Janet Howard, a contemporary American fashion brand, is making a comeback.
The designer, who came up in the ’90s, will relaunch Janet Howard New York, which features tailored blazers, sharply constructed trousers, and elevated essentials.
Howard built her reputation on precision tailoring, architectural silhouettes and detailing. Her collections, including Janet Howard Collection, Misc., and Slates Janet Howard (that was backed by Levi Strauss & Co. for a short period), were carried by stores such as Saks Fifth Avenue, Bloomingdale’s and Bergdorf Goodman.
Janet Howard
Courtesy image
After over a decade of her running her brands, she closed her namesake collection in 2002 and became vice president of design at Levi Strauss & Co. through 2008. Then she shifted her focus toward mentoring emerging designers, and guiding brands from initial concept through to finished product.
“I felt it was time to return; design has always been in my DNA. I’ve always said I’m only good at a few things and creating beautiful clothing is one of them; it truly is my life’s work. I came up in the ’90s, so being back in this moment feels right,” said Howard, who timed her re-entry for spring ’26 retailing.
A spring look from Janet Howard New York.
Courtesy of Janet Howard New York
The 40-piece collection retails from $200 to $550. Howard has a showroom in the historic Bennett Building in lower Manhattan. She plans to offer three collections a year — spring, fall and resort — and plans 11 drops annually. The line is manufactured offshore.
The line is being carried this spring across high-end specialty stores. Among them are Liana in New York, Edythe in Philadelphia, Encounter in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., Bella Rose in Lexington, Ky., and Wolo in Dallas, along with the Janet Howard e-commerce site.
The business is financed by Inflow Trading LLC.
“After all these years, the vision remains the same, create pieces that are timeless, intentional and beautiful made,” said Howard. “It’s about precision, but also personality, those small details that make something feel truly special.”
