Have you ever found yourself at an upscale department store/boutique cradling a dress in your arms that you just HAD to have, only to hastily hatch a plan to split the hefty price tag between your already pinched credit card à la Confessions of a Shopaholic and your vital organ-selling profits? Materialistic, me? Don’t be daft. Okay, whispering it, I have done that! A thousand times ‒ for Victoria Beckham’s beyond gorgeous but eye-wateringly pricey dresses…
So, imagine my ecstasy when Victoria announced in June that she was coming up with an offshoot called Victoria, Victoria Beckham (bit like Bond, James Bond!) to her main collection ‒ à la Marc by Marc Jacobs and See by Chloé ‒ for Spring/Summer 2012. Well, that collection has now arrived and… What a delightful assortment of throw-on-and-look-fabulous dresses. As feared, each and every one of them the greedy me wants!
Inspired by the dark, spunky comic character Emily the Strange, this offering from VB was a sharp departure from the sexy, hourglass fit of her main collection – the emphasis being on the A-line shift shape (which can easily be belted to create curves ‒ bonus!), and the hems falling an inch or two north of the knee. The lackadaisically loose fit ‒ with one particular blue-and-gold cocoon dress appearing roomy enough to smuggle a friend into a party (!) ‒ was achieved through use of easy-to-wear materials: cotton, crepe de chine, silk, jacquard and something called “summer wool”. Peppy colours (cheery red, candy pink, Kelly green and cornflower blue) brought out the playful side of this collection.
Some of the shifts were chic, simple and tasteful, something that Audrey Hepburn would have snaffled in a heartbeat; while others were positively quirky, featuring winsome “conversational” prints of crescent moons, fluffy clouds, beaded raindrops and cats (!!!). A yellow tunic dress with blue cats is sure to bring a smile on the most dismal of times. But the detailing is what really made the dresses stand out – a testament to VB’s unquestionable love of fashion: zippers were visible, patch pockets sat elegantly on top of the silk, waists were dropped and scalloped seams stood out. Not only is this line wearable to a variety of body types, they can be worn with flats for a care-free look, and dressed-up, too, with heels. Score!
While more affordable than her main line, these cropped cuties will still require a bit of saving. Prices range from £345-£562 ($550-$900) – or about three months’ worth of Ladurée/Pierre Hermé macaroons and Eve Lom facials that I will sadly have to sacrifice to snap up a couple of the dresses (the gathered-neck crepe one in a divine raspberry colour and a scalloped-neck, drop-waisted sleeveless number in vibrant pink & black)… Now get cracking on that diffusion line of bags, VB!
P.S: I am also lusting after these custom Charlotte Olympia shoes that VB had made for the presentation! *sigh*