Victoria Beckham Releases Autumn/Winter 2012-13 Collection at New York Fashion Week

With husband David on the front row and baby daughter Harper asleep backstage, Victoria Beckham’s military-inspired show was undoubtedly a family-friendly one.

In this latest collection, Beckham remained rooted in her very specific vision of dressing, simple and sexy, but added touches of military influences to beef up her lean signature silhouette. Dresses were at the heart of this show, in stretched knits that hugged the body and stopped right above or just below the knee. There was a buttoned-up feel with dainty pointed collars hovering at the neckline of many of the pieces, shown in an array of army green, black, brown, orange, and sky blue. 

What was new were the military elements - epaulettes, gold buttons, a python-lined trench coat, and plenty of khaki - interspersed with double-looped thin leather belts at the waist or webbing-like strapping that cris-crossed shoulders on open-backed dresses.

Mrs Beckham eschewed the corsetry of her previous collections for close-fitted canvas and quilting to provide that supportive fit. Not everything, though, was tight: there were some relaxed shirt dresses with baseball collars, and some mini-dresses that with a fluting, backward kick at the skirt. The shoes were either flat, no-messing biker boots or heavy-strapped high heel shoe-boots, worn over calf-climbing thick, baseball inspired woollen socks.

Accessories are a quickly growing part of her business, and the slouchy socks over sturdy buckled-up Louboutin boots was an expert styling choice. Her bags, too, were lovely as ever—especially the effortless envelope clutches—but the sweetest one was most certainly her latest style, a fold-over satchel with two pockets, named after her daughter. 

 “I am so proud of her; it was really strong, simple and beautiful; and I want everyone to see how hard my wife works,” said David Beckham after the show. Simon Fuller, whose company backs both Beckhams, also said the growth of the main collection and the secondary Victoria line had been “spectacular.”