Margaret Howell first collaborated with Fred Perry in 2019, the first collection inspired by the latter’s roots in tennis (the 1952-founded brand’s namesake was a three-times Wimbledon champion). It is a partnership that has proved fruitful, and fitting – both labels are synonymous with British style, and have been adopted by subculture and establishment alike.
Sportswear remains prescient to the latest chapter of the collaboration – titled 'Fred Perry for Margaret Howell’ – which launches online on June 16, 2023 and in stores from June 19. ’I enjoyed sports and athletics at school and when I began designing clothes, sportswear was a source of inspiration – photographs of sports men and women in action for example,’ says Howell.
Fred Perry for Margaret Howell S/S 2023
‘I also grew up with the name of Fred Perry so to collaborate with the Fred Perry company, and their expertise of manufacture, I feel is a happy match,’ she continues.
As such, the collection – made for both men and women – is defined by its ease of design, whether a gently oversized open-collared rib sweatshirt (a riff on Fred Perry’s famed signature polo shirt), zip-cuff narrow-leg track pants, or a polo-neck dress evocative of women’s tenniswear. A restrained colour palette spans black, off-white, burnt orange and khaki; each piece is completed with Fred Perry’s signature laurel leaf logo as an embroidered self-coloured motif.
Alongside, a smattering of accessories complete the collection; namely, a classic pair of cotton sports socks and a high-top plimsoll in black canvas with a natural rubber sole.
'Fred Perry for Margaret Howell’ is available from tomorrow (16 June, 2023) online and in stores from 19 June, 2023.