Now it’s Beckham the fashion house builder
DAVID BECKHAM must be getting bored in his early retirement. Not only has he recently completed a 4,000 piece Lego castle for his daughter Harper, he has shocked owners of global fashion brand Kent & Curwen by turning up in a hard hat to work on the building of its new flagship London branch in Covent Garden.
And to make matters worse, he’s muscling in on wife Victoria’s fashion empire – her own flagship store is just around the corner.
Though few celebrities who put their name to fashion labels do much more than cut ribbons and collect cheques, David has been seen on site at the store, due to open in September, prompting friends to wonder whether he has a little too much time on his hands these days.
Sources close to his business partners tell me that he is simply passionate about the brand – and with good reason, since his company earns five per cent of retail sales and ten per cent of the wholesale business. The source tells me: ‘David has long had lots of fashion collaborations under his belt, but rarely has he ever been so hands-on.
‘He has been seen offering advice at the building site. He is proud that he’s working for a British brand and feels lucky to have time as well as cash to invest.’
Boundaries have become an intriguing subject for Brand Beckham. While some territory is being encroached upon, others walls are going up – not least in their country house which has been built as three separate living spaces, as I reported last month.
I’m told that Victoria has had little to do financially or otherwise with the £6.15 million Cotswolds property and has left its costly redevelopment to David.
Indeed a source tells me that her name may not even be on the deeds, saying: ‘Victoria has told David it is his project and she isn’t going to get too involved. She is busy enough as it is with her own work.’
But I can reveal that David, 42, has ensured the property will still get an injection of ‘posh’, even without input from his former Spice Girl wife, particularly in the garden. He has enlisted the services of former Scots Guard Marcus Barnett, former royal equerry turned landscape artist, who has won three gold medals at the Chelsea Flower Show.