Minutes before her spring show, Victoria Beckham was the picture of calm backstage. Her relaxed demeanor extended to her charming collection, steeped in an easy attitude and what she called a “boyish-girlish — as opposed to mannish” sense of gender play.
Beckham transformed Cafe Rouge, near gritty Penn Station, into a gleaming white box, the perfect backdrop for the crisp lineup. “I focused a lot on shape, both literally and conceptually,” she said. She made that point effectively with the first few black-and-white looks — a precise coat shown over a languid white top with boyish shorts cut just below the knee offered a chic approach to summer dressing. So did the pretty tops with flouncy hems. These, too, were worn over long shorts, but could stand on their own as minidresses. Other more structured, form-fitting minis were softened with a swath a white pleats that peeked out from underneath. Geometry came via architectural triangles that were placed in bold ways on several pieces, including a fuchsia top shown with a short flared skirt. If the look had a strictness, it was played with a girly card. The sense of lightness and fluidity charmed. “It’s a completely different proportion and exactly what I’d want to wear now,” Beckham said. “It feels like me.”
