Rishi Sunak’s wife Akshata Murty branded Britain’s ‘best dressed’ for these iconic looks (Image: Getty)
Akshata Murty has outranked royal names including Princess Beatrice and her husband, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi in the 2023 Best Dressed.
Compiled by Tatler Magazine, the comprehensive ranking of stylish Britons saw the PM’s wife compared to none other than Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, (“Jackie O”), the former First Lady of the United States.
While 43-year-old Akshata is best known as a businesswoman, her trendy wardrobe comes as no surprise considering her work as a fashion designer.
The mother-of-two attended the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising in Los Angeles, California, and subsequently started her fashion label Akshata Designs.
Since her husband of 14 years, Rishi, became Prime Minister last year, Akshata has served an array of bold looks while out in public. Express.co.uk takes a look at some of the most iconic styles that led her to the title of “Britain’s best dressed”.
READ MORE: Princess Kate’s ‘bold’ style technique is the key to her faux ‘co-ord looks’
Rishi’s wife turned heads in a blue number by Claire Mischevsni at the Coronation (Image: Getty)
Praised by Tatler Magazine for her “diplomatic decadence” and “21st-century glamour”, the fashion designer has turned her attention to cult classic labels since moving to Downing Street.
The Number 11 resident favours brands like ME+EM, which is loved by style icons including Kate, Princess of Wales, and her royal relative Princess Beatrice.
Ganni and Claire Mischevani are other trademark labels worn by Akshata, the latter of which she wore to the coronation of King Charles and Queen Camilla.
Despite being in the company of some of the world’s most famous faces, the PM’s wife captured the attention of audiences when she arrived at Westminster Abbey wearing the ‘Alexandra’ Dress by Claire Mischevsni.
Akshata teamed a coach bag with a sari-style dress in 2022 a (Image: Getty)
Priced at £495, the dress featured a soft A-line skirt that “flows effortlessly with every step you take”, according to the official Claire Mischevsni website.
The belted in the mid-section highlighted Akshata’s small waist, while the gathered sleeves and round neckline gave it a smart, boxy shape to balance her silhouette.
Channelling her inner royal, the petite 43-year-old teamed the eye-catching dress with black heeled court shoes, a compact black clutch bag and a floral fascinator to complete her swept-back hairstyle.
While the occasion dress was one of Akshata’s most sophisticated outfits, she is also known for less conventional looks that combine heritage pieces with designer garments.
Speaking to Vogue India in 2011, the fashion designer said: “It’s as cool to hang an original Gond painting in a New York penthouse as it is to own a creation by an established artist. I apply that same logic to clothing: Why not wear a hip summer frock inspired by cave paintings in India and team it with a Marc Jacobs scarf?”
Akshata is known to opt for bright trouser and blouse co-ords for day-to-day wear (Image: GETTY)
For day-to-day wear, Akshata is much like Princess Kate in that she opts for smart trousers and blouse co-ord over elaborate dresses. On several occasions, she has stepped out alongside PM Rishi Sunak in bold shades of pink, green, blue and red.
Her daring outfits break conventional fashion rules in their colour pairings, but the forward-thinking designer makes it work with her stylish eye.
The patriotic outfit worn by Akshata for the coronation tea party at Downing Street consisted of an £85 Boden Embroidered Relaxed Shirt by Next and a pair of tango red tailored trousers. She teamed the look with a pair of flat, blue brogues for the casual occasion.
She donned a very similar look in Japan while attending the G7 Summit with Rishi when she was pictured stepping off the plane in smart green trousers and a vibrant pink sweater.
The designer experimented with the silhouettes on this occasion, though both looks were equally as bold and flattering on her petite frame and complexion.
Akshata’s dress was inspired by vintage patterns (Image: Getty)
Clearly unafraid of out-there prints and colours, Akshata is no stranger to a patterned dress. While her predecessors like Samantha Cameron and Carrie Johnson would opt for plain styles for official engagements, the 43-year-old favours more striking garments.
On meeting First Lady Jill Biden of the United States, Rishi’s wife beamed in a high-neck blue chiffon dress complete with two contrasting patterns. The £325 ‘Kerrie’ dress by Rixo is described on the website as a “sixties-inspired roll collar and high-low hem” vintage garment.
The brand is renowned for its clashing, hand-painted prints, which in this case, included a “squiggle-printed checkerboard and Alpine Blue Starlet”.
