Victoria Beckham has revealed her daughter Harper’s ‘really bad’ battle with acne has inspired the teen to launch her very own beauty brand.
The former Spice Girl, 51, whose own beauty and fashion business is worth a whopping £500million, explained the aspiring entrepreneur, 14, has been chomping at the bit to start up her own business ‘for years’.
The teen is said to be launching her debut beauty range aimed at Gen Z and Gen Alpha, inspired by South Korean cosmetics, this summer. Read the full story here.
Back in October it was revealed that the Beckhams had trademarked the name HIKU BY Harper, putting the steps in motion for the upcoming beauty line.
During an appearance on the Aspire with Emma Grede podcast, Victoria opened up about her daughter’s budding business for the first time: ‘She came to me two or three years ago and she was really struggling with her skin.
‘She used to have beautiful skin, but like all young girls she was enticed by beauty brands and she was putting a lot of product on her face that was not suitable for her skin and consequently ended up going to see a dermatologist because her skin was really, really bad.’
Victoria detailed her own battles with acne and said she could relate to her daughter’s struggles: ‘[Harper] said “I want to create a brand because I know what I want and I don’t want other people to have to go through what I have been through”‘.
Victoria said the ambitious teen even approached her with PowerPoint presentations in the early stages of getting her beauty line off the ground.
‘One [PowerPoint] about this brand that she wanted to create because she was struggling with her skin’, she said. ‘And the other one was a reason as to why I should let her have a perm’.
Victoria Beckham, 51, has revealed her daughter Harper’s ‘really bad’ battle with acne has inspired the teen, 14, to launch her very own beauty brand
Victoria added: ‘I’m so proud of all my children, but you know Harper is very ambitious, she’s very appropriate but I don’t know what I expected to be honest.
‘I mean, she’s been sitting on my lap taking part in beauty development meetings ever since she was little.’
The business-savvy family have long protected the rights to their children’s names, with Victoria famously registering Harper’s name for use in a range of branded products, including make-up, toys and clothing when she was just five years old.
At the time, an intellectual property expert said it was unprecedented to trademark a child’s name because the move is usually reserved for those who are already celebrities.
Oliver Bray, a partner at international law firm RPC, told the Daily Mail: ‘It normally happens when your career is getting going and a lawyer says, “Let’s get some protection in place.”
‘As opposed to the future-proofing which is what Victoria Beckham has done with her children.
‘It may be a sign of the times with social media and the whole way in which celebrities are exploited.
‘In order to give you more levers to control your image, a trademark is an obvious place to go and it might be that society is driving the Beckhams to use these levers to protect their children in this more manipulative world in which we live.
‘But from another point of view, you could call it savvy and looking to the future.’
Harper joined her fashion designer mother Victoria on a work trip in New York City last month.
Already looking to follow in her footsteps, the teen spent the day watching behind-the-scenes while Victoria took centre stage.
As the only daughter of Victoria and David, Harper may eventually take over her mum’s beauty and fashion empire one day.
Harper has become increasingly visible on her mother’s Instagram posting makeup tutorials and TikTok dances, and last year even launched her own account.
Victoria even previously joked that Harper will either become a beauty mogul or a stand-up comedian, saying her daughter is ‘hilarious’.
Harper has often emulated her famous mother by featuring in beauty tutorials on Victoria’s Instagram platform.
Victoria will be on hand to offer tips and advice on beauty after her own successful line helped save her ailing fashion business.
The Beckham matriarch’s fashion label had been in the red since launching in 2008, but in 2023 fortunes turned around thanks to her $40 eyeliner.
Last year, Harper made her public speaking debut when she presented her mother with a prestigious award for entrepreneurship at Harper’s Bazaar’s annual Women of the Year event.
She said: ‘I’m so nervous. Especially as tonight’s a school night. Hopefully, this isn’t going to get me in trouble.
‘My amazing mummy has built an incredible business from the ground up and has shown me the value of working hard.
‘But above all, she’s taught me to always be kind and, even though she has a million things to do, she rarely misses school.’
