GEORGE V MAGAZINE
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It may have been Lady Starmer’s LFW debut, but it was far from the first time that the new doyenne of Downing Street has made a splash with her clothing. When she and her husband arrived at Number 10 this summer after a landmark Labour victory, all eyes were on Victoria’s ME+EM dress: at £275, made in Britain and in a politically astute shade of red, it was a masterful choice.
Since then, Victoria Starmer has appeared in a number of looks that perfectly straddle the divide between covetable and relatable, while making sure she patronages British designers (like her favourite ME+EM, as well as Needle and Thread) along the way. It’s not an easy tightrope to walk – but it would appear that Victoria has had help navigating the choppy sartorial waters of the world stage.
It was recently revealed that Lord Alli, a Labour peer, paid for clothes and alterations for both the Starmers, which has caused something of a scandal – as the prime minister failed to disclose this in his register of interests, which constitutes a breach of parliamentary rules. Alli is also said to have forked out for an unnamed personal shopper for Victoria, who is no doubt behind some of the spot-on style statements she has made over the last few months.
But who is this mystery shopper? Rumour has it that helping the new first lady is one Rebecca Clouston, a 58-year-old wardrobing maestro from London. She’s renowned for her discretion – and has politely declined to give comment to the various newspapers who have asked her for quotes – but her work, in many ways, speaks for itself.
‘Rebecca really makes an effort to know and understand the needs of each individual client she is dressing,’ Barbara Horspool, the former clothing director at The White Company, told The Telegraph. ‘She is strong minded and quick – she knows what will and won’t work for someone… She knows how far to push people out of their comfort zone. She’s very human. I like that about her, she’s not some crazy fashion stylist – she listens to people’s requirements with sensitivity.’
Clouston is known in fashion circles for her diligence, and her unique knack for balancing practicality with a dose of glamour. It’s why you’ll see Starmer in a sequin-bedecked gown when it’s appropriate – for a state banquet at Buckingham Palace, say – but in more understated garb for a trip to the polling station. The low-heeled, Russell and Bromley silver slingbacks she wore to enter Downing Street for the first time? They were classic Clouston.
No wonder the stylist has built up a client base that includes high-profile public figures, as well as business executives who rave about her services on LinkedIn (not, mind you, that she would ever reveal details herself). ‘I work closely with my clients’ image identity to create effortless style and confidence,’ Clouston says on her website, adding that her aim is to ‘build a capsule wardrobe of foundation pieces for my clients, adding in season highlights to create interchangeable outfits to suit every lifestyle’. She’ll start by taking those she advises to Selfridges, plus a few smaller boutiques, and says that a half or full day of shopping ‘delivers a customised, stylish and wearable wardrobe’.
Before she hits the shops with her clients, however, Clouston likes to deep dive into her customers’ needs and lifestyles – to understand their aspirations and fashion turn-offs. ‘I begin my process with a private consultation of up to three hours to get to know you better,’ she describes. ‘Ideally this takes place in your home with access to your wardrobe and is an important step in order to understand your lifestyle and image goals. I work closely with you to reach our mutual objective of effortless style and improved confidence.’
Where Clouston clearly excels is in choosing the kind of frocks that earn approving nods from fashion editors, but that don’t make Starmer appear out-of-touch to voters, either. ‘Fashion can be very playful and fun,’ says Horspool, ‘but what Rebecca does best is that she always knows how far to push it.’ Clearly, in Victoria Starmer’s case, she’s got the balance just right.
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