Victoria Beckham is the former Essex girl who rose to fame when she became part of now-iconic girl group the Spice Girls.
Her stardom shot to the extreme when it was revealed she was dating her now-husband, footballer David Beckham.
But her ‘Posh Spice’ persona has been hard to shake. She struggled after her time in the Spice Girls, admitting in her self-titled Netflix docuseries that finding her feet in the fashion industry was tough as no one took her seriously following her ‘WAG’ era.
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The realisation came when she posed for a campaign for Marc Jacobs in 2007: “When I saw those pictures, I was horrified. It was very much poking fun at me. That’s when I realised I was a laughing stock.”
Even Anna Wintour admitted she was apprehensive over Victoria’s foray into the fashion world after her years as a pop star.
“Most of the celebrities who get involved in our world are not true designers. I thought maybe this was a hobby,” the former Vogue Editor-in-Chief said in the docuseries.
“Victoria was one that totally proved us wrong.”
Indeed, it seems she truly has proven everyone wrong in recent years.
Victoria, 51, has worked hard to cement her place as a makeup, beauty and fashion mogul with her eponymous fashion and beauty brands.
And, in her own words, it hasn’t been without blood, sweat and tears.
The end of the Spice Girls era
Victoria, who said she was “bullied” growing up in her documentary, admitted it was “so extreme” when the Spice Girls finished.
“One minute, I’m spreading the word of Girl Power and then the next thing, I’m a wife in a flat in Manchester not really having any friends and living a long way away from my family,” she recalled.
“I found that transition really, really difficult.”
Victoria said after she, David and their family moved to Spain for the footballer’s gig with Real Madrid, she decided to start “owning” the WAG label – it was “how [she] stayed in the conversation” as she figured out her next career move. 
She wanted to move forward after her time in the Spice Girls and delve into the world of fashion.
“The Spice Girls were the ones that always said to me ‘don’t hold back’,” she said.
“I loved fashion and I wanted to be in the fashion industry and it was time to do something completely different.”
On the Call Her Daddy podcast this week, Victoria reflected on how she really felt after becoming a mother and giving up her career.
“I feel ashamed to admit that I didn’t feel fulfilled,” she told host Alex Cooper.
Taking on the fashion world
After a mentorship with designer Roland Mouret, Victoria finally launched her first collection in New York in September 2008, with a show that had just 10 dresses and no celebrities.
She’s now been in the game as a fashion designer for almost 20 years.
A lot of industry insiders assumed her label was a vanity project, but the rave reviews straight out of the gate surprised many – Victoria included.
The Victoria Beckham business built at a huge rate, but the designer says they were growing too fast and at risk of losing everything when they were tens of millions of dollars in debt.
David started investing, which was a struggle for them both – and, as the footballer said a bit of a role reversal, too.
“I think part of that conversation broke my heart because Victoria is a proud woman,” the athlete said in the docuseries.
“When we first met, she was a lot richer than me. She actually bought our first house in Hartfordshire, known as Beckingham Palace.
“For her to have to come to me and say, ‘We need some more money, the business needs some more money’, that was hard for both of us.”
Victoria labelled it “a very dark time”, saying they “almost lost everything”.
“I used to cry every day before work because I felt like a fire fighter … we were tens of millions in the red.
“Yes, I’m going home to my husband but I was going home to my business partner as well. So I would talk to him about it, I had to, he was invested. I hated it. I absolutely hated it.”
During the period, described by Victoria as being “in quicksand” and “really, really desperate”, they brought external investors on board and began to turn things around.
At one point, per the documentary, Victoria was spending an astronomical amount on plants for the office – £70,000 per year (approximately $143,000), as well as £15,000 ($30,000) per year to water them.
That was soon nipped in the bud.
The Victoria Beckham empire expands
Victoria launched her self-titled beauty brand in 2019 at age 45, describing it as “liberating”.
“I want to spread the word that everybody should feel like the best version of themselves,” she told Glamour.
“I want to tell people to own who you are. Yes, we – and I – have wrinkles, and that’s OK!”
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“My creative outlet is creating clothing and beauty that will empower other women.”
This week, the brand has finally launched in, available exclusively through Mecca.
What happened to the Spice Girls?
New heights of success
According to Reuters, Victoria’s business could be worth as much as $700 million.
Victoria is the first to admit her musical fame helped with her fashion and beauty ventures, and there’s good and bad of course, but she wouldn’t have it any other way.
“A lot of opportunity has come my way because of my past. It’s a double-edged sword, but I will never complain about it,” she told Vogue Australia
Talking about the “scrutiny” the brand sometimes receives, she added, ”But how many other brands have the luxury of getting the attention when they want it?”
She nailed it to a tee.
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