Victoria Beckham

I'll admit it: I'm a control freak. I am. If I'm going to do something, I'm going to do it 110% or there's no point in doing it at all, especially if the work takes me away from time with my husband and children.

I don't believe anyone who says they don't care what people say about them. Of course they bloody well do.

I keep fit by running after my three boys all day.

For me, doing a show is great, but I want women to be able to wear the clothes easily as well.

People I respect complimenting me on my work in fashion is more exciting to me than anything I ever achieved as a Spice Girl.

I have no time for it at all, when women just don't like women. I don't get it.

I've only ever tried to be me.

I don't have to work; I need to work.

I can’t concentrate in flats.

I love Brazilians. Brazilians ought to be made compulsory at 15.

I was never a natural. I got there in the end because I did believe that if you work hard enough, then you can achieve a lot.

I never try to follow a trend or fashion.

I've always loved makeup. I'm very, very girly. I used to sit and watch my mum get ready. My mum is very glamorous, and I remember sitting on her bed and watching her apply her makeup, get dressed, and do her hair.

The whole European Federal plan is ridiculous. We are patriotic. The single currency is an outrage. We want the Queen's head - or the King's head, if we have a king - on our own coins.

I am very career minded, and I think my personality is more suited to America. I am a working mother.

I think I've achieved a lot in 41 years. I like how 41 feels; I feel good. I don't like how it sounds too much.

When I was on stage with the Spice Girls, I thought people were there to see the other four and not me.

I'm a very, very healthy eater. I eat lots of fish, lots of vegetables, lots of fruit. I don't eat junk food.

I'm not materialistic. I believe in presents from the heart, like a drawing that a child does.

I've got a lot that I want to do, so I would like to expand my empire, for sure. I love it.

I've never been a six-foot-tall, skinny model, so therefore, I want to create an illusion. People always think I'm taller than I am - not just because of the shoes I wear but because of the way I dress. It's all relatively streamlined.

When I dress in a certain way and do my hair and makeup in a certain way, it's not to get attention.

You've got to trust people. And because I am a control freak, sometimes that's difficult for me, because I want to micro-manage absolutely everything. I can't hand over. But I'm trying to do that more.

There are two types of women out there: there's the kind of woman who finds something nice and likes to keep it to herself, and then there's the other type, which is me, who wants to share.

I've been that celebrity on the red carpet, and I appreciate that something hasn't got to just look good from the front, from the back, it's got to look good at all angles.

I don't like laziness or cutting corners.

Even if I wouldn't wear something myself, I think I know how women feel, how women want to look. I can really relate to women, I get on very well with women... Some women don't. I want to empower women, make women feel the best version of themselves.

I love women's bodies. I love luxury.

People always think I'm taller than I am - not just because of the shoes I wear but because of the way I dress. It's all relatively streamlined.

People are mean on social media, whoever you are. It's a shame people have to be that way.

I want a big house with a moat and dragons and a fort to keep people out.

I love fashion - I really feel it's where I belong.

I appreciate that young girls look up to me. And I take that very seriously.

Everything that I design I would wear myself.

I'm living in Beverly Hills. I'm very, very lucky. I wake up every morning and I recognize that I'm blessed.

The first dress that I wore in the Spice Girls, which everybody thought was a little black Gucci dress, was actually from Miss Selfridge - it wasn't a little black Gucci dress.

I love what I do professionally, I'm really blessed. But my priority is my husband and my children.

I'm very focused on what I do professionally, and I'm very focused on my family, and I don't really get too stressed out about what people say or what other people think. In fact, it's not on my radar at all. If there's anything negative, I don't want to know about it. I just do my own thing and get on with my life.

My glasses say a lot about me because I think me in a pair of sunglasses is an image that a lot of people would recognise.

People I respect complimenting me on my work in fashion is more exciting to me than anything I ever achieved as a Spice Girl. I am now competing in an arena where I can hold my head high. I feel quite confident in what I'm doing now, much more than the singing. I was never going to give Mariah Carey any competition.

The kind of person who's going to stand on the red carpet and love the attention and have the big grin - I'm just not like that. I want to get in there, do what I've got to do, and get home to my kids.

I see a dermatologist in L.A. called Dr. Harold Lancer, who is incredible. I've known him for years - he sorted my skin out.

Sometimes I really wish that I could sit back and enjoy it, live in the moment more. But I am terrified, and I want to better myself, not that I want to prove anything to anyone other than myself. I am ambitious, and there are many things I want to do. It doesn't get any easier.

I believe in creative visualization.

First and foremost, I feel very lucky to have the family I have, so I would like my family to stay happy and healthy.

I like to make the best of what I have. I'm not a supermodel, clearly. I'm not a makeup artist. I'm a real woman.

I'm very proud to be British, and my brand is British.

I very, very rarely get the opportunity to go shopping and actually feel the clothes and try things on. I love shopping, but I do it mostly through Net-a-Porter.

I'm always in flats. Jeans, jumper, flat shoes or a pair of trainers. It would probably surprise people, but I have to be comfortable. It's not about me dressing up and looking good. I've got to get stuff done.

If you haven't got it. Fake it! Too short? Wear big high heels, but do practice walking!

Strong women, that's who I really respect.

