Samantha Cameron earlier this year Credit: Can Nguyen/REX/Shutterstock
As soon as David Cameron announced before last year's general election that he wouldn't seek to serve a third term as Prime Minister, fashion industry talk soon turned to what Samantha Cameron might do next.
During her husband's six years in Downing Street, her own career had taken something of a back seat. Although she continued to consult for British accessories label Smythson, Cameron had stepped back from her role as creative director to focus on charity work and supporting her husband.
Samantha Cameron on the day her family left Downing Street. Credit: Steve Parsons
That didn't mean her style presence wasn't still keenly felt. She savvily used her high profile position to promote British fashion, wearing homegrown designers for public engagements, attending London Fashion Week, acting as a judge in the BFC/Vogue Fashion Fund contest and hosting receptions at Downing Street for designers and industry insiders.
But once the Camerons departed number 10 in June, rumours began to swirl that Samantha and her aide Isabel Spearman, who formerly worked as a PR for Anya Hindmarch and is a close friend of Samantha's half-sister Flora Astor, would be going into business together with their own fashion collection.
Isabel Spearman Credit: Steve Back
It seems that there is now some firm evidence that a label is on the cards. On 5th October, 'Samantha Cameron Studio Limited' was registered as a private company, with Cameron listed as the company's director. Although the former Prime Minister's wife used to work at Smythson's head office on Bond Street, her new start up is based in the market town of Brigg, North Lincolnshire with a pub and tyre centre for neighbours. It's also near to Normanby Hall, the estate where she grew up, and where her father Sir Reginald Sheffield, has a home.
There is no mention on the company registration of Spearman, who set up her own image consultancy business after leaving No.10 in 2015 and who bore the brunt of the criticism directed at Cameron's resignation honours list when he put her forward to recieve an OBE in the summer.
Samantha Cameron, Natalie Massenet and Caroline Rush at Burberry's LFW show Credit: Rex
Cameron - whose sister is Emily Sheffield, the deputy editor of British Vogue - has kept a relatively low profile since her husband's resignation, but was seen on the front row at Burberry's London Fashion Week show alongside two of the most powerful women in British fashion, BFC chairwoman and Net-a-Porter founder Natalie Massenet and BFC chief executive, Caroline Rush. Spearman, meanwhile, had a front row seat at Emilia Wickstead's show. Incidentally, Cameron was wearing a striped dress by Wickstead at Burberry, could those shows of support be a sign that Wickstead- renowned for her ladylike designs- is in on the plan too?
Samantha Cameron showing her shoulders in L.K Bennett. Credit: Beretta/Sims/REX/Shutterstock
During her time in Downing Street, Cameron's style choices were much analysed. She cleverly mixed British design talent like Roksanda Ilincic, Erdem and Preen with high street pieces from Zara, Whistles and Marks and Spencer, honing a way of dressing which seemed to strike the perfect balance between experimental and appropriate, gaining her the admiration of women around the world.
She displayed subtle sartorial wit too when she attended the funeral of Margaret Thatcher wearing a pussy-bow blouse, a style the first female British prime minister had coined as her own. And in May, she sparked debate when she bared her shoulders in St Paul's cathedral in a striped L.K Bennett dress for The Queen's 90th birthday celebrations.
Whether Cameron goes it alone or forms a formidable partnership with Spearman, there's no doubt that women craving a way to tap into her modern, elegant look will be watching closely.
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Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/fashion/people/samantha-cameron-launching-fashion-label-with-isabel-spearman/
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