Margaret Howell - Designer

[Johnny]

Hi, just wondering what if anything you guys think of Margaret Howell. I am beginning to like her stuff more and more and have found (due to not liking CDG collection this summer) myself buying a few pieces this season. Fabrics are nice, detailing is good, cut fashionable but not overly so. It's a bit of a leap from comme (look no concept, or at least no conceptualism) but I like it anyway.

 

[helena]

I love the autumn/winter '04 womenswear - it is really lovely. Great muted colours, qualtity fabrics & feminine cuts. Would attach some pics but can't work out how to do it....still new here!

 

[Johnny]

Thanks Helena - you have good taste!

 

[faust]

Never head of her Who's she? Got a website? I'm with you on CDG this season. I am becoming more and more thankful that they have Junya now

 

[Johnny]

Faust

try www.margarethowell.co.uk.

Don't know where you're based, but there aren't very many stockists, Harvey Nics in UK, plus own name shops in London. I think there is a stockists list on the website.I'd be interested in your thoughts.

By the way, agree re Junya. I have only bought JW this season, no mainline. Have nice "shirt-jackets" but not warm enough here to wear yet! Going to London at weekend, so will be interested to have another look at the mainline, but, having seen most of it earlier this year in Paris, I'm not expecting anything.

 

[faust]

I'm in NYC.

From the quick look, I like women's much better than men's. For myself, I like clothes that are a little edgier and funkier than her men's. Her's is a little more relaxed. Of course, the ultimate preview is seeing something on the hanger, I don't trust pictures 100%, because there is so much in the fabric. I didn't see any NYC stores in a stock list though

 

[Sugo]

I looked at the women's collection and Honestly, it didn't capture my interest. The colours didn't interact well and the design was just "cute".

 

[Johnny]

That's the problem with it - as a whole look it's a bit old fashioned (to use an old fashioned phrase) to be honest. The clothes are of a very high quality, but buying one or two pieces is enough. THe whole look is too bland. She does really nice prewashed shirts. However, edgy it's not! I like edgy, but sometimes it's good just to wear a crumpled shirt and a pair of levis. I suppose it's a fairly "english" look, which is perhaps why it sells mainly in the UK and Japan (that kind of thing seems to go down well in Japan - see also P Smith).

 

[Johnny]

oops

 

[helena]

Faust - the fabrics are extremely good quality with (in a lot of cases) a beaten up softness about them. They are like the clothes you've had for years that only look better with age. I'm surprised that there's no New York stockist. Maybe they are too British - lots of greys, navys & green, pink & yellow plus lots of old traditional fabrics. Have a look at the Autumn stuff (its on the UK vogue website) - just nice easy to wear unhyped clothes. There is an apple green trenchcoat for spring that has been in all the Uk fashion mags (and I've seen it in French vogue too).

 

[Sugo]

That's the problem with the internet...
can't feel the fabric or see much detail

 

[softgrey]

johnny...thanks for bringing this up...since i will be in london next week...i'll try to check it out...i also never heard of her...the clothes look more french than english ...imo...and a bit slouchier than you would find in the us-esp the menswear...but it's cute...my boyfriend would probably wear that spring trench...i definitely agree that it's about pieces...

helena-i checked out the women's fall collection on vogue.uk...i liked a lot of the pieces...
but the styling was hideous ...with all the skirts clinging to the tights, it was really distracting to me and hard to see the silhouette of the clothes...such a pity...

 

[Spacemiu]

teh emn's wear is alright, nice pieces individually though. kidn of conservative IMO. Nice styling though.


The women's wear is very blah

 

[Lena]

i like the ss04 pieces above, she has a nice style and her colour combinations are great.
not sure if i've already seen her fw04.05 collection, but i'll give it a try.

thanks for bringing this in Johnny & Helena (for the link)

 

[runner]

I *just* saw the collection.

http://www.catwalking.com/lfw/AW04/shows/H...AW04/index.html

 

[Lena]

thanks for the link runner,
her fw04 even though its cartainly nothing special is quite very wearable, i like the consistence in her style

 

[helena]

Originally posted by Lena@Apr 30th, 2004 - 3:20 am


thanks for bringing this in Johnny & Helena (for the link)

Lena - no problem -I enjoy hearing all the views!! Its also very interesting to see how tastes differ between the US & UK folks... are there many french/japanese members here? :

 

[Lena]

i'm european (frequent visitor of to Paris)

very few and much appreciated french and japanese FS members (from what i know of ) but we are working on it

 

[Johnny]

I think the W/W for winter is really lovely - the colours look great together, especially the burgundy and yellow combo (which is actually quite a common CDG combination, for menswear at least). Dot dress is lovely also. Will be pointing my wife in that diretion come Autumn.

 

[Lena]

Originally posted by Johnny@Apr 30th, 2004 - 11:48 am
- the colours look great together, especially the burgundy and yellow combo (which is actually quite a common CDG combination, for menswear at least).

agreed, the yellow/red combo is also a Marni fave ( for ss04)