New York Fashion Week: Victoria Beckham

Victoria Beckham took a major leap with her spring runway show, which proved that what started in 2008 as a small range of niche red carpet dresses is on its way to becoming a full-fledged luxury lifestyle brand.

Signs she is in growth mode? Beckham recently announced  plans for a secondary (less expensive) line of dresses that presumably will bring women with slightly larger body frames than hers’ into the fold. She launched a handbag line last year, and e-commerce sales and a brick-and-mortar store are said to be on the horizon.

On the runway, Beckham tapped into the sleek, minimal, Celine-inspired sportswear trend, but with her own spin. Case in point: the long, lean coats paired with slick black leather leggings that opened the show on a sexy note. This season, Beckham’s signature, zip-back, stretch jersey dresses fell below the knee, and came in a great-looking, bold color-blocked tangerine and navy blue, or in basic black and white with utility straps at the shoulders. Some of the shorter dresses had a mod feel, with a slight A-line and zipper pocket details.

Beckham also brought a sporty sensibility to more relaxed dresses, with drop-waist silhouettes and pleated silk print front panels. Also on the softer side? Voluminous pale lavender and blue zip-front silk gazar jackets that looked weightless, and a spectacularly chic pearl gray A-line raincoat with white piping details.

Smooth leather box bags and totes were the perfect accents, as were refreshingly comfortable-looking flat sandals with thick wrap-around ankle straps. They were courtesy of Christian Louboutin, but VB shoes can’t be too far off.

--Booth Moore, reporting from New York

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Photos: Looks from the Victoria Beckham spring 2012 runway collections shown during New York Fashion Week. Credit: Peter Michael Dills /Getty Images; Bebeto Matthews / AP Photo.