What's David's role? David looks good, that's what David does. David looks good, and I'm the funny one, that's what I hear constantly. But I keep telling him that looks fade.

We are still so close, David and I. We were at a party the other day at my mum's house and I was sitting on his lap. We're very affectionate. And I looked at him and thought after being married for 11 years! We were the only couple who were even near each other at that party. We're soul mates.

I want to reach as many women throughout the world as I can.

After dinner I'll catch up with emails. And when I'm lying in bed, I think about the next collection. That makes me sound insane, doesn't it? That I'm getting into bed with David Beckham and thinking about clothes?

I like a man who can be a real friend, has a good sense of humor, a good pair of shoes and a healthy gold card.

When you're in a position to be paparazzi-ed just walking down the street, you'd look a little daft if you were smiling all the time.

Sunglasses always hide a multitude of sins. Sunglasses and a great pair of heels can turn most outfits around.

When people ask if I have any advice for young designers, the best advice I could ever give to somebody is to work for someone else, when you are playing with someone else's money. It is very expensive when you start doing it on your own.

If I'm going to do something, I'm going to do it 110%, or there's no point in doing it at all, especially if the work takes me away from time with my husband and children.

The Euro-bureaucrats are destroying every bit of national identity and individuality.

I've been to parties in L.A. that are mind-blowing. I mean, quite literally mind-blowing. People get cellphones in the party bag, that sort of thing. Fabulous, fabulous parties.

I want to evolve each season. I never want to be one of those brands where people know what they're going to see. I always want an element of surprise. One thing I never want to do is copy what anybody else is doing. I have a signature, and it's very important to me to stay true to that.

I'm very realistic. I know my boundaries - I know what I'm good at and what I'm not good at.

I don't have any issues with my age.

You know, I love America. It's such a positive country.

I'm definitely a glass-is-always-half-full, not half-empty, kind of person. Which is why I love living in America.

Myself and David, we both love art. We have a lot of respect for Damien Hirst and Julian Schnabel, and we've met them both, and they're very interesting characters. I also have a lot of respect for the working women out there. As you know, it's not easy when you're looking after children and you have a career as well.

I think the sexiest thing about a woman is confidence, but confidence in a humble way, not in an arrogant way. Sense of humor is definitely important. And sunglasses always hide a multitude of sins. Sunglasses and a great pair of heels can turn most outfits around.

I don't know much about football. I know what a goal is, which is surely the main thing about football.

I think as I have got older, I have got a bit more relaxed, although you might not think that if you heard me screaming at my kids.

I've got great people who handle my schedule, and everything does revolve around the children. If there's a parents' night or an Easter bonnet parade or a Nativity play, whatever it might be, then I plan everything around that.

I'm not one of these people that needs to feel loved. I don't need to see my picture everywhere.

I actually used to smile a lot in pictures. I think I only stopped smiling when I got into fashion. Fashion stole my smile!

I'm still me even after all that's happened.

We are like a traveling circus, our family! We sing, we dance, we do football, we do fashion.

I have no time for women who don't support other women. It's the ultimate compliment when a woman tells you that you look good.

If you have a surreal life like I do, you've got to have fun along the way.

I was never going to give Mariah Carey any competition.

There's nothing wrong with constructive criticism, and I learn from that and better myself. I'm not expecting anyone to be sycophantic in any way; I never expected that.

I like to consider myself a relatively spiritual person, and I just do my thing. I'm very focused on what I do professionally, and I'm very focused on my family, and I don't really get too stressed out about what people say or what other people think.

It's great when women support women. We need more women out there supporting women.

I like to think of my customer and make sure that season after season she is getting what she wants. Ultimately, I suppose I have an image of myself. That is the person I am designing for - a woman who loves and appreciates fashion and luxury, and somebody who wants to feel empowered with the best version of themselves.

I can relax in L.A. I think I'm the only person in that town who doesn't want to act. I was an OK singer. I was an OK dancer. But acting? Never could do it.

Even if you're not being chased by paparazzi, there will be someone doing selfies, so everybody has to be camera-ready all the time. Whoever you are, everybody has to be ready now!

There are rumors that we want to move back to the U.K., but we're so happy in America I actually can't see us ever leaving... People ask me how long it took to adapt. Twenty minutes.

I'm not a supermodel. I make the best of what I've got.

Was music my talent really? No, I don't think I was particularly talented.

I've been in the public eye now for about 15 or 16 years, and I'm very aware that fame is not a given. I have to maintain it. It's not just something that will always be there. But I've always been a worker. I've never expected be given anything.

I love fashion, and that's how I express myself.

You have to remember that when you are a performer you become a celebrity, but you are not saving lives. It's not that important.

Antonio Berardi is one of my good friends.

I tell you, the paparazzi would not be sitting outside if they realized I was the most boring person in Hollywood.

My children and my husband make me smile. My work makes me smile.

The older you get, the more comfortable you become with yourself, and you accept what you have physically.

Contrary to rumor, sometimes I can be quite a laugh.

In England, David and I are big fish in a small pond. But in L.A., we are tiny, tiny, tiny fish in a big pond.

I love America. It's such a positive country.

My children are my priority and always have been.

I do like to make things difficult for myself and my team, just from taking on a challenge, if you like.