Margaret Howell’s collection was as cool and serene as ever, hinged on clean lines and quiet colors.
But there’s always a subtle sense of newness. This time it came in silhouettes that evoked Fifties schoolboy uniforms. There were high-waist, pleat-front pants, worn with short-sleeve, boxy shirts tucked in at the waist, or knee-length, tailored shorts paired with heavy-knit cardigans. As for colors, the designer focused on navy and royal blue, deep brown, cream, gray and khaki.
There was also a charmingly awkward, Englishman abroad feel to this spring lineup, heightened by navy socks worn with white oxfords, and nerdish open-toe, single strap sandals. And for the designer’s eminently sensible audience, there were practical, breezy parkas, cotton raincoats and mini Sou’wester hats.