Photo: randomplaces / Flickr

‘Metrosexual’ is no longer the ‘M’ word. In fact, there’s no such thing anymore. The success of men’s fashion brands is testament to the fact that men, in increasing numbers, are no longer afraid to look good. We take a look at the cutting edge of British menswear design – two influential brands that define men’s fashion both the UK and abroad.

Traditional tailoring: Margaret Howell

Margaret Howell is one of the most successful fashion brands to come out of Britain. It started at Howell’s kitchen table and went on to expand into Europe and Japan, now making a £60m turnover. When Howell first started her menswear line it was partly because she wanted to make hassle-free androgynous clothing for herself.

Howell’s androgynous clothing line, known for being simple and well made, caught on quickly. Her designs use stunning fabrics and imaginative details to refresh classic themes in British menswear.

‘Men are interested in what they put on themselves,’ Howell says. ‘It’s just become more acceptable for them to say that. They’re also conscious of trends but in menswear it’s about a subtler movement of feeling or fashion; details such as cut, proportion and styling.’

For the geeky: Oliver Spencer

Oliver Spencer says ‘I think British culture and clothing has had a huge influence on the rest of the world. If you looked at a line-up of current menswear looks and asked someone to pick out the British outfit, you’d find every item has a British influence.’

The Oliver Spencer label was launched in 2002. The first collection was a blend of utility and tradition, but he is now best known for quirky takes on functional design. His clothing, he says, is for men who are ‘a little bit geeky, heavily involved in some chosen path such as graphics or advertising.’

Tags: fashion, Fashion trends