Margaret Howell opens second store in Paris 

By

Chenu Alexis

Published
May 18, 2015

With an understated presence in Paris, the brand, which was founded by designer Margaret Howell, and which has been owned by Japanese company Anglobal (100 stores in Japan) for the past 30 years, previously only had one store in Paris, on Place de la Madeleine (8th arrondissement).

As part of its plans to expand in Europe, the brand took over a space in January that was formerly occupied by Indian clothing brand Khadi & Co. Located at 37 rue Debelleyme (3rd arrondissement), it neighbors a Comme des Garçons Pocket store. Khadi & Co, meanwhile, can still be found at 82 Boulevard Beaumarchais, also in the 3rd arrondissement.

The 80 m² space (not including a glass-roofed office space) was designed by English architect William Russell (Pentagram) and houses two lines: MHL, a trendy workwear line that’s more accessible price-wise, and Margaret Howell, the main line that includes its flagship pieces, including handmade shirts signed by all of the workers involved in their production. 

On the racks, customers will find women’s basics - this season featuring jackets and short sleeve shirts - military-inspired pants, overalls, blouses and a great deal of stripes, including a nautical t-shirt inspired by the brand Saint James. 

The second part of the store is devoted to menswear, with some strong pieces: the Ventile parka, a piece inspired by an old English paratrooper uniform, linen and cotton 80s-style jackets, hand-made polo shirts, t-shirts, sneakers and knit ties. 

The central area of the store also features a selection of home accessories, from vases by British designer Nicola Tassie to a tableware collection, art and design books, small pieces of furniture (reissue chairs by Ercol, a cult brand from the 1960s), minaudière bags, silk bandanas ...and three pairs of sunglass released in collaboration with the brand Cutler & Gross. 

Finally, on June 15, the brand will release a capsule collection inspired by artist and sculptor Barbara Hepworth. A retrospective devoted to the artist will run at Britain’s Tate museum from June 24 to October 25. The capsule collection will include parkas, pants, scarves and shirts.