The reveal of the annual Margaret Howell calendar serves not only as a reminder of the passing of another year, but an insight into the perennial British designer’s interests and inspirations; previous editions have featured archival posters from London’s Design Centre (2017), the textile works of designer Lucienne Day (2025), and the ‘British landscapes’ of photographer Edwin Smith (2015).
For 2027, the theme is altogether more personal: titled ‘Photographs by Margaret Howell’, the project will see each month feature an image taken by the designer herself on her Nikon SLR camera or smartphone, spanning various decades and capturing ‘places, objects and details’ – from beach walks in Suffolk to self-portraits in her Blackheath workroom. Without a specific theme, they instead offer a glimpse of how Howell sees the world: most notably, through moments of everyday beauty and a fixation with surface, texture and found objects.
‘It is always when you see something that’s either unusual or really beautiful,’ says Howell. ‘If you can capture that – quite often you can’t ... [If it] surprises you or excites you, you just want to take a photo.’
Coinciding with the calendar’s release, a series of images will be displayed in the designer’s Wigmore Street store in London, while a new book, titled Margaret Howell: Life and Work, offers a companion piece. Published by Japanese company Shueisha, the bilingual book explores Howell’s ‘pragmatic approach to living and designing’, featuring a series of images, including several shot by Howell herself. Her mantra, ‘good design is thoughtful and works well in everyday life’, provides the book’s common thread.
A continuation, of sorts, from Margaret Howell Houses (2006, also published by Shueisha), which has sold over 50,000 copies, the new book situates her work within her everyday life – most notably, her home in Suffolk, documenting the furnishings, objects and scenery which surround her while she designs her collections. Elsewhere, there is an exploration of the materiality which remains at the heart of her collections – including an insight into her work with British fabric producer Fox Brothers of Somerset – and her London Shirtmaking Workroom, which recently got an upgrade.
‘Photographs by Margaret Howell’ runs from 23 October – 15 November 2026 at Margaret Howell Wigmore Street, London. Margaret Howell: Life and Work and the 2027 Margaret Howell calendar are both available from 22 October 2026 at Margaret Howell Wigmore Street and soon from the Margaret Howell website.