Backstage at Margaret Howell

This season, we were lucky enough to get a backstage pass at Margaret Howell. If you follow us on Instagram and Facebook, you’ve probably seen our minute-by-minute recap of the models getting ready in the dressing room, the arrangement of the outfits on the hangers, and glimpses of designer Margaret Howell herself.

You’d expect being backstage at a fashion show would be insane, but it surprisingly wasn’t. In fact, it was extremely calm, until the last half an hour at least when the models were frantically getting dressed, and photographers were pushing each other to get that perfect candid. We even spotted designer Margaret Howell handwriting a letter as the dress rehearsal was underway. It was a beautiful scene.

There was a confidence in the air. This wasn’t like other shows. It was not a spectacle. It was not trend-driven. It was not outrageous. It relaxed, demure, simple – like the clothes themselves. The show was held at flagship store on Wigmore street.

It was a small, intimate affair. You felt like there was camaraderie between everyone. The space was small but quickly became packed – a telling sign of the respect that the industry has for Howell. Legendary photographer Chris Moore appeared in the flesh, so did fashion journalist and Editor-at-large Tim Blanks, and Business of Fashion founder and Editor-in-chief Imran Ahmed. David Gandy also made an appearance.

The set was completely white; a blank canvas, and a breathe of fresh air to begin the new year with. It was also refreshing to see models sporting clothes that could have equally looked appropriate on the streets. In this day and age, when fashion is getting more outrageous by the minute, you can never go wrong with classics.