Rishi Sunak has become the new Conservative leader of the United Kingdom and will be the first British politician of Indian origin to serve as Prime Minister. He also the richest to exercise it. However, leaving aside just for a moment the chaotic path that has led him to Downing Street – he is its third tenant in the last six weeks – his origin or even his political agenda for the future of Great Britain, all eyes are on put on the suit and the shoes he wears.
Yesterday he appeared, after knowing his election, at the headquarters of the Conservative Party dressed as usual in him, with a spotless tailored suit in navy blue, high-end white shirt and blue tie to match the luxurious two-piece.
Sunak's wardrobe choices have drawn controversy and adoration in equal measure since he began his political career. The wardrobe of the new British Prime Minister is made up mainly of fitted suits, some tailored, others luxury, which cost around 3,000 euros, and can reach 5,000 euros. To this polished uniform, which he wears daily at public appearances and in Parliament, are added more relaxed but equally elegant pieces, such as cashmere sweatshirts, knitted jumpers and 500 euro shoes.
Why Sunak dresses with such poise and style is not a mystery. The 42-year-old politician comes from a wealthy family and his wife, Akshata Murty, is one of the richest women in the UK. In fact, Murty is a fashion designer and currently runs an environmentally conscious label focused on creating high-quality, stylish clothing with a slight nod to her Indian roots. Thus, family heritage and the very likely influence of a woman working in the high-end fashion industry have made Sunak the perfect example of the well-dressed man of a generation.
"Rishi Sunak seeks to project a classic and elegant image through a very conscious choice of clothing," explains Josué Pardo, CEO of VJ and expert in image consulting. In terms of tones, Sunak opts for sober colors, tones that he knows suit his complexion and complexion, such as all kinds of blues, gray or the classic combination of black and white. He understands that the image, and more in his charge, speaks of oneself and uses it in his favor without apparent effort.
“You can see that he knows how to dress well, he is aware of his image and wants to take care of it. The fact that he opts for luxury or high-end pieces seems in his case a natural choice for the cradle," says Pardo, who considers that if what Sunak was looking for was to appear or underline his multimillionaire facet, he would opt for pieces in which the signature or a logo will be quickly detected.
But the fact that he does not seek to appear does not mean that his wardrobe does not send a political message. His style is opposite to that of Boris Johnson, who wore dingy suits and poorly placed ties during his tenure, and also antagonistic to that of his adviser Dominic Cummings, capable of appearing with his shirt unpressed and poorly buttoned. Sunak's look is more reminiscent of figures like Barack Obama, always with a very polished and thoughtful image.
In the hubbub of tweets praising Sunak's style and those who call him a hypocrite when talking about the economic crisis dressed in a tailored suit, one written by the political correspondent and columnist for The Sunday Times Charlotte Ivers stood out referring to an image of Sunak in a shirt and tie under a gray cashmere sweatshirt: “Why is Rishi Sunak dressed like all the men I dated in college who now work for a super cool innovative tech start-up in East London?”
And it is that the new British prime minister is the image of the perfect son-in-law, the young man of premature success and the boy with a promising future who, in this case, arrives to bring order.
