Victoria Beckham is set to make her Paris Fashion Week debut.

After winning over critics in New York and London, Victoria Beckham made her debut at the top of the luxury world at Paris Fashion Week, which opens on Monday.

“It is the arrival of a very beautiful label. We are delighted to have Victoria Beckham among us,” said Pascal Morand, head of French Haute Couture and Fashion (FHCM).

The 48-year-old Briton joined 104 labels in the official lineup for the pre-a-porter spring-summer shows in Paris – the most commercially important week in the fashion calendar.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, a handful of brands have opted for traditional online presentations.

But most of the big names are back in full force for live runway shows, including Dior, Chanel, Saint Laurent, Stella McCartney and Issey Miyake, as well as new brands such as Veinsanto, who kicked off the process on Monday.

Beckham She held her first fashion show in New York in 2008 and, apart from a brief dalliance with London, has shown there most of the year.

“Don’t look down on her,” said Vogue superstar Anna Wintour when Beckham started, and of course the former Spice Girl proved she was just a celebrity hobbyist.

But despite having 250 international outlets for her clothing, 30 million followers on Instagram and one of the most famous husbands in the world, Beckham’s company has always struggled to turn a profit.

– “Big League”

In a bid to turn things around, she hired top French talent, including former FHCM president Ralph Toledano, chairman, and Marie LeBlanc de Reynis, former chief buyer of Paris department store Printemps.

“Victoria is not from the fashion world. She threw herself into the business and at some point she had to set up the house, organize it and bring some order. That’s what we’ve been doing for the last four years,” Toledano told AFP.

A successful cosmetics line launched in 2019 has helped offset losses, and the team hopes to break even in the coming months.

“We’ve defined a strategy, combined two pre-a-porter lines and found the right price point… Now it’s time to get into the big leagues,” Toledano said.

That means Paris Fashion Week, which Beckham will present on Friday – keeping her at the top and most sought-after of industry events.

“Shesa is a little scared, she’s a very humble person,” Toledano said.

It’s a sign of the continued importance of traditional fashion events, even if some labels are breaking away from the constant routine of the official calendar.