Voted GQ’s top 50 best dressed man on more than one occasion isn’t usually a status a politician would find himself holding but if you’re Chuka Umunna, it is!
This was when Chuka first started getting noticed for the bespoke suits Alexandra Wood had created for him and it was a real honour.
When we opened the pages of GQ and saw Chuka Umunna placed in the top 50 best dressed men it was thrilling. Politicians after all have usually been placed in the worst dressed sections of magazines. Alexandra had made hundreds of suits for professional business men, in particular lawyers, barristers and financiers who also needed to dress sharp and professional and to be taken seriously so this was a real accolade.
Alexandra started creating tailored suits for Chuka in 2006 when he was working as an employment lawyer at Rochman Landau back when every solicitor did have to wear a suit and it had to be razor sharp.
Alexandra Wood opted for navy’s and dark greys, as anything with any flare was considered a no no in such a profession. How times have changed!
When Chuka joined the Labour Party in 2008, Alexandra made similar shades, as again, there’s nothing worse than standing out for being a fashionista in parliament!
“Chuka Umunna loves his purple and you’ll find that a lot of his linings are a shade of Cadbury purple. The outside is deadly serious, yet the inside reveals true personality.” Alexandra Wood
After 10 years of making bespoke suits for Chuka, last year, Alexandra decided to mix it up a little. Going slightly bolder, with a richer, more vibrant shade of blue, which works so well with his skin tone, slimmer legs on the trousers and a more nipped in waistline. Prior to these suits, Alexandra had kept his style more classic and simple but it was exciting to try something new.
“I once read a guide that said politicians should wear skinny lapels, slim trousers and a bright shade of blue, which I completely disagreed with. In fact I was asked by this journalist what my view was on this, to which I explained that I completely disagreed. Needless to say they left my comment out. Politicians (in my view) are not meant to be ‘down with the kids’ with their funky, high street style lapels, as they have to be thought of as the person who can do a good job for the country.”
The notion that someone would take their clothes more seriously than their politics is frowned upon yet this doesn’t mean they have to wear old school colours and cuts and at Alexandra Wood we achieved the perfect balance with Chuka’s sharply tailored Savile Row suits.
Now that Chuka has left the Labour party, who knows what may change. Both in his dress sense and the world of politics!
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