Margaret Howell and Stormzy aren’t two British names you hear uttered in the same breath often. Or at all. Both are considered legends in their respective fields, sure, but neither have riffed off one another as far as I can tell. Listening to Stormzy’s recent single before the show yesterday, however, I couldn’t help but notice a parallel: “They go the fastest, I go the furthest” he raps. What could exemplify the Margaret Howell approach more?
Season upon season, the brand develops its aesthetic just enough to feel new without ever straying from a very precise vision. Existing outside the churn of designers morphing and mutating into new propositions with every season, Margaret Howell feels more like an ideology than it does a label at this point. To buy into the brand is to embody the qualities of patience, discipline, precision. And with stores all over the world, including over 100 in Japan, it’s one with global resonance.
For spring/summer 20, they presented a blend of sharp, traditional and often unisex staples. Enlarged shirts, cinched waists, neutral colours, neckerchiefs, beanie hats, leather sandals, V-necks… This felt like the uniform of a wearer that rejects passing trends but wants to remain modern and fashion-forward.
Celebrating its 50th anniversary next year, why go fast when you can enjoy half a century of success instead?
Credits
Photography Mitchell Sams