Victoria Beckham has already ticked off the boxes for international pop star, award-winning fashion designer, style icon, supermom, and luckiest wife in the world. She can now add automobile designer to her list. Since 2010, Victoria has been a creative design executive for legendary luxury off-road brand Land Rover, and the fruits of her labor have just been unveiled in China in advance of the Beijing Auto Show: the Range Rover Evoque Special Edition with Victoria Beckham. Each of the limited run of 200, English-made, four-wheel-drive coupes will cost around $90,000. And, as Victoria’s responsibility was to help select the interior and exterior finishes, each will come with a lustrous matte-gray finish featuring glossy black accents and a luscious baseball-stitched leather interior in a shade of saddle tan so rich it’s almost Italian. The dark mohair carpets are thick and luxurious enough to lose a giant diamond ring in. The wheels, grille, and dash feature genuine rose-gold accents, and the whole thing comes with a four-piece black-leather luggage set that fits comfortably in the boot.
To celebrate this achievement, we chatted with Victoria and discussed design inspirations, purple convertibles, driving in heels, and the vehicular challenges of being a working mother of four. Highlights from our conversation are below.
Brett Berk: Why is the Range Rover Evoque the right choice for a Victoria Beckham special edition?
Victoria Beckham: I’ve driven a Range Rover for as long as I can remember, and I have a lot of respect for Range Rover as a brand and for their heritage. So I think it feels very natural. I think that people will look at the car, and they’ll obviously see Range Rover, but they’ll also see me. It looks like me. I joked the other day—I had a matte-black crocodile structured handbag with me, and I looked at the bag and I looked at the car, and I said, “The car looks like a bag on wheels.” It’s very me. It’s very, very me.
Victoria Beckham: I’ve driven a Range Rover for as long as I can remember, and I have a lot of respect for Range Rover as a brand and for their heritage. So I think it feels very natural. I think that people will look at the car, and they’ll obviously see Range Rover, but they’ll also see me. It looks like me. I joked the other day—I had a matte-black crocodile structured handbag with me, and I looked at the bag and I looked at the car, and I said, “The car looks like a bag on wheels.” It’s very me. It’s very, very me.
Tell me about the rose-gold accents on the car. What inspired you to use that material?
I love rose gold. Where it initially came from was that my husband bought me a rose-gold men’s Rolex for my birthday, and at the same time, I’d used rose gold with some of my accessories for a collection, and I just thought, Hey, let’s just put a little rose-gold element behind the car. And I was adamant—I didn’t want this car to be seen as super-girly. I wanted it to be a car that I want to drive, and I wanted it to be a car that David wants to drive as well. Everything that I do has quite a masculine feel about it. Though the clothes I design are very feminine, they also have a very strong masculine feel about them. I’m feminine, but I wouldn’t say that I’m girly in any way at all.
I love rose gold. Where it initially came from was that my husband bought me a rose-gold men’s Rolex for my birthday, and at the same time, I’d used rose gold with some of my accessories for a collection, and I just thought, Hey, let’s just put a little rose-gold element behind the car. And I was adamant—I didn’t want this car to be seen as super-girly. I wanted it to be a car that I want to drive, and I wanted it to be a car that David wants to drive as well. Everything that I do has quite a masculine feel about it. Though the clothes I design are very feminine, they also have a very strong masculine feel about them. I’m feminine, but I wouldn’t say that I’m girly in any way at all.
One of the ways that we can chart the various stages in a person’s life is through their cars. So tell me about your cars. What was your first car?
My first-ever car, my parents bought me a red Fiat Uno. I was 17 and just so happy to have a car, so I was very fortunate that my parents were in a position to get me one—it was a secondhand car, but I was just so happy to have it. And my mum, to make it extra special for me, sprayed the hubcaps red.
My first-ever car, my parents bought me a red Fiat Uno. I was 17 and just so happy to have a car, so I was very fortunate that my parents were in a position to get me one—it was a secondhand car, but I was just so happy to have it. And my mum, to make it extra special for me, sprayed the hubcaps red.
Matching accessories.
Absolutely. And definitely an . . . acquired taste.
Absolutely. And definitely an . . . acquired taste.
What about your next car?
