Margaret Howell
LABEL LOVER BRAND ORIGIN London
designer Background Rummaging through a jumble sale in 1970, Margaret Howell found a finely stiched shirt and was inspired to start crafting menswear for high-end clientele such as Ralph Lauren and Paul smith. Opening her first store seven years later and retailing in Paris and Japan, Margaret Howell has become internationally recognised for her understated and high-quality men’s and women’s collections.
TRADEMARK designs Howell is renowned for her medley of classic elements with contemporary cuts, creating the perfect mixture of structure, feel and functionality for “clothes that are meant to be worn in the real world.” With an element of heritage, quality pieces are produced by working with fabric specialists using traditional British tailoring techniques.
design PHILOSOPHY Unfazed by seasonal trends, Howell is inspired by her surroundings when she designs, and is careful to focus purely on function and aesthetics. “I think of myself as a hands-on designer. For me, it is integral to my design philosophy. It is crucial how a piece of clothing feels when worn,” she says. Focusing on timeless characteristics, her pieces are imbued with impeccably refined details. Timeless styles such as military green overcoats and argyle sweaters are reworked and refined in Howell’s autumn collection