When outgoing Prime Minister Rishi Sunak stood on the steps of Downing Street to address the nation one final time this morning, it was his wife, wearing a striking geometrical red, white and blue tiered dress, who the camera loved.
The eye-catching flamenco-esque dress Akshata Murty, 44, chose to wear - a £390 Lina frock from ethical fashion house Omi Na Na and towering white heels - seemed more like a statement of intent than bowing out quietly attire.
As she took her husband's hand, and they walked away from the home they've shared for the last 18 months since Sunak's rise to power in October 2022, Murty might even have had a spring in her step.
The multi-millionaire, said to be worth £500 million thanks to her father's self-made fortune, has had to dial down her wealth during her time at Number 10 - but now the shackles of her husband's job have been released, might Murty use her recent global platform to launch a fashion empire?
The ex PM's wife, mother to the couple's two daughters, Krishna and Anoushka, might also find her way back to wearing couture again, having ditched it, in public at least, in a bid to be more appealing to Conservative voters over the last year.
What's clear is that Murty already has the fashion savoir faire to follow another former 'British first lady', Samantha Cameron, into the world of design. Mrs Cameron founded her brand Cefinn in 2017, to fill a 'gap in the market for fashion-forward pieces that work hard for busy women'.
Murty attended the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising in Los Angeles as a student.
She even once had a fashion label, Akshata Designs, that she could reinvent now she has the world watching. In her earliest years dating Rishi, she set up the business in 2007.
The label intended to celebrate Indian culture, discovering artists in remote villages and working with them and their designs to create her own.
'I’m about the story behind a particular garment, it’s authenticity, craftsmanship and protecting a rich heritage,' she told Vogue afterwards. 'I care about doing something in India, for India because it’s part of our family’s DNA.'
However, the business venture fell flat and collapsed after just three years.
Recent months have seen her ditch the 'quiet luxury' she first became known for when Rishi was Chancellor of the Exchequer; Murty would think nothing back then of doing the school run in a pair of JW Anderson slippers costing nearly £600.
When the cost of living crisis began raging under the Tories' watch though, Murty turned to the British High Street for public appearances, donning sensible shirts and jumpers from middle class mums' favourite Boden.
Her election wardrobe has also boasted a £225 striped midi dress from Jigsaw, which she first wore in October 2023 ahead of the Conservative Party Conference, as well as a £34 Boden shirt that she originally debuted in May 2023.
Despite being a daughter of a billionaire, Akshata has waxed lyrical about how she likes the 'simple' 'everyday things' in life.
Speaking to the Times last month, she revealed she 'rarely' gets recognised and often walks the family Labrador in St. James' Park.
'I go to Tesco or the little Sainsbury's or I go to the M&S in Victoria,' she said.
It was a very different story before Rishi came to power though; the heiress was previously known for wearing designer ensembles that top fashion experts claim would have given Jackie Kennedy a run for her money.
With the title of Britain's one-time 'first lady' forever on her CV, and millions in spare change to fire-start a pet project, Murty may yet eclipse her husband's achievements if she starts up the fashion empire that many suspect she's keen to do.
The billionaire heiress and is said to be wealthier than King Charles due to her £430 million stake in her father's IT empire.
Akshata is the daughter of N. R. Narayana Murthy, a founder of the Indian multinational IT company Infosys.
Meanwhile her mother, Sudha, is an educator and philanthropist who was once a chair on the board of Infosys.
In July 2023, Ms Murty was named Britain's best dressed person and compared to Jackie O.
The businesswoman and fashion designer made the list compiled by Tatler magazine alongside the likes of Princess Beatrice's husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi and actor Bill Nighy.
Chandler Tregaskes, Tatler style editor, said: 'Her stream of 'It' ensembles would have given Jackie Kennedy a run for her money...
'Mrs Sunak is a shining example of modern-day diplomatically decadent dressing that steals the show.'
Celebrity stylist Rochelle White told FEMAIL Akshata's image is 'fashion focused and forward'.
She said: 'She tends to wear colours and styles that are bold and make a statement, which I think represents her.
'As she has worked in fashion and I feel that is a big part of her and her personality she will naturally have an eye for colour palettes, styles and trend pieces that she can wear.
'I think she is also aware that eyes are on her and makes conscious decisions about what she is wearing and even in some cases who.'