LAURA CRAIK: You would’ve anticipated Lady Starmer to maintain a low profile
Amid the pantheon of VIPs that have graced London Fashion Week, few have been as unexpected as Lady Starmer.
Her presence at Edeline Lee’s spring/summer 2025 show yesterday morning was almost as surprising as the appearance of the Queen, who in 2018 stunned the fashion industry by taking a front-row pew at Richard Quinn’s show.
While the late Queen’s appearance was a one-off to mark Quinn winning The Queen Elizabeth II Award For British Design, there was no such logic behind the presence of Lady Starmer.
Rather than appearing in any formal capacity, it seems that the Prime Minister’s wife simply wanted to show support for one of her favourite designers.
Canadian-British Lee studied at Central Saint Martins and worked at Alexander McQueen before launching her label in 2014. She uses fabrics that resist wrinkling so ‘women can function at a high level in the clothes’.
Amid the pantheon of VIPs that have graced London Fashion Week, few have been as unexpected as Lady Starmer
Lady Starmer saw fit to unleash a power move of her own on Monday. While her navy blue ‘Tammy’ jacket (£1,200) was off the peg, she teamed it with wide-legged trousers and matching pussy-bow blouse in a bold white and navy polka dot print, were variations of the same polka dot theme Lee showed on the runway
Lady Starmer at Edeline Lee at Millbank Tower during London Fashion Week on Monday
Lady Victoria’s presence at Edeline Lee’s spring/summer 2025 show yesterday morning was almost as surprising as the appearance of the Queen, who in 2018 stunned the fashion industry by taking a front-row pew at Richard Quinn’s show (pictured)
It’s an approach which has won her a legion of impressive fans, including the Princess of Wales and actresses Helen Mirren and Olivia Colman. Indeed Lady Starmer first wore Lee’s belted red ‘Dada’ dress (£1,200) to the Labour Party conference in October last year.
With her husband now in power, Lady Starmer saw fit to unleash a power move of her own yesterday. While her navy blue ‘Tammy’ jacket (£1,200) was off the peg, she teamed it with a look literally straight off the catwalk. Her wide-legged trousers and matching pussy-bow blouse in a bold white and navy polka dot print, were variations of the same polka dot theme Lee showed on the runway.
It’s certainly not unusual for a VIP guest to attend a fashion show wearing clothes that won’t be available to buy until the collection hits stores several months later. Celebrity guests are often gifted or loaned a designer’s clothes – a spokesman at Edeline Lee confirmed Lady Starmer was loaned yesterday’s outfit.
It’s a powerful marketing tool given that photographs of said guests will circulate online, driving publicity for the brand. It’s why designer Nensi Dojaka styled her front-row guests Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Dina Asher-Smith in her ultra revealing dresses at the weekend, and why Harris Reed did the same for guests Kate Beckinsale and Ellie Goulding last Thursday.
Being independently owned, British designers don’t have the marketing budgets enjoyed by luxury juggernauts such as Louis Vuitton (owned by LVMH) or Yves Saint Laurent (owned by Kering).
Rather than appearing in any formal capacity, it seems that the Prime Minister’s wife simply wanted to show support for one of her favourite designers (pictured: Lady Starmer (C) at Edeline Lee at Millbank Tower during London Fashion Week on Monday)
While Lady Starmer’s support of Lee is touching, its timing is surprising. Given Sir Keir is facing an investigation after failing to disclose that Labour donor Lord Alli paid for a personal shopper and clothes for his wife, many would have expected her to keep a low profile, rather than fan the flames.
Certainly, her presence was unanticipated: Rishi Sunak’s wife Akshata Murty never attended London Fashion Week, despite being passionate about fashion. Samantha Cameron was a regular attendee, but in her capacity as an ambassador for the British Fashion Council.
Whether Lady Starmer will take on a similar ambassadorial role remains to be seen. Until then, her support of British fashion may be informal but it’s still worth its weight in gold. Or polka dots.
