a nose job and some contouring done with her make up.
her eyebrows. I noticed she’s changed the angle. They’re lower. From some angles, they look weird but when you see it close up like this, they look nice.
(http://www.blinkbrowbar.com/victoria-beckhams-brow-evolution/
^^remember when they looked like this? see third pic down).
Yes, and they’re a bit fuller.
I agree. She looks good. Her hair looks so shiny and healthy. I like that she doesn’t look over-botoxed. Did she have her teeth done, maybe?
def. porcelain veneers v white and big not as big as Sofia Vegara but would bet she has.
hair extensions help!
I agree, Isa,
Her nose definitely looks way more narrow. From looking at the bridge, it appears like she may have had it done again.
That line so reminds me of my older sister: Gemma, she says, skinny people die too. Lol….you can’t win, too fat, too thin, when all sizes can be healthy. I’ve always been thin and for some reason, some people resent it, like it’s my goal in life, when it’s not. Like my mom used to say, it’s what’s on the inside that counts.
there’s a mvmt called Health At Every Size which says everyone is born with a body size/setpoint that it’s actually pretty hard to change, IDK. You’re so right, everybody gets sick and dies whether you’re bigger or thinner.
The Simplicity Patterns book of Summer 1996 + a pad of tracing paper = these looks.
Can’t unsee.
At first I thought, “Okay, it’s Princess Perfect” followed by a large yawn. Then, I actually read the article and was struck by the no-nonsense answers and the ring of truthfulness. So okay, I was judgey, my bad. As for the model, to me she looks pretty much like all of the young models you see these days – tall, thin, great skin, androgynous. So tempest in a teapot anyone?
Ugh $1000 for a dress? Pray tell, what average person can afford that? You’re still pertaining to the wealthy. Get off my lawn!
I know, right? $1k is still so much of my paycheck!!
I appreciate the reference to weight rather than specific sizes in this article. A pound is a pound but due to “vanity sizing”, yesterday’s size 2 is tomorrow’s size 0.
Victoria’s own FB page (official) had shots of the models that are MUCH worse than the ones in this article. I think it is fine that fashion models are super thin, but even I was gasping at the pics she (or her team) posted. They are still up on her FB page even though many of her fans berated her about her scarily skinny and sick looking models. I wish I could post pics here but the link to her FB page is here – and go to the photos section and scroll down: http://www.facebook.com/victoriabeckham/
I understand why Victiria would & should use standard industry models. I’m not saying I endorse it. I’m just saying I can see her point & business perspective. Not only is she still very much trying to establish her design house & lines but she’s going after the same vanilla-type audience as are most people in the industry. So, she needs both a ubiquitous kid of look for her models and a sort of industry standard / legitimacy as well. Good, bad or ugly.Peyton was probably there to add and create a sort of name recognition and youthful waif spice.
The problem comes in for me is not that Peyton looks too thin (which she does to me) but unlike with the other models the clothes are too big for her frame–making her look childlike and anorexic. The stuff simply swims on her. Was that deliberate on VB’s end or they didn’t tailor them to fit? I don’t know. But from what I’ve seen that’s not the problem with the other models who not only look older and more mature but who are modeling clothes that fit properly.
That model looks like she’s 10 years old. I don’t understand the pre-pubescent look for modeling grown a s s women’s clothes.
I was absolutely shocked when I saw her, and thought maybe VB was doing a children’s line. She does look 10 years old. Just ridiculous, for her and for grown women trying to tell what the clothes will look like on them. Wtf?
what grown female customer sees this and thinks, yeah i want to look like that, i’m gonna buy that dress.
she looks 12. just wrong. not a good avertisement.
She has a point, not all thin people have eating disorders. I kinda feel bad for the models who are considered too thin, that’s got to hurt as much as being called fat.
I very much doubt it hurts as much as being called fat. It hurts when anyone labels your body unattractive, but society rewards thinness. It does not reward fatness.
if you watch that documentary on models, Picture me, the problem is that these girls haven’t gone thru puberty. When they do, and get boobs, some fat, a butt (just barely) they are told to lose it, which is wrong. the “older” models in Picture Me say there is no way that at 21/22/23 they can compete with 14 yo girls and they are told they are fat because a 14 yo is the standard. ugh.
That’s what I’ve heard too, which also skeeves me out to the extreme given the stories of how much sexual abuse goes on in that industry. I wouldn’t let any daughter of mine anywhere near that industry until it cleans itself up.
word! The stories those girls told (being asked to pose nude at 16, 4 girls eyes in a row whose eyes were burned by the flash bulb) pretty much speak to child abuse. Karlie Kloss said she had a family member with her EVERYWHERE which I don’t think is a coincidence.
I’m 5’7″ and haven’t been 115 pounds since I was a child, LOL. But whatever they have to do to pretend they aren’t promoting unreasonable standards.
I’m not going to shit on her about the price of her lines. She’s trying to make a name for herself in haute couture fashion, and elitism is the name of the game there. Price it “low” enough for the upper middle class to splurge on gives the illusion of accessibility while still playing to the high-minded wealth spectrum of the fashion industry. If she were to go lower, she’d be snubbed as mass market.
Veronica, I’m almost 5’7″ and at one point I weighed 118 lbs (I was 22 yr old) and looked like death warmed over (I didn’t purposely lose weight, my dad was dying of cancer and the stress of it took the pounds off – I did eat because I love to eat!) So I can’t see 115 being a standard at that height.
Im 5’7″ and am maybe 110, always been this way and have never had a doctor or anyway tell me that I am unhealthy.
I should clarify that I didn’t mean to imply that it was unhealthy to be that weight and height, more that it’s unhealthy to promote the idea that all women to be that weight at that height. BMI is…okay as a starting point, but it wasn’t actually developed by the medical community (it was developed by life insurance companies, actually) nor does it take into consideration overall build of the individual. The BMI threshold has also been lowered in recent decades because…well, I’ll let you have three guesses as to why. At my thinnest, I’m usually around 140lbs and almost all muscle – because my build is very hourglass, and the boobs and hips aren’t going anywhere. A woman who has a slimmer build than me could probably get away with 110-115 pounds, but I can’t. I just get tired of the BMI being used to justify those standards when it’s inherently flawed and really only intended as a very basic measurement.
She is not trying to make a name for herself in Haute Couture. She does not design couture she designs ready to wear. BIG difference.
It’s amazing what passes as a “Model” these days.
These models are scary thin, you can be skinny and healthy, but this girl in the above pic looks very skinny and too young. I don’t understand why they don’t choose girls who are more healthy weights rather than being 5’10 and weighing 110lbs or less.
Vic looks like she is doing something to her lips and i have to admit i kinda like it!!!!!
she have this cyborg dead look in her eyes for the longest time. and the lips kinda make her human #kanyeshrug
I have no problem with models being taller, thinner, and prettier than most of us. What I have a problem with is these children – and a teenager is a child – being held up as a body size exemplar. Yes, a very tiny minority of women can achieve something like this, but what’s the point? I miss the glamazons. Glamorous, but still very thin. Short of going back in time and changing our genetics, still very unlikely to be achieved, but somewhat more accessible.
Come on, Victoria, lead the change!
She looks starved to me. The model, i mean. Victoria looks surprisingly healthy in comparison. I used to aspire to that drugged out thin look but I dunno, healthy and fit seem so much more attractive to me now.
Aside from her anorexic aesthetic, I’m struck by her down to earth answers. Also impressed by her work ethic.