As 15-year-old Harper Beckham looks set to launch her own empire, the Mirror takes a look inside the battle of the Beckham trademark, including Harper’s telling new brand name
At just 15-years-old, Harper Beckham is already following in her mother’s footsteps as she gears up to launch her very own beauty empire – but it’s not been without its hurdles.
Away from the bitter Brooklyn feud with that’s left her distraught, the youngest Beckham child has been building a skincare brand which is set to launch next year.
Documents seen by the Mirror show that Harlo by Harper was filed for trademark registration on July 8, 2026. Interestingly, the name Beckham, arguably one of the most enduring brands in recent decades, is nowhere to be seen in the marketing plans.
It’s thought that the decision to not use Beckham in the brand name is a way to protect Harper from the pressures that Brooklyn has suffered. Andy Barr, Head of Brand Communications at Season One Comms, tells the Mirror: “I think it is a definite step to try and move away from the Beckham brand.
“We’re living in a society where nepo babies are quite often criticised, rightly and wrongly, so I think they’ll have had one eye on that, and they’re thinking about how they can give enough distance between her and Brand Beckham to enable her to have a bit of creative and commercial freedom.”
While young Harper is still very much in the family fold, it’s inevitable that comparisons will be drawn here to her eldest brother, Brooklyn, who has been attempting to carve out his own path after publicly distancing himself from his parents and siblings.
In a bombshell Instagram statement released in January, the 27-year-old made a number of startling accusations against his family, claiming his parents had tried “endlessly to ruin” his relationship with his now-wife, Nicola Peltz.
Brooklyn, who tried his hand at modelling and photography before turning to cooking, told followers: “I do not want to reconcile with my family. I’m not being controlled, I’m standing up for myself for the first time in my life.”
Unfortunately for Brooklyn, breaking away from the shadow of his family tree is easier said than done. The hot sauce entrepreneur’s name was trademarked by mum Victoria Beckham ten years ago, back when he was still a teenager.
Earlier this month, it was reported that the Intellectual Property Office had notified Victoria that the trademark was up for renewal, with the former Spice Girl receiving a letter in June.
But there may be more to the saga than it seems. A source told The Sun: “The original application was just a formality. Brooklyn has had control of his trademark since he turned 18. The paperwork is renewed periodically, but it was only ever in the name of his parents because it was taken out when he was a minor.”
In April 2017, BBC News reported that Victoria had trademarked the names of her four children with intellectual property authorities in Britain and Europe, allowing the release of branded products while protecting the Beckham name from unauthorised use by others.
She and her football legend husband, David Beckham, had previously trademarked their names in 2002 and 2000, respectively. PR expert Andy explains: “It is fairly common for celebrities to try and trademark their children’s names and their own names, but usually it’s with limited success.”
While trademarks with kids can get messy, it makes perfect sense that a brand as colossal as the one David and Victoria have built would require dynastic protections.
Andy says: “The Beckhams are famously protective of their brand, quite rightly. I think he’s been outed recently as potentially the celebrity who earned the most from the World Cup.
“So, you can understand why a celebrity family of that status and of that financial clout would want to protect their brand. I think celebrities do it because, whilst they’re in the public eye, they do crave a certain element of privacy and security.
“They recognise quite often that they have a limited shelf life in their fame and financial clout, so trying to protect that image and trademark is vital.”
Unfortunately, for ‘nepo-babies’ who attempt to go it alone, there can be pitfalls, especially when overshadowed by a Titan such as Brand Beckham.
Andy warns: “If [Brooklyn] were able to wrestle his brand away from the Beckham estate, he would see that as a psychological victory. But to the Beckhams, he carries nowhere near the financial clout that their actual name does.
“I know that Brooklyn gets paid millions here and there randomly from brands, but they very rarely go back to him, which shows you that really he doesn’t have the clout that he thinks he does, whereas brands repeatedly go back to David and Victoria to keep renewing their deals because they deliver.”
Andy also believes that Brooklyn is at risk of damaging his brand with his ongoing family feud, describing him as being “in almost a crisis comms mode.”
The expert says: “He needs to take some time out of the spotlight before then plotting how his return will come back, and that would typically be through a big, hard-hitting interview. But we all hope that there is some sort of coming together as a family, because nobody likes this playing out publicly.”
Even those from famous families who do play by the rules can still get burned in the sticky business of trademarks. Back in May, it was reported that, although Harper had managed to get UK approval for the brand name Hiku By Harper, the US Patent and Trademark Office gave an “initial refusal” due to the “likelihood of confusion” with existing businesses.
The Sun reported at the time that this was because ‘Harper’ had already been trademarked for brooms and scrubbing brushes, while “Haiku” was already registered for fragrance and toiletry products.
Harper, who had been working on her brand for over a year at that point, had to change tack, and so, Harlo by Harper was born.
It’s understood that Harper’s upcoming range, marketed to fellow teens, is very close to her heart, with the aim of helping young skin ruined by products intended for older consumers.
This trademark is listed for cosmetics, including perfumes, toilet waters, shaving preparations, hair care, skin care preparations, nail care, make-up, and acne medications, as well as online retail stores.
Speaking earlier this year, proud mum Victoria spoke candidly about Harper’s struggles with her own skin, after becoming “enticed by beauty brands”.
Victoria, 52, shared: “She was putting a lot of product on her face that was not suitable for her skin and consequently ended up going to see a dermatologist because her skin was really, really bad.”
Revealing that driven Harper had put together a PowerPoint presentation about launching a skincare brand, Victoria added: “She’s a little entrepreneur herself, and I love the fact she looks up to what I do.”
Considering Harper’s future endeavours, Andy says: “It looks like there is a brand being built, and if it’s half as successful, or a quarter as successful as Victoria and David, it will go on to do well.
“I think in her case, the brand advice would be to lean into your family roots, but don’t commit fully. Make sure that you create your own path.”
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