MARGARET HOWELL | The World Conveyed Through Campaign Visuals

MARGARET HOWELL | MARGARET HOWELL

Glimpses in Campaign Photos
What They're Thinking

Campaign visuals must convey the brand's world in a single photograph. The photographer, entrusted with this significant role, might be considered a "second self" to the designer.
And Margaret Howell chose Venetia Scott. What kind of image did they create for the new season?

By Kotaro Hosomura

Created by Two Women

When discussing Margaret Howell's menswear, it's essential to acknowledge that the collection is by a female designer. The functionality, traditional construction, and tailoring of menswear... It was in the '70s that she recognized the merits of these elements, which became the wellspring of her creations, making Margaret Howell a pioneer in incorporating them into clothing design as a woman.

She expresses her fundamental approach to clothing design as follows:
"It's a personal value, but my criteria for designing clothes are whether they are appropriate in terms of material, function, and sensibility."
These are then expressed through carefully considered, edited methods. She also states emphatically, "'Quality' is more important than quantity or trendiness," and "The people I want to design for are not seeking trendy clothes, but clothes that look 'right' in a contemporary sense." This is likely why her clothes are considered timeless.
Her clothing gained acclaim after she launched menswear shirts and received significant attention. She opened a menswear shop on Savile Row, the first for a female designer, and last year was selected as a Royal Designer for Industry by the Royal Society of Arts, the highest honor for British design. This is nothing less than proof of her concept of "quality" and "rightness."

This season, "return to origin" is the keyword. Focusing on iconic British traditional patterns like Fair Isle and Argyle, the collection is expressed contemporarily using achromatic colors. Five items symbolize this theme.
These include a jacket crafted with classic elements like Harris Tweed in a light, unconstructed tailoring; the "66 Raincoat," born from a collaboration with Baracuta; a collaboration bag with Yoshida & Co.; sporty wear using GORE-TEX; and the British tailoring collection, which uses traditional British fabrics from companies like Fox Brothers and Savile Clifford, fabrics she has used since the brand's inception.

What is particularly noteworthy this time is the campaign visual. Captured in simple monochrome, the photographs directly imprint the essence of Margaret Howell onto photographic paper. The photographer is Venetia Scott, who also works as a stylist and is deeply familiar with Margaret Howell's clothing.
Venetia captures Margaret's menswear, designed by a woman, through an even more feminine lens. Free from the rigid thinking inherent in menswear, Venetia brilliantly captures the spirit of Margaret Howell's rule-breaking, flexible clothing from a woman's perspective. Venetia's camera truly resonates with the origin of Margaret's clothing philosophy. The proximity to the garments themselves feels intimate, suggesting their trusted relationship.
There is no pretense or affectation here. Only the presence of Margaret Howell's clothing. The photographs eloquently speak to the timelessness of quality garments.

Runway looks for Autumn/Winter 2009 are here