Margaret Howell

DESIGNER NAME: Margaret Howell

BACKGROUND: Surrey, England.

SIGNATURES: “Enduring quality, contemporary clothes for men and women.”

TRADEMARK PIECE: “White cotton shirt, gabardine raincoat, unstructured tweed jacket and flat leather lace-up shoe."

IDEAL CLIENT: “Independent and discerning.”

THE COLLECTION: “Inspired by the cool classicism of the white shirt, we’ve used cottons and linens in pale shirting shades of blue, grey and white for loose cut shirts and parkas, worn over narrow-legged trousers - simple shapes with a strong silhouette.”

LONDON TIPS: “Coffee in the Hertzog & De Meuron installation at the Serpentine Gallery. Then looking east through Hyde Park, take in the view of the perfectly placed Shard building. Visit the National Portrait Gallery exhibition ‘Road to 2012: Aiming High’; it features the story behind the athletes and others who have contributed to the London 2012 Olympics.”

FUTURE PLANS: “A new collaboration with British furniture maker Ercol. The 2012 reissue of the butterfly and stacking chair sees these two classic designs produced in elm with black painted beech legs and uprights. To be launched at The London Design Festival in September, the chairs will be available exclusively at Margaret Howell London, Tokyo and Paris flagships.”