Well, when I got my first paycheck from the Spice Girls, I got an MG-F convertible. It was a really nice purple color. But it was very cool, very stylish. I mean I’ve always loved cars, as does David. And definitely the cars got better after I met David, because he’s a real car person.
Well, when I got my first paycheck from the Spice Girls, I got an MG-F convertible. It was a really nice purple color. But it was very cool, very stylish. I mean I’ve always loved cars, as does David. And definitely the cars got better after I met David, because he’s a real car person.
And what do you drive now?
I drive a Range Rover Sport. I love things that look great, but I love the practicality as well. I’ve got four kids. [Brooklyn, 13; Romeo, 9; Cruz, 7; Harper, 9 months.] I’ve got to put a stroller in the back of my car. I drive my kids to school every day; I drive everywhere. I love my Range Rover. But David’s trying to make me sell my Range Rover.
I drive a Range Rover Sport. I love things that look great, but I love the practicality as well. I’ve got four kids. [Brooklyn, 13; Romeo, 9; Cruz, 7; Harper, 9 months.] I’ve got to put a stroller in the back of my car. I drive my kids to school every day; I drive everywhere. I love my Range Rover. But David’s trying to make me sell my Range Rover.
What’s he trying to make you get instead?
He wants me to get another Range Rover. Actually, I’ve got all the mums in the school lining up wanting to buy mine if I sell it. Because myself and David customized it.
He wants me to get another Range Rover. Actually, I’ve got all the mums in the school lining up wanting to buy mine if I sell it. Because myself and David customized it.
We ask all our “Stars and Cars” subjects to tell us a car story—an incident or mishap that’s happened to you in a vehicle. Can you think of one?
Oh my goodness. No.
Oh my goodness. No.
Ever had a car stolen?
No. But how rock ’n’ roll.
No. But how rock ’n’ roll.
Ever been towed away when you parked in an illegal spot?
I don’t do anything illegal. I’m a law-abiding citizen, I’ll have you know.
I don’t do anything illegal. I’m a law-abiding citizen, I’ll have you know.
Run out of gas?
No. But, oh my God, you know what I did the other day? This is a funny story. I got up in the morning, and I knew that I had a whole morning full of conference calls. So I got up early with Harper, sorted Harper out, got all the kids their breakfast, got them ready for school, put Harper in the car seat, and said, “Come on, kids, we have to get going or we’re going to be late”—every morning I take Brooklyn, and David takes the little boys to school. We take it in turns because they go to two different schools.
No. But, oh my God, you know what I did the other day? This is a funny story. I got up in the morning, and I knew that I had a whole morning full of conference calls. So I got up early with Harper, sorted Harper out, got all the kids their breakfast, got them ready for school, put Harper in the car seat, and said, “Come on, kids, we have to get going or we’re going to be late”—every morning I take Brooklyn, and David takes the little boys to school. We take it in turns because they go to two different schools.
So I jump in my Range Rover, put the car seat in, put my iPod on—obviously very important—and I drive to school. And then I realize, I’d left Brooklyn in the kitchen. I was driving along, talking away, and all the sudden, I looked at the front seat, and I was like, “Shit! Shit! I’ve forgot something!”
I’d gotten down the road, and I literally had to turn around and drive back up the driveway. And David was standing there in the driveway with all three boys, just [shakes her head]. And I felt like such an idiot because I was in such a rush. Harper was in the car, I was in the car, and we were on the way to school. But we did not have the child who needed to go to school.
That’s a great story. Last question. In your 2007 TV special Victoria Beckham: Coming to America you said that the only time you wear flats is when you drive. Do you have a favorite pair of flats that are top notch for driving, or have you found some heels that work?
I’d have to say my favorite flat would definitely be a Lanvin flat. Or if I’m working out, it would obviously be an Adidas trainer. But I drive in heels, absolutely. I mean, safety first—I make sure they’re not silly heels. But, yeah, I’m not one of these people that has a change of shoes in the car.
I’d have to say my favorite flat would definitely be a Lanvin flat. Or if I’m working out, it would obviously be an Adidas trainer. But I drive in heels, absolutely. I mean, safety first—I make sure they’re not silly heels. But, yeah, I’m not one of these people that has a change of shoes in the car.
There are those suitcases that come with your Evoque. I thought those were for shoes.
That’s a good idea. Who knew?
That’s a good idea. Who knew?
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