Mrs Beckham gives us a personal tour through her rather gorgeous Victoria Victoria Beckham AW16 collection...
The fashion powerhouse that is Mrs Beckham has already shown her main line during New York Fashion Week, and now she's popped onto a plane back to London just to show us her younger, sweeter, Victoria Victoria Beckham collection. (See the full collection in the gallery above)
Describing it as for the girl who 'wants to have fun - but not too much fun!' while still looking sophisticated, she tells us that she's 'proud to be British' and living in London is one of her big inspirations, particularly for VVB.
In a fragrant showroom underneath her store on Dover Street, looking predictably impeccable in black (with some very chic white flats - we never thought we'd see the day), she tells us her thoughts on the changing face of fashion shows and the buy-from-the-runway direction that brands like Burberry are pioneering.
"For me, it's not about 'see now, buy now', so much as I want to be able to buy the right piece at the right time of year," she says. When it comes to the importance of doing a major fashion show, she says: "I started out doing really small presentations, where I'd personally talk the press through each look, which I really loved. It wasn't some big move on my part to start doing shows, it was because as my brand grew, I had to invite more and more people and that's just what needed to happen." As to what the new consumer-friendly show formats will mean for her labels, she's reserving judgement. "It will be interesting to see what everyone does," is all she'll say.
Industry chat aside, she talks us through all the details, fabrics and personal favourites from Victoria Victoria Beckham AW16. Here's what you need to know...
1. It's all about the fabrics...
"The VVB girl is growing up, and the collection is all about finding cool techniques," the designer says. "My customer feels she's getting a designer look, but the price points are accessible." With two in-house ateliers in London and close working relationships with her factories in Portugal, there's scope for fabric experimentation galore - like the raffia flowers hand-embroidered onto a black chunky knit and a one-shouldered dress.
2. All hail the 'new twinset'
The collection is full of chic long-line flared trousers with matching tops and - but of course - matching coats, in shades of turquoise and navy, or purple and orange, with their collars in the delicious contrasting colours. "It's a bit like a new take on the twinset in the matching colour, but they're all separates so you can mix it up," she explains.
3. Skinny flares - start collecting now
"I've got these in every colour," Victoria says of the ultra-lean, long line flares that feature heavily in the collection. Victoria Victoria Beckham also includes her denim designs. Her favourite jeans? The cropped style with needlepunch detail.
4. Victoria thinks about the weather - a lot
"I travel a lot, and so does my customer," she says. "I am my customer. The way designers think about their Cruise collections - fabric weights and layering pieces to work in lots of different climates - I think about all year round." Which translates into details like the chunky ribbed coat collars that can be detached, and knits in well-thought-out variations.
5. She's giving us the dream coat
The coat carpeted with corsages in varying shades of pink is a total showstopper. In fact we had to stop ourselves attempting a smash and grab. But despite the statement decoration, it's actually a "very wearable shape, not overly complicated," she points out. Just the shape for jeans or over a dress, or over some long-line flares, in fact. Easy when you know how...
See all the Victoria Victoria Beckham AW16 lookbook pictures in the gallery above.
