Margaret Howell
My first exposure to Margaret Howell - the clothing, the brand, the person - happened while I was living in Japan.
When I saw her pared-back, tradition-inspired workwear in a shop in Daikanyama, it felt both familiar and new at the same time.
Why?
Familiar because in Japan, between the two collections (Margaret Howell and MHL) there are something close to 100 stores. New because in America, Howell has kept a low profile.
I don’t really know.
But when I saw a listing for a podcast interview with her, I listened.
The interview, with home design impresario Matt Gibberd on his program “Homing In,” found Howell late in her career, sounding both successful and contemplative.
She spoke about the origins of her design aesthetic (early childhood memories of family life) and her clothing company (making shirts in the kitchen of her home).
I would say she generally opened up, talking about her various methods (hand making, organic materials) and preferences (the informal, the unstructured).
Despite the templated format of the interview - it is one in a series in which Gibberd gently pries into his sitters’ top three favorite favorite living spaces - Howell managed to pack more wise thoughts about design, craft, and living with purpose than I think I have ever heard in a single conversation.
On both clothing and living spaces, Howell was plain spoken and clear. Her thoughts were voiced quietly. There was nothing extra or decorative. On any given topic (materials, partnerships, inspirations) her words rang both specific and universal. It lead me to the thought that she was the brand before there were any products.
My goal with this post is to get you to listen to the interview, so I won't give away much more.
Only this.
There is a short section where Howell talks about about using archival research to scout for designs to ‘renovate’ that will get even the stuck-est person unstuck.
OK, one more.
Howell followed Gibberd's direction and named her three favorite architectural spaces (The Red House, Snape Maltings Concert Hall and Martello Tower Y).
My favorite among them is Snape Maltings Concert Hall. SMCH is a music education and performance space, and site of the annual Aldeburgh Music Festival. It started life as a maltings factory but became derelict, and through the vision of composer Benjamin Britten's and (his partner) singer Peter Pears, was adapted for re-use and modernized.
As a music person and someone who lived in the UK for a few years, I’m surprised this is the first I've heard of the SMCH. From a fashion icon?! The next time I am in London (fingers crossed for a Wimbledon debenture) I will do what I can to make a jaunt up to the Sussex coast to see the hall and hopefully catch a performance.
Listen and read more here ...
https://shows.acast.com/the-modern-house-podcast/episodes/28-margaret-howell-designer
https://www.themodernhouse.com/journal/the-modern-house-podcast-margaret-howell/
https://www.haworthtompkins.com/work/snape-maltings
PS. As mentioned, this podcast is part of a series of more than 40 interviews, hosted by Matt Gibberd of The Modern House. After listening to Margaret Howell, you may also find the interviews with Cereal magazine founder Rosa Park and minimalist architectural designer John Pawson of-special-interest too.
