Every year, British fashion doyenne Margaret Howell selects a designer whose work she admires to collaborate on a shirt. This year, she chose garden and landscape designer Dan Pearson, who reflects her passion for the “landscape and its connection with fabrics and the skilled people who weave them.” We're sold.
Above: Garden and landscape designer Dan Pearson. "Even though they’re very different, what I aim for in a shirt I also see in a Dan Pearson garden," says Howell, "a relaxed feel that comes from inspiration, editing and deep respect for materials."
Above: Howell and Pearson chose materials that were sourced in the UK; a natural undyed linen shirting woven by Spence Bryson in Northern Ireland, with horn buttons made by James Grove in the West Midlands. "The natural irregularities of these materials complement each other as do the textures of a garden," she says. The shirt is available online for £275 at Margaret Howell.
Above: An installation by Pearson in a historic garden of a Georgian Rectory in the Cotswolds: new dry stone walls with weathered timber framed openings.
Above: The work shirt has a generous inverted pleat in the back, allowing for extra movement and a useful hanging loop.
Above: An urban garden in Tokyo reflects Pearson's skill for mixing textures in the landscape.
Above: Howell's design includes generous cuff gussets to facilitate the rolling up of sleeves.
Above: Pearson creates textures with naturalistic plantings in this Northamptonshire garden.