It’s been an eventful year for celebrities’ kids. From Gigi Hadid’s mock-mourning for BFFs Kim and Kourtney Kardashian to the Elle MacLeman-instigated split from Jagger, and now this.
Vicky, the only child of English singer-songwriter and guitarist, Simon, and designer, Veronica Corbett, is one of the latest A-listers to be discovered by the public hanging out with a mobile phone camera.
Last week, Vicky shared photos from her ‘gram on Instagram. One of the highlights is a snap of her posing with a dog. While the pooch is a lovely addition to the picture, it’s the background that makes this photo so interesting. Fans may recall that a few weeks before, the 26-year-old had posted a similar image with the legendarily moody Cooperington, her Jack Russell terrier, on the backdrop of a thundercloud.
The artist formerly known as the ‘Princess of Park Avenue’ is now living her best life in the southern hemisphere. After previously spending some time in Paris, she moved to Sydney last year and launched her own line of clothing, Vicky Pattinson. In September, she became a proud owner of a Jack Russell terrier. Her choice in breed is interesting – it’s the same as Michael Buble’s and Nicole Kidman’s.’What do you think?’, the proud pup’s caption reads.
The public has taken a shine to Vicky and her canine companion. With over 500,000 followers on Instagram, the fashion blogger and influencer has achieved superstar status. Thanks to her candid Insta-stories and her dog’s uncanny resemblance to a human, the pup’s Instagram following has now reached 1.7 million. Her fans can live vicariously through her adventures as a professional ballerina and model. They may also enjoy watching her train the pup. The Instagrammers’ paradise has amassed nearly 300 million views.
While the spotlight may be turning to Vicky’s new pup, it appears some of her old friends are moving on too. Only last week, she deleted her Instagram account and switched to a new handle with a nostalgic ‘gram. In that same week, her father, Simon, also decided to delete his account. He hasn’t been seen in public since November 2019.
Their decisions come after months of speculation. In late November, Vicky sparked speculation that her father was battling cancer when she shared an image of him holding a guitar, writing, ‘My father has been keeping a secret for a while. I hope you’ll forgive him for keeping it but he’d like me to share that he is holding a guitar and that he is playing and sounding better than he has in years. He has a new album in the works and is focusing on his music. This year has been amazing.’
She followed up by sharing another picture of him with a guitar in his hands. On his Instagram, Simon wrote: ‘The past year has been incredible. I’ve been working hard on new music and have loved every minute of it. Thanks to everyone who’s supported me along the way. I’m looking forward to what the future holds. Love you all.’
In the wake of his daughter’s plea for privacy, Simon removed all traces of his social media activity. His account is now private and all of his photos have been changed to black squares. While his decision to delete his account may be due to his illness, his decision to keep his guitar as a memento is most likely to have been inspired by his daughter.
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Although Vicky may be enjoying her newfound fame, it hasn’t been without its challenges. The fashion influencer has received some nasty comments from trolls, obsessed with her looks and fame. She has also battled with depression, which she revealed in an Instagram post in June this year. She wrote: ‘I’ve been really lucky. I’ve always been surrounded by supportive people who’ve helped me to stay positive. I’ve been through a lot this year but I’m actually feeling okay. I still get down but I’m working through it. I have so much respect for anyone who’s battled with depression as I have, especially as a fashion influencer. There’s a nasty element out there who just want to bring you down but if you keep your head up high and continue to work hard, you can achieve so much.’
And she might just be right. While she enjoys some success, much of which she attributes to her incredible looks, being a style icon doesn’t automatically mean you’ll be happy all the time. As we’ve established, she has received some pretty nasty comments from trolls, so it’s entirely possible that she’s not having an altogether positive experience. In fact, there’s no way of knowing what life in the spotlight is like without experiencing it yourself.
Best Work
Now that we know more about Vicky, we can see that some of her best work is yet to come. While many of her old friends are moving on to other pastimes, Vicky’s ‘gram is evidence that she’s already achieved so much. For years, she’s been hiding behind her camera but now that she’s confident enough to show her work, we can see that she’s a stylist first and foremost.
The British fashion influencer has built a brand for herself, gaining a reputation for dressing stars and influencers. In September 2019, she signed a deal with IMG Models worth an initial £10,000 and a potential £125,000 a year to stock her fashion line. According to the fashion trade paper, Vogue, ‘She has previously turned down numerous offers from brands and designers, choosing to build a business that she can own and control. So far, she has dressed A-list celebs including Gigi Hadid, Cara Delevingne, Sienna Miller, Emily Blunt and more recently, Megan Markle. Many of those clothes have been worn on the red carpet or for high-profile party photos and have led to numerous lucrative business offers.’
It’s clear that Vicky is putting her fashion degree to good use. She is able to source the most luxurious fabrics and designs, making each item distinctive and of-course-identifiable.
The entrepreneur may also enjoy the creative process. Thanks to her fashion background, she is able to develop unique product lines that she can ply her trade on. So while she’ll be knocking out some serious cash, she may also be doing so because she loves what she does.
Worst Work
While we’re on the subject of work, it’s important to remember that not all of Vicky’s projects are a success. Much like her old friend Emily Blunt, she has experienced difficulties in the past, specifically when it comes to her fashion line. Back in 2018, Emily Blunt’s stylist, Sandy Bickerton, spoke to Vogue about the difficulties that the actress, as well as other stars, experienced with Vicky’s designs. Bickerton said: ‘[Vicky’s] dresses were always a bit of a disaster. Usually we’d have to go into emergency backup mode immediately after she’d finished shooting. I remember one glamorous party where there were like 20 dresses, and we only had six assistants because we kept fiddling with the other ones. I think she could do so much better if she knew what she was doing. She’s got such a good eye but she doesn’t always use her head. She’ll do something really cool and it’ll turn out cool and she’ll be really proud of it, but then it’ll actually be quite boring once you start to see other people doing the same thing. So it’s not always the case that the cool thing she does is the best thing she can do.’
The fashion industry is a competitive one and it’s only natural that some designers, photographers and models would bemoan her success. While it’s probably good that she’s now in the public eye, it doesn’t mean that everyone will love her. There’s a reason why she hasn’t signed with any of the major agencies – she doesn’t need to. Thanks to her digital footprint, she is able to build a brand and connect with future clients directly. According to Business Insider, her independence may also be the reason why she can still command such high prices in her line.
Despite the difficulties, Vicky perseveres. As well as continuing to work with some of the biggest names in film and fashion, she has also been busy developing new projects. In January this year, she announced the formation of a design firm with her sister, Sienna. The pair have previously collaborated on their fashion line, while Sienna has also modelled for Vicky. In the coming months, they plan to launch a range of homewares and decoration products that will be compatible with smartphones.