Ever since Rishi Sunak entered the public eye, there has been chatter around his rather specific (and notably plush) Prime Ministerial style. From recent mockery surrounding the length of his trousers, to heated debates over his £3,500 suits and Prada shoes, Sunak’s sartorial efforts are under constant scrutiny.
Less so are the efforts of his tech mogul wife, Akshata Murty, who tends to play it safe with her style, opting for a slew of floral dresses or colour-block dressing that manages to fly under the radar. Elegant, and not likely to misstep, but never making headlines, either. But Sunak was finally upstaged this weekend when Murty accompanied him to Balmoral, in Aberdeenshire, to spend some time with King Charles III and Queen Camilla as they enjoyed their annual holiday in Scotland.
Attending a service at Crathie Kirk, a nearby parish church, Murty emerged from the government Range Rover in a plume of colour: she wore a vivid jade green coat, paired with a latte-coloured, wide-brimmed hat, which featured an orange velvet central band and matched her tan pointed-toe pumps. All in all, the colourful and well-tailored look was not too dissimilar to that which you might expect to see on another royal: the Princess of Wales. Clearly, Murty was dressing for the part.
In fact, Murty’s £1,295 coat was designed by Claire Mischevani, a favourite of Kate’s sister, Pippa Middleton. For the coronation earlier this year, the younger Middleton daughter brightened up the dreary British weather by donning a butter-yellow Claire Mischevani suit dress and matching hat.
She was kept in good company by none other than — you guessed it — Akshata Murty, who was also channelling the non-existent sunshine in a baby blue jacquard Claire Mischevani dress of her own.
The appearance of Mischevani’s work on both women led to a surge in demand for the designer’s dresses, prompting Mischevani to run out of fabric and temporarily halt sales of her designs due to the unprecedented peak in interest.
If Murty’s latest appearance in a Claire Mischevani creation poses the same risk, let’s hope the designer has got that jade fabric ready, because she’s going to need plenty of it.
In other looks from the service, photographers and parishioners witnessed King Charles III wearing the traditional Scottish Highland dress — a tartan kilt, paired with a tweed blazer, waistcoat, kilt hose and sporran pouch — as he emerged from the Church service positively beaming.
Accompanying the King was Queen Camilla, wearing a reserved forest green suit jacket and matching skirt, with tartan detailing on the pockets and lapels. Also matching was her oval fascinator, which featured a colourful feather at its brim.
Murty’s husband, Rishi, looked his typical Prime Ministerial self, in a high shine navy-grey suit with a sky blue tie. Bread and butter stuff. This time, Sunak’s outfit was the last thing people were talking about.
