VICTORIA Beckham is arriving at a place where, as a designer, she feels she has less to prove. More encouraged by the response she has received recently, designing clothes for herself that many women also want to wear, she delivered a cool, collected and – crucially – casual collection for AW17. Aside from some leather opera gloves, worn for ironic relief – and as a solo bid at winter dressing, all pieces came across trans-seasonal and entirely thought through for those who want a little luxury that’s practical but doesn’t skimp on the panache.
Putting a baggy trouser-ed foot forward and insisting upon her fondness for oversized boyfriend with style shapes Beckham emerged as a key proponent of layering this season. Layering that is, which is meant to be unlayered as seasons change. Lean dresses started high on the neck and sloped down softly curved shoulders. Seen in a basic and brooding dark colour palette a touch of the abstract let Beckham release her artsy side in prints that nodded to the work of artist Paul Nash.
Tartan touches and faded houndstooth were certainly an abstract touch in New York but signaled that Beckham’s Brit heritage isn’t a distant memory. A move like this also ensures her role as fashion icon immersed in the rag trade is appreciated on both sides of the pond. She herself spoke mainly of empowering her customers through her designs and going by her unshakable ambitions alone, on-trend and timeless apparel aside, it’s understandable that she is accomplishing this as a designer of lifestyle goals.
by Livia Feltham
Images courtesy of Victoria Beckham