Becks minds the shop
New goodwill ambassador Victoria wows UN in New York as her first fashion store opens its doors in London, so...
THEY were separated by 3,500 miles and two rather different jobs.
In six-inch heels, Victoria Beckham click-clacked in the footsteps of world leaders at the United Nations in New York yesterday and made an impassioned plea to safeguard women’s health and stop babies dying of Aids.
And husband David? He stayed at home to mind the shop. The new shop in Mayfair.
The world renowned footballer-cum-charity do-gooder swapped roles temporarily with his fashion leader wife to
‘People will listen to me’
allow her to make her political debut on the world stage.
Meanwhile he bowled up in scuffed brown shoes for the launch of the ex-Spice Girl’s swish new clothing store.
Ordinarily, those who queued for a first glimpse of VB’s sales floor might have expected their heroine to oversee the opening.
But even as they scrambled for a peek inside, perhaps equally excited at the prospect of meeting DB, Victoria was unavoidably elsewhere – wowing them at the UN after being made an International Goodwill Ambassador.
The role gets her instant membership of a celebrity club that includes Angelina Jolie, Emma Watson and Leonardo DiCaprio, who have all used their star status to draw attention to UN good works.
In a sober suit, and with barely a hint of her trademark pout, the 40-year-old said she was ‘humbled and honoured’ to represent the UN in its Aids campaign, adding: ‘For some reason people will listen to me. This is the beginning of an incredible journey for me.’
That journey appears to have been inspired by a trip to South Africa, where she met children stricken by Aids and spoke to afflicted mothers. The visit was part of the Born Free initiative, which tackles the issue of HIV being transmitted from mother to child.
‘I came home and I knew I had to do something,’ the mother of four said yesterday. ‘I think every woman has the right to health, and every woman has the right to give their children a healthy future.’
Elton, she said (that’s Sir Elton John) was a ‘dear friend’ of her and her husband, and the couple had been patrons of the piano- player’s Aids Foundation for 20 years.
‘Babies should not be born with HIV and we can stop that,’ she said. ‘I’m a mother, a woman and I want to reach out and help as many women and mothers as I can.’
Back in London, David was reaching out to help his wife’s other interests. Her store is a bold venture into traditional retail as opposed to online shopping. Traditional, that is, until you step inside the shop.
It would have been fun to see David Beckham behind a till, for example – but there aren’t any. Sales are made through iPads, doing away with anything so vulgar as a cash register.
There is no window display, and the goods are arranged with the minimalist chic of an art installation (or, depending on your point of view, in a way that makes it look as if the shop has already been burgled).
Victoria will be there from time to time – but she has other agendas. At the UN she said she would be back in South Africa in a few weeks ‘and then further afield next year’.