Jack WardlawThe classic Italian architecture of 5R Piazza Carlo Goldoni is now home to the first Flagship store and production office of designer brand Margaret Howell. Selling both men’s and women’s clothes, as well as accessories and a selection of home furnishings, the Flagship store spans two floors, with the upper housing the first production office outside of the U.K.
The building itself blends British and Italian influences to create a unique store concept. The interior, designed by William Russell of Pentagram Architects, is designed to reflect the design of the original Margaret Howell store on Wigmore Street in London.
Speaking about the working relationship, Margaret said: “For the past ten years I have worked with Will Russell on the design of our shop interiors. Whilst incorporating my ideas, Will always adds something that just wouldn’t occur to me – a special spatial vision – resulting in a rewarding and successful working relationship”.
Margaret Howell makes over half of their products in England, and this Flagship brings that essence of British craftsmanship to the center of Florence for the first time.
The move is sure to bring the brand much closer to its Italian suppliers as well as vastly increase their international market, both of which suggest imminent positive growth for the company as the fashion world gingerly begins to rebuild itself after the recession several years ago that had a massively damaging impact on the luxury market.
Despite being a brand that often flies under most people’s fashion radar, Margaret Howell has been a strong presence in the British design industry for over forty years after she graduated from Goldsmiths’ College in 1969 and after her accessories caught the attention of Vogue and other fashion magazines at the time.
Now the brand is expanding globally with store in London, Paris, Tokyo and now Florence. After a period of great uncertainty within the fashion industry, seeing a British brand grow and expand so positively is a reassuring sign that the British Fashion industry is as strong as ever and is slowly taking over the world, one Flagship at a time.