Victoria Beckham is reducing the average selling price of her dresses by almost 40% by switching to simpler silhouettes and fewer embellished fabrics, in a move that points to how the fashion industry may adapt to the disruptions to lifestyle and budget caused by the pandemic.
Marie Leblanc, the CEO of the label, said the changes were necessary to “future-proof” the brand, which has yet to turn a profit despite being one of the most high-profile names in British fashion for the past decade.
When demand for party dresses evaporated during lockdown, sales of knitwear, sunglasses and Beckham’s “athleisure” collaboration with Reebok became a lifeline. The brand is emerging from the pandemic with a new lo-fi aesthetic, and lower prices to match.
“Right now feels a bit like that moment after you’ve had a baby, and you can’t remember what you wore before you were pregnant,” said Beckham at this week’s launch of her new collection, shown in individual appointments at her London flagship store.
She added: “When I was pregnant with [daughter] Harper I wore very different clothes, and after she was born it took me a while to figure out what I wanted to wear. Coming out of the pandemic feels a bit like that. I really embraced a more relaxed way of dressing during lockdown, and that changes what I want to wear now.”
