Margaret Howell is a British fashion designer and the brand she has led since 1970. CBE and Royal Designer for Industry, Howell is one of the most quietly significant figures in British fashion — a designer who made her name with menswear before expanding to women’s clothing, who has been celebrated in Japan (where she has over 100 retail locations) longer than in her home country, and whose commitment to natural fabrics, British manufacturing, and functional longevity has placed her on the right side of every major conversation in contemporary fashion about quality and sustainability.
Key Facts
- Founded: 1970 (incorporated as Margaret Howell Limited 1987)
- Founder/Designer: Margaret Howell CBE RDI (born 1946, Tadworth, Surrey)
- Headquarters: London, UK (flagship at 34 Wigmore Street, London W1)
- Industry: British Luxury Menswear and Womenswear
History
Howell studied fine art at Goldsmiths College, graduating in 1969. After failing to find fashion work and making accessories that appeared in Vogue, she began designing men’s shirts from her flat in Blackheath, south-east London, in 1972. The shirts — made from quality shirting fabric associated with Jermyn Street tailoring but cut in a softer, more casual construction — were immediately taken up by Paul Smith, Ralph Lauren, Browns, and Joseph Ettedgui. Joseph funded her first dedicated menswear shop on South Molton Street in London in 1976.
Rapid expansion followed in the 1980s, including shops in Manhattan and Tokyo, but overextension caused difficulties and the company was restructured in 1990. Since then, steady growth has been guided by managing director Richard Craig. A shirt factory opened in Edmonton, north London in 2000. The MHL sub-label — inspired by workwear functionality — launched in 2004 and has become a significant part of the brand. Today Margaret Howell employs around 500 people with over 120 outlets in Japan, 12 own shops in Europe, and an established online business. Jack Nicholson wore a Margaret Howell corduroy jacket on set for The Shining, refusing to change it for the film’s costume.
Design Philosophy
Howell continues to work with Harris Tweed, Fox Brothers, John Smedley, Mackintosh, and Scottish cashmere mills — the same suppliers she has used since the beginning. Her philosophy is stated simply: “I enjoy pulling these threads of British tradition, quality and skill together in clothes that are meant to be worn in the real world, where good design is about living with thoughtful style.” Menswear remains central to the brand’s identity — shirts, work jackets, trousers, outerwear — with a design vocabulary rooted in workwear, British country clothing, and the kind of quiet, lasting elegance that resists fashion cycles entirely.
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