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How Keeley Hawes became a British style muse at 49
In the hit Amazon Prime series The Assassin, Keeley Hawes shines as a 'perimenopausal James Bond' in the form of a former hitwoman forced out of retirement. Throughout the six-part caper, Hawes's muted, functional wardrobe befits her no-nonsense character, as well as her vocation – there's always a chance her clothes will be splattered with blood, after all.
Cue an assortment of khaki overshirts and subtly tapered chinos, dungarees paired with oversized plaid shirts, and classic accessories including a trusty pair of Ray Ban Clubmaster sunglasses and Vans Old Skool Trainers. And not to be forgotten is a waterproof backpack that is well and truly put through its paces during various scrapes.
It might not be the most fashion-forward on-screen wardrobe doing the rounds at the moment – that title belongs to Anne Hathaway and Meryl Streep filming The Devil Wears Prada 2 – but there's something compelling about it nonetheless. One of the best looks in the series sees Hawes in a navy shirt tucked into black trousers that give a nod to the barrel-leg trend while remaining low-key enough for everyday wear – proof that practicality and chic needn't be mutually exclusive.
At the London premiere for The Assassin, however, Hawes looked a world away from a hitwoman with utility front of mind. She wore a painterly floral print dress by Erdem, with shades of burgundy and blue interspersed with hand-painted portraits by the artist Kaye Donachie. The dress was accessorised with a silver pair of Manolo Blahnik Maysale mules and co-ordinating jewellery by Otiumberg and Completed Works.
'I've been styling Keeley for just over a year and we have such a fantastic time working together as she loves fashion and is very collaborative on all our looks,' says stylist Rosie Arkell-Palmer, who worked on the premiere ensemble. 'Keeley really rocks a suit; whether it's a fitted skirt-suit or oversized tailoring, she always looks confident and super cool. We also love romantic details in styles and fabrics and look to designers like Erdem, Dior and Stella McCartney to find a good balance between the masculine and feminine.'
The Assassin is just one example of this winning formula, which is, in turn, the result of the style evolution we've witnessed this much-loved British talent undergo in recent years. On and off screen, the 49-year-old has always looked good, memorably starring in everything from The Durrells and Tipping The Velvet to Line of Duty and The Bodyguard. But while she hasn't exactly been thought of as a fashion player throughout her career – fans are yet to see her front campaigns à la Olivia Colman for Burberry, for example – she's increasingly becoming a British style star.
From fashion week front rows to Dior dinners and glitzy award shows, her diary is increasingly fashion-forward, featuring frequent appearances with her husband of 21 years, Matthew Macfadyen, who remains at the height of his Succession fame. In February 2025, Hawes attended Erdem's AW25 show, holding her own next to fellow actresses Lily James, Hayley Atwell and Katherine Waterston in a double-breasted black Erdem suit paired with the house's signature Bloom bag (a covetable leather piece with a sculptural flower bud handle). This wasn't her first front row appearance; she also took a top spot alongside Alexa Chung and Zadie Smith the year before at Jonathan Anderson's AW24 show.
2024 was also the year Hawes attended her first Met Gala, together with Macfadyen. At the annual highlight of the fashion calendar, Hawes rubbed shoulders with A-listers and even the mistress of the Met herself. 'A very memorable fashion moment was meeting Anna Wintour,' she told Harper's Bazaar in a recent interview. 'She is just such an iconic fashion figure. I think she's amazing.' Luckily, Hawes was dressed for the 'Garden of Time' themed occasion in a Marc Jacobs dress created in collaboration with artist Brandy Kraft, which was paired with black Jimmy Choo platform heels.
When she's not on the red carpet, Hawes seems to favour an enviable array of soft luxury brands. 'I like quite classic clothes,' she said in a 2024 interview with The Telegraph. 'It's taken me a long time, actually, just to be happy and comfortable and settled, but that's what I like. I don't worry about getting dressed anymore. I can put clothes on and leave, which is a revelation, really.'
During the interview, she wore a coat from The Row, high-waisted black trousers from Khaite and a cardigan from much-missed Matches-owned brand Raey – something of a holy trinity of low-key chic labels. A scroll through her Instagram shows further fashion awareness: quirky S.S. Daley knits and Citizens of Humanity jeans, sharp Rejina Pyo tailoring, pretty Huishan Zhang dresses. It's certainly an inspiring line-up.
While Hawes's character in The Assassin likely wouldn't be moved by her recent sartorial tour de force, fashion fans have a new British style muse on their hands. Here's hoping the evolution continues from strength to strength.
