Leave it to Angela Rayner to bring a fashion conversation piece to Westminster.
The Deputy Prime Minister arrived at Downing Street on Wednesday wearing a pair of platform loafers with a bold pink cleated platform sole and metal hoops pierced into the upper.
They are from the Gensai Cyber Punk range designed by Manchester-based vegan footwear brand Koi. They usually retail for £70, although the pink-sole version worn by Rayner is no longer available to buy.
We know that Rayner, 44, is fond of a flatform shoe; she’s worn them for numerous engagements as they provide a bit of height without sacrificing comfort. The Koi pair co-ordinated nicely with her pink suit – a favourite that she’s worn on several occasions – while representing her roots in Stockport, Greater Manchester.
Rayner’s style has become smarter and sleeker over the past couple of years, reflecting her elevated professional status. Though she has largely switched to muted court shoes, the Koi loafers are an indication that she hasn’t entirely parted ways with the more flamboyant image for which she was known earlier in her political career.
At one point, she was particularly fond of the British brand Irregular Choice. Back in 2015, it launched a limited-edition Star Wars shoe featuring a depiction of the droid character R2-D2. Rayner believed her name had been on a pre-order list, but she wasn’t notified when the shoes went on sale, and missed out. She wrote a letter of complaint to the brand’s head office on House of Commons notepaper, which was subsequently leaked to the press.
That was a different time. Nine years on, Rayner is a regular at the trendy fashion line Me+Em, where she’s purchased jumpsuits and tailored separates. The brand is also a favourite of Lady Starmer, the Prime Minister’s wife; Akshata Murty, the wife of former PM Rishi Sunak; Carole Middleton, the Princess of Wales’s mother; and the Queen – so she’s in good company. Also in Rayner’s work wardrobe are buys from Reiss, Ted Baker and All Saints, as well as a £2,000 chartreuse coat by Emilia Wickstead, which she first wore in a photo shoot for British Vogue.
Rayner now has a wardrobe of genuine investment pieces, which can take a while to achieve. Having reached this point, is it possible that she could receive the same criticism for her style that she once did? In the context of timeless staples, a bold shoe can work well, making the whole look feel a bit more “of the moment”.
While she’s faced criticism for her more outré style choices in the past, it’s hard to anticipate the same reaction for this particular outfit. Partly because the Koi shoes aren’t as wacky as, say, a pair of Irregular Choice Star Wars heels, but also because it reflects how many other British women dress: classic and comfortable, with a bit of a twist. Who could argue with that?
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