Leave aside the fight for Britain’s right-leaning hearts and minds, the real challenge facing Nigel Farage is fashion at the moment. The streets of Clacton, the constituency where the Reform UK leader hopes to become an MP on July 4, have become a political battleground as well as a catwalk, thanks to Labour’s candidate for the district, Jovan Owusu-Nepaul, who – I call him Britain’s new most stylish politician I call it.
Owusu-Nepaul’s style features were liked by everyone Vogue editors and political observers. Last week on X, one social media user wrote: “Not my policy so not an endorsement, but Jovan is an incredibly stylish candidate.” The Goldsmiths University graduate, who also holds a master’s degree from Cambridge, reposted the comment, saying “but it’s an endorsement”, pointing to his awareness that his stylish look, more Clapton-like than Clacton, was making waves.
If you’re voting solely for fashion credentials, you couldn’t help but be won over by Owusu-Nepaul, who could have stepped out of an old Ralph Lauren ad if it weren’t for the Labor Party badge pinned to the lapels of his trench coat. Indeed, the photos she posts on social media make it look like she’s posing for a brand campaign rather than running for parliament; Check out how she paired her Tattersall check shirt with a grandpa-style slouchy knit to pose with fish and chips on the beach. He goes for a stroll with his running mate, deftly layering a Labor red T-shirt under a navy blue shirt and thick khaki cardigan.
Thanks to our incredibly low expectations of politicians’ style, Owusu-Nepaul looks less like she’s campaigning for a seat in the House of Commons and more like she’s about to open a small-plate natural wine bar in Margate. If he doesn’t win the election, he will be chosen as an ambassador for a brand like Drake’s or Rowing Blazers. Brideshead Revisited For 21st century flair.
But the irony here is that there are actually many transition points between Farage’s view and Owusu-Nepaul’s view. While both men exude a very traditional British aesthetic and now prefer to stick to navy blue suits, white shirts and eye-catching ties, Farage once made tweed jackets and colorful trousers look his own; in fact Owusu-Nepaul could almost swoop in Farage’s Brexit campaign-era wardrobe for campaign clothes, and they’re given an injection of effortless youthful complacency.
Dr D., senior lecturer in Fashion Narratives at Manchester Metropolitan University. Benjamin Linley Wild observes that Owusu-Nepaul’s carefully chosen attire “suggests that he was a shrewd political operator.” “Owusu-Nepaul seems to be playing a sartorial sleight of hand,” says He. While his textured knits, rolled-up trousers, gingham shirts and boldly printed ties imply a listless disregard for the Establishment and appear to embody Labour’s message of change, his clothes also appear borrowed from a country gentleman’s weekend wardrobe. .”
Although they may be politically opposed, the two men appear to be on the same page when it comes to their wardrobes. A spokesman for Farage said: “Jovan certainly has his own style and is the best Englishman in his opinion.” Telegram. “A breath of fresh air among the gray suits of the safe and aesthetically challenged ranks of most Westminster wannabes.” “Nigel’s style speaks for itself,” they add.
So does Owusu-Nepaul’s hipster look more politically threatening than just a breath of fresh air? “His clothing is perfectly suited to the challenges he faced at Clacton,” says Dr Wild. “He cannot present himself too clearly to his opponent because that would mean he does not understand local sensitivities. Owusu-Nepaul’s chances of winning Clacton appear to depend on voters who generally vote for Liberal Democrat and Green candidates. “His nod to a friendly, consensual approach to politics through his more idiosyncratic wardrobe choices (a yellow, blue and orange striped tank top, for example) suggests that Nepaul is also signaling a desire to do things differently.”
Clacton may be a flashpoint in this election, but the style lessons demonstrated by Owusu-Nepaul could have consequences on our views of how politicians dress in the future. Forget Suella Braverman’s distinctive Breton jumper or Penny Mourdaunt’s modern Thatcher blow-dry, “the interest in Owusu-Nepaul’s wardrobe highlights the desire of many people for political candidates to display a semblance of personal character and originality,” explains Dr Wild. “This could be something that Owusu-Nepaul boss Keir Starmer, who was recently compared to a robot in a live televised interview, could benefit from.”
How are they measured?
