Born on April 17: Victoria Beckham, the icon who never stopped reinventing herself

Victoria Adams, her maiden name, was born in 1974 in Harlow and spent her childhood in Goffs Oak, Hertfordshire.

She's the oldest of her siblings and was raised by her mother, a former insurance employee and hairdresser, and her father, an electronics engineer. Thanks to their parents' wholesale electronics business, she and her siblings enjoyed a comfortable childhood. 

During her childhood, she was enrolled at the Jason Theatre School and later attended Laine Theatre Arts in Epsom, Surrey, where she was taught dance and modelling. She has always been somewhat embarrassed by her wealth, especially during her high school years when she asked her father not to drop her off in front of the school in a Rolls Royce.

In 1994, Victoria Adams auditioned to form what would become the legendary Spice Girls. Under the nickname "Posh Spice", she embodied elegance and adopted a distant attitude that shaped her image. The group achieved global success from 1996 with the hit Wannabe. Despite the group's gradual separation, Victoria remains associated with this iconic era. After a brief reunion in 2007, she closed the musical chapter for good, stating that her passion had waned. Her last performance with the group was at the closing ceremony of the London Olympics in 2012.

In 2000, she began her solo career with the single Out Of Your Mind, which reached number 2 in the charts despite strong competition. In 2001, she released Not Such an Innocent Girl, but faced competition from Kylie Minogue and only reached 6th place. Her first self-titled album, largely co-written by herself, was released the same year. Partly dedicated to her family, it reached 10th place in UK sales with over 50,000 copies sold.

Following disappointing sales of her solo album, her contract with Virgin Records wasn't renewed. Subsequently, a planned album project with Telstar Records was abandoned due to the label's collapse. No longer feeling the same passion for music and given her new creative pursuits, she chose not to force it and left the music scene.

Since leaving music, Victoria Beckham has established herself as a renowned designer in the fashion world. In 2008, she launched her own eponymous brand, celebrated for its minimalist elegance and strong style vision. Her work is now respected by critics and worn by numerous celebrities. Still very present in the media, she continues to innovate, through collaborations, runway shows at Fashion Weeks, and family projects. Victoria Beckham has brilliantly succeeded in her career transition, becoming a true icon of contemporary fashion.

(MH with Larisa Lungu - Photo: © Etienne Tordoir)

Photo: Victoria Beckham greets the audience at the end of her New York (USA) show on 9 February 2014