The stars of Downton Abbey have traded their cloche hats and beaded gowns for the high fashion designs of Chanel, Valentino and Erdem in a sumptuous new shoot for Harper’s Bazaar.

For its August issue, the magazine has produced a 10-page portfolio located at the suitably aristocratic Firle Place in Sussex - the ancestral home of Viscount Gage.

Titled "The Downton Sisterhood", the spread celebrates the powerhouse that is Lady Mary and co. in a series of glossy snaps by renowned fashion photographer Alexi Lubomirski.

It comes as audiences rev up for the fifth season of hit ITV show this autumn, which the cast are filming now.

While we're used to seeing the Downton crew parade around in their finery (the upstairs lot, at least), this shoot introduces the show's protagonists to a whole new level of modern-day couture.

Michelle Dockery (Lady Mary), Laura Carmichael (Lady Edith) and Elizabeth McGovern (the Countess of Grantham) all star in the shoot, alongside Sophie McShera, who plays the kitchen maid Daisy, Lesley Nicol, who is Downton's cook Mrs Patmore and Joanne Froggatt (Anna Bates). Lily James - or Lady Rose - also makes an appearance.

Between them, the actresses showcase a variety of elegant floor-length gowns, jewellery and shoes by an eye-watering line-up of international designers including Chanel, Valentino, Jenny Packham, Erdem, Marina Rinaldi, Calvin Klein, Jimmy Choo, Philosophy di Natalie Ratabesi, Burberry and Carolina Herrera.

Downton Abbey stars glam up for high fashion shoot