Vogue hosted a new conference last week called Forces of Fashion that allowed for dialogues between designers and Vogue editors. The lineup was impressive with attendees including Rihanna and Marc Jacobs. Conversations included ethical fashion (Stella McCarthy), maintaining the ‘cool’ factor (Virgil Abloh and Heron Preston) and Instagram’s influence (Marc Jacob and Kevin Systrom). Had I the time and disposable income, I’d have liked to attend. Also present was designer Victoria Beckham who participated in a discussion called When Fashion is Your Second Act with Vogue Runway director, Nicole Phelps. In addition to talking about making fashion her second career, Victoria discussed how her line survived where most celebrity lines have not. According to Victoria, her success comes down to her overseeing every aspect of her line which has given her an education in fashion that’s allowed her line to both grow and endure.

The list of celebrities who have dabbled in fashion design at one point or another is almost too long to recount. From Beyoncé’s Deréon to Gwen Stefani’s L.A.M.B., most such forays into fashion labels of their own have fizzled long before the stars’ celebrity has waned. But there are a few exceptions to this rule, and Victoria Beckham is perhaps one of the most triumphant.

“I was very aware that people had preconceptions,” said Beckham of her early creative years on Thursday at Vogue’s Forces of Fashion conference in New York. “I didn’t know very much at all about the fashion industry… I was probably quite naive and a little unaware. And not as scared as I would be if I was doing it now, knowing what I know now.”

“I love the development process,” she noted of creating her aforementioned makeup line. “I love talking about the packaging. [My husband] David thinks I’m really boring that I get so excited about boxes and stuff. But I find it really interesting.”

Her team is so small, asserted Beckham, that she still oversees the smallest of details, like which celebrities are loaned clothing from her line. “I approve absolutely everything,” she claimed, though she noted that some in-the-spotlight figures — like Melania Trump — appear in her clothing because they make the purchases themselves.

Ultimately, it’s her deep level of involvement in every level of her brand that Beckham believes has set her apart from other celebrities dabbling in fashion design over the years.

“I think that many of these other celebrities, those were licensing deals… They were putting their names on other people’s products,” she explained. “And I don’t think there’s anything wrong in that. But for me, it was never about that. I wasn’t singing anymore. I’m not an actress. I really put everything into this [brand] — this was a new career for me. I had a vision, it was very focused, and I surrounded myself with the right people.”

[From Fashionista]

I appreciate Victoria’s commitment and I do think she has grown as a designer. I’d wear her stuff if I could afford it. I think she’s probably on to something about her involvement being personal vs. other celebrities who license their names. They probably weren’t overly invested in the line’s details other than profitability. But I also think there is a bit more to her weathering the storm than her dedication: her husband spent a few million pounds bailing her out when the label was operating at a loss. I’m not critiquing her just saying that it’s easier to see for a line to survive that doesn’t have to answer to investors. Obviously, she has learned from her earlier mistakes, including trying to expand too rapidly. She’s also probably not the only designer to be bailed out when they bite off more than they could chew. She did the work to get where she is and she has become a respected designer so she deserves credit. Plus, I appreciate the shade for #45’s wife, you could probably see the icicles forming on her words as she said them.

And who knows, with her line’s success, maybe her clothes could get a US Vogue cover?

Photo credit: WENN Photos