Lifestory of Victoria Beckham

Victoria Beckham - Presented by Vogue

Victoria Beckham is a fashion designer, style icon and Vogue cover girl. Having first hit the headlines as part of British girl band the Spice Girls in the Nineties and then as the wife of footballer David Beckham, in recent years she has emerged as a fashion industry force to be reckoned with. Beckham's designs are known for their confident simplicity and artful use of color. "She takes conventional dresses and makes them stand out," British Vogue editor Alexandra Shulman said in 2010. Here's how it all began:

• Beckham rose to fame in 1996 when the Spice Girls' first single, Wannabe, reached number one in more than 30 countries. The band was an international phenomenon and is the best-selling female group of all time, with over 75 million records sold worldwide.  
• She married footballer David Beckham in July 1999, wearing a strapless ivory gown designed by Vera Wang.
• Beckham made her debut appearance on the catwalk as a model for Maria Grachvogel during London Fashion Week in 2000.  In 2006, she took to the runway again for Roberto Cavalli in Milan. 
• In 2003, she was named British Ambassador for Dolce & Gabanna and was announced as the face of street wear label Rocawear alongside Naomi Campbell.
• She collaborated with denim label Rock and Republic in 2003 on a line of jeans, but split from them in September 2006 to create her own denim line. 
• Well known for her love of oversized sunglasses, she also launched an eye wear collection in 2006. The same year that her fragrance line, Intimately Beckham, was introduced.  
• In 2007, she was awarded two British Glamour Magazine Awards, for Woman of the Year and Entrepreneur of the Year, in celebration of her fashion achievements.
• Later that year, she appeared on three Vogue covers in the space of 12 months: British Vogue's April 2008 issue, Vogue India's November 2008 issue, and Vogue Russia's February 2009 issue. She has since appeared on four other covers, most recently with her husband, David, for Vogue Paris' Christmas 2013 issue. 
• Before she had gained her full fashion credentials, and in a move that he admitted would be perceived as an odd choice, Marc Jacobs chose Beckham as the face of his spring/summer 2008 campaign. In a joint interview with Beckham in the Bergdorf Goodman Magazine in 2009, Jacobs explained: "Fashion is about risks, and I think that both of us work very, very hard…as people who challenge and who take chances and are willing to push the envelope and who refuse to be categorized by what other people think.  That's one of the main attractions of Victoria."  In the same interview, Beckham credited the choice as helping change people's preconceptions about her: "When someone like Marc Jacobs, who is so influential, gives you the stamp of approval - that was a big deal for me."
• She launched her first collection, consisting only of dresses, for spring/summer 2009. She introduced handbags to her line for spring/summer 2011, and coats for autumn/winter 2011. Her designs have gained a celebrity following with the likes of Michelle Williams, Gwyneth Paltrow and Blake Lively choosing them for red-carpet appearances.
• In 2011, she won Designer Brand of the Year at the British Fashion Awards, beating industry heavyweights Stella McCartney, Tom Ford and Burberry to the title.
• She launched her second label, Victoria by Victoria, at Harvey Nichols in January 2012. 
• Later that year, Beckham took to the stage again with the Spice Girls when the band reunited to perform at the closing ceremony for the London Olympics. She also featured in the celebrations as a designer, dressing Georgia May Jagger for the Vogue tribute to British fashion. 
• She was named one of the UK's most influential women in BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour 2013 Power List. 
• Beckham was a guest speaker at the Vogue Festival in April 2013. She gave her advice on how to break into the industry, "You have to be prepared to start at the bottom and work up";  discussed her future business plans, "I get bored easily so it's time for something new. London is where I want to have my first store"; and made it clear where her priorities lie, "I'm up early in the morning doing spelling tests and maths quizzes before the school run, then up late with a baby and a 14-year-old who refuses to go to bed... everything does revolve around the children." 
• She and David have four children, Brooklyn, Romeo, Cruz, and Harper. 10-year-old Romeo showed signs of following in his mother's fashionable footsteps when he featured in Burberry's Spring/Summer 2013 campaign. 
• In November 2013, she was asked to act as guest editor-in-chief of French Vogue's December issue. On working with Beckham, the magazine's editor, Emmanuelle Alt, said: "She is spontaneous with a great sense of humor; humble, yet at the same time driven by a healthy ambition. She is a perfectionist, like everyone who is passionate about their work." 
• She announced early in 2014 that she would open her first standalone store on London's Dover Street later in the year.