In the glamour of 1950s post-war London, renowned dressmaker Reynolds Woodcock and his sister Cyril are at the center of British fashion, dressing royalty, movie stars, heiresses, socialites, debutants and dames with the distinct style of The House of Woodcock. Women come and go through Woodcock’s life, providing the confirmed bachelor with inspiration and companionship, until he comes across a young, strong-willed woman, Alma, who soon becomes a fixture in his life as his muse and lover. Once controlled and planned, he finds his carefully tailored life disrupted by love.

During a handover to the head of counter-terrorism of MI5 Harry Pearce, terrorist Adam Qasim escapes from MI5 custody. When Harry disappears soon after, his protégé Will Crombie is tasked with finding out what happened as an impending attack on London looms. Crombie eventually uncovers a deadly conspiracy.