Posh v not-so-Posh: VERY different fashion boutiques ran by Victoria Beckham and her sister (2)

The neighbours

Round the corner from Buckingham Palace and The Ritz, Dover Street is home to a row of expensive clothing boutiques, art galleries and star-studded restaurants. Victoria’s shop, formerly a fishing supplier, is sandwiched between a Jimmy Choo shoe emporium and an antiques store.

Rent for the 7,000-sq ft space is said to be £267,000 a year.

Tempting wares

Silks, cashmere, buttery leather and delicate lace — the clothes from Victoria’s 2016 Spring/Summer collection are a feast for the eyes.

There is a rainbow of colours, and styles to suit all tastes, including floaty dresses, fitted blouses and faded denims.

I linger over a knitted black dress for £660, try not to laugh at the prospect of spending £720 on pyjamas and covertly run my fingers over a £325 crisp white shirt. All hang from golden chains and there are no more than three of each item, most in a teeny-tiny size six.

Price tags

Expect to pay £200 to £300 for a pair of trousers, £150 to £350 for a blouse and upwards of £800 for a dress. Her signature shopper bag, made from python skin, costs £1,850, while a pair of 18-carat gold-mirrored sunglasses are £625.

The price tags, made from thick card, are tucked inside the clothes rather than on display, meaning you can’t cast a subtle glance before trying them on.

Round the corner from Buckingham Palace and The Ritz, Dover Street is home to a row of expensive clothing boutiques, art galleries and star-studded restaurants

The floors are grey tile, the cabinets are all made from the same American walnut wood and everywhere you look there are mirrors

The most expensive item is a floor-length gown in green satin, costing £3,120, while the cheapest is a £150 card holder, handcrafted in Italy from calf skin and faux crocodile hide.

It’s just 9cm long — a staggering £16.60 per centimetre.

In the end, that’s all I end up buying.

Designer decor

Designed by trendy British architect Farshid Moussavi, it’s more like an art installation than a shop. The floors are grey tile, the cabinets are all made from the same American walnut wood and everywhere you look there are mirrors.

‘A lot of work has gone into making it look quite minimal,’ Victoria explained.

It’s certainly that. So cavernous, in fact, that my footsteps echo as I walk. The concrete staircase between the three storeys proves so tricky to navigate that surely only nimble-footed Louboutin-wearers will be able to make it out unscathed.

Said to be Victoria’s favourite area, the changing rooms are separated from the shop by a green glass wall

Creating ambience

The store’s signature scent comes from the £180 Feu du Bois candles by exclusive brand Diptyque dotted around the shop floor. I count at least £1,000 worth of burning wax.

There’s a chirpy pop soundtrack and several of the assistants are surreptitiously tapping their feet.

It’s not warm — I keep my coat and scarf on and still leave with numb hands.

Smiling staff

My reception is far less chilly. There are no fewer than six assistants, four male and two female, all young, trendy and impeccably dressed in black and white.

The 100 staff across the brand have been handpicked by Victoria and they’re friendly, knowledgeable and polite.

But this is not a place for browsing alone. I’m pounced upon near the door by an eager salesman, while another follows me upstairs and loiters at my heels.

If a shopper is deemed particularly special — I wasn’t — they’ll offer you a glass of Champagne.

Changing rooms

Said to be Victoria’s favourite area, the changing rooms are separated from the shop by a green glass wall.

Inside, they’re bigger than my kitchen — acres of soft grey carpet, flattering mirrors and a bench (chiselled from that same walnut again).

‘They are very, very generous,’ admits Victoria. ‘Whenever I’m shopping, I always have at least one child, and I need somewhere to put the shopping bags.’