Xtreme Vogue London Desk: Sarah Marshal
Akshata Murty, wife of prime minister Rishi Sunak, has been given the top spot as one of the best dressed people in Britain for 2023.
The businesswoman and designer, 43, claimed the number one position on Tatler magazine’s best dressed list, alongside Princess Beatrice’s husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi and Love Actually star Bill Nighy.
Murty, who is the daughter of Indian billionaire and founder of Infosys NR Narayana Murthy, made headlines this year when she stepped out in £570 slippers from JW Anderson for the school run. She also became known for her “quiet luxury” style, also known as “stealth wealth”, having been seen in Gucci trainers that cost £445 and a leather skirt worth more than £1,000.
However, after both she and Sunak faced some criticism for donning designer labels (the prime minister was mocked for wearing a £3,500 suit and £490 Prada shoes to campaign in Teesside last July) Murty has since swapped her lavish wardrobe for more accessible brands, many of them British.
In May, during the couple’s visit to the G7 summit in Japan, she stepped out in clothes from Joseph, Strethberry, Me+Em, and Chinti & Parker, most of them retailing under £1,000.
Chandler Tregaskes, style editor for Tatler, said: “The coveted number one spot in Tatler’s best dressed list belongs to the chatelaine of Downing Street, Akshata Murty.
“Her stream of ‘It’ ensembles would have given Jackie Kennedy a run for her money. Though she lacks the pillbox hats and layered pearls of yore, Mrs Sunak is a shining example of modern-day diplomatically decadent dressing that steals the show.”
Murty attended the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles and later launched her own fashion label, Akshata Designs.
Since her husband became prime minister last year, she has greeted prominent individuals in an array of elegant outfits, including a purple flower patterned dress to attend news publishers Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch’s annual party in June.
For the coronation ceremony of King Charles III in May, she wore a pale blue embroidered dress with a black fascinator. Another memorable outfit was a blue-and-white dress with mosaic-like patterns to greet US first lady Jill Biden, who dressed in solid pink.
Murty also made an appearance on Tatler’s Social Power Index for 2023, which was topped by King Charles III and Queen Camilla, as well as Sunak.
Others included on the magazine’s fashion list include former chief executive of the Serpentine Galleries Yana Peel, opera singer Danielle de Niese, and the Marchioness of Cholmondeley.
Previous mentions on the list included the late Queen Elizabeth II, the Princess of Wales, the Duchess of Sussex, human rights lawyer Amal Clooney, fashion designer Stella McCartney, and pop stars Dua Lipa and Harry Styles.
The full list is available in the September issue of Tatler via digital download and on newsstands from Thursday 3 August.
