David Beckham’s Paris appearance prompts talk of a ‘clapback costume’

It’s been over a week since “Beckxit” and, amid a family fallout that began with Brooklyn Beckham’s social-media post, David Beckham turned up in Paris on Monday to accompany Victoria Beckham as she became a knight of the Order of Arts and Letters, prompting discussion that his outfit was a deliberate statement.

The remaining Beckhams and their partners flew in for Paris fashion week and presented a demure, matchy-matchy “united front.” David arrived at La Réserve Paris carrying a capacious tan canvas Hermès Haut à Courroie bag and wearing a Momotaro jacket made from indigo-dyed sashiko dobby fabric — sashiko being a form of visible mending that literally translates as “little stabs.” Commentators offered different readings of the look.

Andy Milligan, brand consultant and author of Brand It Like Beckham, said “[the jacket] could be deliberate,” adding that for brands “how you appear — your costume, your demeanour, the way you comport yourself — is critically important.” The piece also notes that Beckham has long been managed as a public brand and that image remains central in an age of social media and AI.

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