When it comes to Victoria Beckham’s eponymous label, the designer is her own muse.
But rubbing elbows with the British monarchy certainly doesn’t hurt. In fact, it may have influenced her creative process for her Fall 2025 collection, which saw the return of a box bag that recalled a style Meghan Markle made so popular it went viral in 2018.
Lest you forget, one of Markle’s most memorable fashion moments before taking a step back from her royal duties was in December 2018, when she wore head-to-toe Victoria Beckham to attend Saint Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham alongside Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Harry, Kate Middleton and other members of the British royal family.
At the time, Markle (now 43) was carrying her first child (Archie, now 5 years old). Still, rather than cover up her baby bump (like the late actress-turned-royal Grace Kelly, who memorably used an Hermès bag to hide her pregnancy while filming To Catch a Thief), she opted for the decidedly compact Powder Box bag plucked right off Victoria’s Beckham’s Fall 2018 runway.
Inspired by 1950s vanity cases, the bag featured an interior mirror, a lipstick-sized pocket, and a curved gold-tone metal clasp. Despite the $1,600 price tag, it swiftly sold out after Markle was snapped with it.
The bag became so famous that it was displayed at the Victoria and Albert Museum in South Kensington, London, soon thereafter. Meanwhile, Beckham, 50, was a stone’s throw away at her home in nearby Holland Park when she saw photos of Markle with the bag seen around the world.
The next month, she appeared on Live With Kelly and Ryan and spoke about the “Meghan Markle Effect.” “She looked so beautiful. It was such a lovely surprise to wake up to on Christmas morning,” Beckham said. “She’s such a beautiful, strong and wonderful woman, so it was a huge honor.”
Fast-forward to 2025, and Beckham has seemingly put a spin on the historically significant accessory for her Fall 2025 outing at Paris Fashion Week. Models carried leather box bags that, in keeping with the androgynous tone of the collection, leaned more toward a mini briefcase than a vanity case.
The same retro aesthetic was also woven into the 1930s-influenced evening dresses, which Beckham has been putting into play at events, some of them on recent royal occasions.
As a guest at a Buckingham Palace state banquet, an Italian-themed dinner at the King Charles‘ Highgrove House estate and more, the designer’s proximity to the palace could have inspired her to revisit the iconic bag fit for a duchess.
“I’ve absolutely learned so much by going to these things with David,” Beckham told Vogue after her fashion show on Friday, March 7. She said she dresses “understated” to observe royal etiquette, which on her (and Markle, for that matter) photographs flawlessly from every angle.
According to royal fashion protocol, eveningwear calls for a gown and a small, elegant clutch — something Beckham has in the bag for Fall 2025.
