Victoria Beckham: From style zero to fashion hero

It's 1997 and Victoria is starting to show her own unique sense of style. See how she's cleverly used a teddy bear hide to jazz up a simple velvet jacket Photograph: Dennis Stone/Rex Features

Yabba dabba doooooo! Victoria rocks the Flintstones look circa 1999 Photograph: Rex Features

Two become one, much like underwear becomes outerwear, in this shot from 2000 Photograph: Rex Features

In the words of Jarvis Cocker: lets all meet up in the year 2000. Or perhaps not, if this is what you're going to wear, Victoria. This leather bondage gear really does nothing for Posh's image Photograph: Owen Humphreys/Press Association

A year on and Victoria has become a fashion militant. See how she incites the crowd to do her bidding ... Photograph: Dave Jones/Press Association

White teeth show up really well against an orange background ... Photograph: MJ Kim/Press Association

We love this sophisticated look from 2003 ... Photograph: Giuseppe Cacace/Getty

... but then Victoria attends a Monaco fashion event in 2005, wearing what appears to be a turquoise and green handkerchief by Roberto Cavalli Photograph: Lionel Cironneau/AP

She's not just elongating her neck in this pic. She's also doing the Locomotion Photograph: Ronald Wittek/EPA

A vision in white in another Roberto Cavalli gown Photograph: Getty

A study in casual from 2006 Photograph: Claudio Onorati/EPA

Victoria disasterously tries to channel Janet and Michael Jackson. We love the blonde crop, though Photograph: MJ Kim/Getty

By 2007 Victoria has moved away from the shrieking Italian designers she once favoured (Versace and Gucci) but she still has a way to go. In this Roland Mouret dress the effect is less Audrey Hepburn and more Jackie Collins Photograph: Frazer Harrison/Getty

Back on stage in 2007 and, ye gods! It's back to square one in the style stakes. 'Fierce' is the word we'd apply to this look, and not in an 'America's Next Top Model' way Photograph: Luke MacGregor/Reuters

Sporty spice didn't forget her heels Photograph: Chris Pizzello/Reuters

We'd like to say that Victoria was attending a Halloween party as the Bride of Dracula. But she wasn't Photograph: Rex Features

Victoria really knows how to accessorise her outfits. In this picture from 2008, she wears a small child very well indeed Photograph: Getty

Snuggling up to David, here Victoria wears Roland Mouret again - this time with a sexy slicked-back hairdo Photograph: Rob Rich/Rex Features

Victoria wears Marc Jacobs and seems to have got rid of all that was Waggish about her. This dress suits her, rather than just showing off her bones or her riches Photograph: Rex Features