__Victoria Beckham is a Woman of the Year because… "She's bold enough to curate a style all her own. She's a loyal, giving friend—and funny, funny, funny!" __
—actress Eva Longoria
Posh Perfectionist: "I always wanted to work in fashion; it was always my passion," says Beckham, 41, photographed in the London office of the empire she created. Victoria Beckham dress. Manolo Blahnik pumps.
When I first met Victoria Beckham, two decades ago, the world had never heard of the Spice Girls. She and her bandmates stormed into my office at a U.K. TV network and gave a jaw-dropping rendition of "Wannabe." Although not as bold as her Spice peers—everyone else jumped up on the desks—Victoria was the one who assured me they were going to make it. "We're not going to stop till it happens," she said.
They became, of course, a global phenomenon. And the world got to know Posh Spice, a camera-ready superstar who married an equally famous and sexy Brit, David Beckham (they met after one of his soccer games). After the Spice Girls—amicably—went their separate ways, Beckham had a brief solo career but decided to devote most of her time to being a mom. Then in 2008, after working with a sunglasses company and a denim brand (and even modeling on a Milan runway), she made the bold decision to launch her own fashion line.
Just your average career change? Hardly. The fashion world is not particularly kind to celebrities who decide they want to become designers. Beckham debuted her collection in the quietest, humblest way possible: in a small hotel room with intimate one-on-ones with the press, placing the emphasis on her clothes, not her celebrity. It was a smart, smart tactic. "We have met with many celebrities who aspire to get into fashion, but very few have been willing to commit the time and energy it takes," says Jim Gold, president and chief merchandising officer of the Neiman Marcus Group. "Victoria was different. There are no shortcuts in this business, and she was willing to roll up her sleeves." Her hard work and meticulous design have turned that first collection of 10 dresses into a fashion empire worth a reported $57 million. The silhouettes of her collections are so classic and flattering that just about every celeb in Hollywood—from Oprah to Jennifer Lawrence—has a VB dress in her closet. The label has won the respect of industry insiders too: She's been awarded multiple British Fashion Awards, including two for brand of the year.
Beckham's gift is to make clothes that women want to wear. "Women respond to her clothes because she lives a life that they understand," says friend and Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour. "She's an incredibly busy woman, she's the mother of four kids, she's very much a partner to David, and the clothes recognize that. She's making clothes for women who are working, traveling, balancing, juggling all sorts of things at the same time." She tries to teach her children, sons Brooklyn, Romeo, and Cruz and daughter Harper, some of what she's learned: "Nothing ever came naturally to me," she says. "I was never the cleverest, never best at anything. But we always tell our children that if you work hard and believe in yourself, you can do what you want."
And she's showing them that when you're successful, you give back—period. In 2014 Beckham became an international goodwill ambassador for UNAIDS and since then she has raised more than $4 million to benefit HIV and AIDS charities including AMFAR, the Elton John AIDS Foundation, and Mothers 2 Mothers. "Motherhood puts us all on one level," she says. "I just felt this real pull to help." She doesn't simply lend her name or write a check: She's visited clinics in South Africa and Ethiopia to meet women affected by the disease. "Victoria's helping us to reach those millions of people out there we cannot reach," says Michel Sidibé, executive director of UNAIDS. "She's a person of compassion, and she's opening new doors."
Fellow bandmate Melanie Brown (a.k.a. Scary Spice) is not surprised in the least by her friend's successes. "She's broken the mold," she says. "And she's the funniest, naughtiest, dirtiest pal to sit next to at dinner." (Admits Beckham: "I like to ring the tequila bell.")
Indeed, when I see Beckham these days, what strikes me is the newfound ease with which she juggles her many roles. But her mission, she says, has never really changed: "I did have to find myself and my confidence. And I want to make other women feel like the best version of themselves. That's the same message as the Spice Girls. It's still Girl Power."
HER WORDS TO LIVE BY: "Work hard, stay focused, be appreciative, and really, really go for it. I was told I couldn't do lots of things, so if I can do it, you can."
*Louise Gannon, a journalist in London, writes for *The Daily Mail.
See All of the 2015 Glamour Women of the Year Honorees »
