Victoria Beckham Prefers Fashion To Pop Stardom

While she rose to stardom first as a Spice Girl and then as the wife of David Beckham, Victoria Beckham wants to be known for her designs, not for her songs or her spouse.

"People I respect complimenting me on my work in fashion is more exciting to me than anything I ever achieved as a Spice Girl," she told Marie Claire. "I am now competing in an arena where I can hold my head high." And although her announcement that she was going to become a fashion designer raised a few eyebrows, she doesn't seem to care what people think. "I have always loved fashion since I was a kid and customized my school uniforms. This line has been a lifetime in the making," she said.

Although she's certainly known to be a trend-setter, Beckham, 36, insists that she is more interested in following her own tastes. "I’m not worried about what’s in fashion, what’s not in fashion, what are the colors of the season. I go with my gut instinct because every time I haven’t it’s been a mistake," she said. She's more secure in her most recent occupation than she ever was as a pop star. "I was never going to give Mariah Carey any competition," she said. And, unlike most of Los Angeles, she doesn't want to be on the big screen, either. "I think I'm the only person in that town who doesn't want to act," she said. "Never could do it.

Despite recent allegations that husband David cheated on her, Beckham had nothing to say on the matter. "We’re soul mates," she said. –AMY LEE