A new lens on an old icon
For decades, Victoria Beckham has been defined by the images we’ve seen: the unsmiling pop star, the chic designer in oversized sunglasses, the footballer’s wife sitting front row. But Netflix’s upcoming three-part documentary, Victoria Beckham, set to premiere on October 9, promises to flip that narrative on its head.
Created by the same team behind last year’s Emmy-winning Beckham series, the documentary peels back the glossy layers to show a woman who’s both sharper and funnier than the tabloids ever let on and far more ambitious than many gave her credit for.
Posh Spice: the making of an icon
The film takes us back to the ’90s, when Beckham, then known simply as Posh Spice, helped redefine pop culture alongside Mel B, Mel C, Emma Bunton and Geri Halliwell. The Spice Girls weren’t just a band; they were a movement. But the documentary reveals how quickly that dream dissolved when the group split, leaving Victoria searching for her next act.
“Performing was my dream. The Spice Girls made me accept who I am, and then all of a sudden, it stopped,” she reflects in the trailer.
For South African fans who grew up blasting Wannabe at school discos, this return to her pop roots is a nostalgic pull—reminding us how much of the Spice Girls’ “girl power” ethos shaped a generation.
The humour behind the headlines
If David Beckham’s documentary gave us viral gems (remember “My Dad had a Rolls-Royce”?), Victoria’s promises to deliver even more.
The trailer opens with her poking fun at her reputation for never smiling, donning a cheeky T-shirt that reads “Fashion Stole My Smile”. It’s a rare moment of self-parody from someone often cast as icy.
“People thought I was that miserable cow that never smiles,” she laughs. “But I do—don’t be shocked.”
The humour continues as she and David laugh about her lack of cooking skills. “Let’s be honest, I couldn’t actually make a cheese sandwich very well,” she admits, proving that beneath the couture gowns, she’s still someone who doesn’t take herself too seriously.
Reinventing herself in fashion
The series also examines Beckham’s reinvention as a serious fashion and beauty entrepreneur—a journey many dismissed before it began.
“Everybody’s warning her, ‘You will not be accepted,’” close friend Eva Longoria recalls. And yet, against the odds, Beckham’s labels Victoria Beckham Fashion and Victoria Beckham Beauty earned respect from industry gatekeepers.
The climax of the series will reportedly follow her as she prepares for her most ambitious runway yet: her brand’s biggest show at Paris Fashion Week, with none other than Anna Wintour presiding from the front row.
Why this documentary matters now
Victoria Beckham is now 51, a mother of four, and one of the most recognizable figures in both pop culture and fashion. The documentary arrives at a moment when nostalgia is trending—Gen Z is rediscovering the Spice Girls on TikTok, while millennials are revisiting the icons of their youth.
The show also speaks to the double standards women in the spotlight often face. For years, Beckham was treated as either “the footballer’s wife” or “the pop star who wanted to play designer.” But the documentary positions her as what she’s always been: a force in her own right.
As one fan commented on X (formerly Twitter) after the trailer dropped: “Victoria Beckham raised an entire generation of women who were told they were ‘too much’now she’s finally telling her own story.”
Source: IOL
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