Louis Vuitton and Monsoon are not the most obvious bedfellows. But there they were yesterday, sharing space on the same stage, during the official opening of the G7 summit, in Evian, eastern France.
To clarify, I’m talking about the choice of dresses worn by Brigitte Macron, the wife of French president Emmanuel Macron, and Victoria Starmer, the wife of British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. Together, they expressed two very different approaches to dressing for the public eye.
Mrs Macron’s outfit was no great surprise. She has a longstanding relationship with the Louis Vuitton brand, and its artistic director of women collections, Nicolas Ghesquière. This particular look features a white boxy jacket and matching skirt with a black stripe motif in her favoured just-above-the-knee length.
It’s polished and professional, exercising soft diplomacy by championing the finest in French fashion design, from a brand that is part of one of France’s most successful conglomerates, LVMH.
Lady Starmer chose a different tack, opting for a viscose and linen-blend design by Tallulah & Hope, a sustainable and ethical British label stocked at Monsoon.
It works with artists in Jaipur, and a family-run factory in Mumbai which prioritises fair pay and a safe working environment. The dress, which originally cost £255, is now out of stock.
Tallulah & Hope, which is stocked in Monsoon, produces clothes in a factory in Mumbai which prioritises fair pay – Isabel Infantes
The message in the Tallulah & Hope dress is commendable: ethical, sustainable and showing that independent British fashion doesn’t need to cost the Earth.
Her choice illustrates that she isn’t overtly bothered by designer tags, and showcases our brilliant high street, which provides access to great fashion at fair prices.
It’s easy to see Lady Starmer’s reasoning: after the free clothes debacle of 2024, she has been treading very carefully with her choice of brands, keeping them firmly in the high street sphere. There’s a lot of heat on her husband right now, and she’s clearly reading the room.
All the same, for personal stylist Bella Hignett, it wasn’t the best choice for the occasion. “I work with a few female MPs and I would not have suggested this for the G7, whether they were Green, Liberal, Tory or Labour,” she says.
“Lady Starmer’s look reeks of mediocrity. I would have elevated the Monsoon dress at the very least and changed the belt. The sleeves are too long, and she needed a silver clutch to match the shoes so her arms aren’t just hanging. It’s a dress for a summer barbecue in my opinion, not a world stage.”
According to personal stylist Bella Hignett, Lady Starmer should have at the very least ‘elevated’ the dress – Reuters
It is fair to say that nobody really takes issue with the cost or look of Madame Macron’s outfits these days, because she is so consistent. That they are expensive is old news. It has become expected and unremarkable of the French First Lady.
Lady Starmer’s outfit choices, meanwhile, continue to come under more scrutiny. She looked the part when she wore Edeline Lee and Me+Em at the start of her husband’s term as Prime Minister. But in the months since it emerged that the couple had received thousands of pounds worth of free clothes from a Labour peer, she has generally kept her outfits more low-key, and low-cost.
Victoria Starmer in polka-dot Edeline Lee at Millbank Tower during London Fashion Week in September 2024, prior to controversy over clothing donations – Neil Mockford
At the time, now-Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy said that the couple had accepted donations so they could “look their best” when representing the UK.
Lady Starmer is trying to not make headlines for the wrong reasons, and I can appreciate that. In wearing high street clothes, she’s relatable.
But even the most self-assured dresser should consult a stylist for a high-profile situation. Lady Starmer could do with someone who can look at the wider context, dress code and practicalities of the occasion.
Hignett has a few alternative suggestions: “I think for an occasion such as this, I would have borrowed a dress for Lady Starmer from Alexander McQueen, Stella McCartney or Burberry.
“There is a time and a place to really look the part, particularly now, and I think Lady Starmer should have stepped it up.”