Shirtless Becks in Milan

Milan Fashion Week is happening, and David Beckham is thirst-trapping from his hotel balcony.

This is a man who knows what the people want, and what the people want is shirtless Becks. Or maybe Bond villain Becks? He turned up to the BOSS runway show looking like he has James Bond tied up back in his villa.

I know that with the dual docu-series focusing on David and Victoria, we’re reevaluating their place in pop culture—and how they’ve been treated by the media—but I also think there is something so timeless about David Beckham taking his shirt off for the people. Becks knows how to serve his audience, and however much classier he (and Victoria) is perceived as being today, he’s never lost sight of what matters (shirtlessness). 

Part of the Beckham upscale is undoubtedly their entrenchment with high fashion. Victoria, of course, has her own label which has outlasted all haters and become profitable. David, meanwhile, just launched his second collection for Beckham x BOSS. The reviews are good, and the clothes look good, too. When I think of Victoria’s designs, I think clean, structured, sharp (like Stella McCartney but with better tailoring), modern designs for modern women. David seems to be leaning in a more classic direction, with traditional pieces with a relaxed flair (I like that suede jacket a LOT). 

In both cases, though, the have affiliated themselves with quality. Victoria never gave up on couture, no matter how nasty the press was to her, and David is now collaborating with Hugo Boss. This is the part of the Beckham brand that I think we should highlight more. They survived the unrelenting trashiness of millennial tabloid culture to become synonymous with contemporary British style. And shirtlessness. David will never let us down when it comes to shirtless selfies. However vast his riches, he remains a man of the people. A shirtless man of the thirsty people.