Who Is ME+EM? Founder, Owner, Fit and Where to Buy

ME+EM is a London womenswear label founded in 2009 by Clare Hornby, who is still its chief executive. It is known for sharp-shouldered tailoring, fluid trousers, Fit + Flare dresses and cashmere and merino knitwear, sold in its own stores in the UK and the US. The Princess of Wales wears it, and in 2026 the brand received a Royal Warrant from Queen Camilla.

Shoppers often search for it as Me and Em, Me + Em and MEEM. All of these are the same company. This guide covers who started it, who owns it, where the clothes are made and how the sizing works, with links to the ME+EM edit on Luxury Shoes as you go.

Who founded ME+EM?

Clare Hornby founded ME+EM in London in 2009. The business grew out of an earlier loungewear label, Pyjama Room, which she started in 2007 with Emma Howarth. In 2009 the pair moved into ready-to-wear and relaunched under the ME+EM name. Howarth left in 2012, and Hornby has run the company since.

Her stated aim from the start was designer quality at a fair price. That brief still shows in the product: trousers cut to fall straight from the hip, blazers with a defined shoulder and jersey that does not crease in a suitcase.

In the King’s Birthday Honours published in June 2026, Hornby was made an OBE for services to the fashion industry.

Who owns ME+EM?

ME+EM is a privately held company. Clare Hornby is the founder, chief executive and a major shareholder. In March 2022 the European growth investor Highland Europe led a £55 million investment in the business, with international growth, and the US in particular, named as the purpose of the money. It is not part of a luxury group and it is not listed on a stock exchange.

Is ME+EM a luxury brand?

ME+EM sits in what the industry calls modern luxury: priced above the British high street, below the Paris and Milan houses. On Luxury Shoes , the Autumn Winter 2026 ready-to-wear edit runs from $190 for a jersey tee to $2,350 for a sheepskin jacket, with a median of $530. Most dresses cost between $470 and $710, most trousers between $450 and $620.

What puts it above the high street is cloth and finish. The tailoring uses wool and wool blends, much of the knitwear is cashmere and merino, the leather pieces are lamb leather and the jewellery is brass plated in 24 karat gold. The Royal Warrant from Queen Camilla, granted in 2026, is another marker, since warrants go only to companies that supply the royal household.

What is ME+EM known for?

Five product families account for most of what people buy from the label. They come back season after season in new cloths and colours.

Denim has grown into a sixth pillar. The Engineered Barrel Jean and the Leg Elongator Jean, which has a small kick flare, are the two shapes most worth knowing. The brand also likes a 2-in-1 piece: a jumper sold with its own snood, a saddle clutch that converts into a shoulder bag, a Transformer Gown with a buckle that changes the line.

Where is ME+EM clothing made?

ME+EM designs in London and manufactures with partner factories abroad. The country of manufacture is printed on every product. Across the 202 ready-to-wear pieces in Luxury Shoes ’s Autumn Winter 2026 edit, the split is:

Accessories follow a different map. The shoes come from Italy, Spain and Portugal, the bags and belts from Italy, and the gold-plated brass jewellery is made in Italy.

Where are the ME+EM stores?

In London, ME+EM has stores in Marylebone, Chelsea and Belgravia. Elsewhere in the UK it trades in Edinburgh, Manchester, Harrogate and Bath. The first US store opened on Madison Avenue in New York in February 2024, followed by SoHo, East Hampton and Dallas. Outside those cities, the label is bought online, which is where Luxury Handbags comes in for shoppers in the Gulf, Australia and Asia.

Who wears ME+EM?

The best known wearer is Catherine, Princess of Wales. In May 2021 she wore a pink ME+EM silk shirt dress to meet five-year-old Mila Sneddon at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh, and she wore the same dress again at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in May 2023. In early 2026 she wore an ME+EM silk sleeveless top and scarf in deep ruby red, first in January and again on engagements in Wales in February. Our piece on ME+EM and the Princess of Wales sets out each look.

Does ME+EM run true to size?

Yes, for most pieces. ME+EM cuts in UK sizes 4 to 18, and a UK 8 is a US 4 and an EU 36. The brand says its cut is slightly generous so that nothing clings, which is why the trousers fall from the seat rather than hug it. Knitwear comes in letter sizes, denim in inch waist sizes and shoes in EU 36 to 42. Every piece in the Luxury Handbags edit is listed as true to size. The full tables are in our ME+EM size guide.

What to buy first

For a first piece, start with the category the label does best for your life. A desk job and a commute call for a blazer and a pair of Icon trousers; read the coats, jackets and blazers guide and the trousers and jeans guide. A full diary of weddings and dinners points to a Fit + Flare dress; the ME+EM dresses guide sorts them by length and occasion. For something smaller, the first ME+EM shoes and bags on Luxury Handbags are covered in the accessories guide, and the whole new season is in our Autumn Winter 2026 edit.

Frequently asked questions

Who is the owner of ME+EM?

ME+EM is privately owned. Founder and chief executive Clare Hornby is a major shareholder, and the growth investor Highland Europe led a £55 million investment in the company in March 2022.

When was ME+EM founded?

ME+EM was founded in London in 2009 by Clare Hornby. It grew out of a loungewear business, Pyjama Room, that she co-founded in 2007.

Is ME+EM a British brand?

Yes. ME+EM is designed in London and its head office is in London. The clothes are manufactured with partner factories in countries including China, Turkey, Portugal and Italy.

Is ME+EM worth the money?

For tailoring, knitwear and dresses you will wear often, the price per wear is fair. The cloths are better than the high street, the cuts repeat season to season, so a new jacket matches last year’s trouser, and the pieces travel well.

Does the Princess of Wales wear ME+EM?

Yes. She has worn a pink ME+EM silk shirt dress in 2021 and 2023, and a deep ruby red ME+EM silk top and scarf in January and February 2026.

Can I buy ME+EM outside the UK and US?

Yes. Luxury Handbags stocks ME+EM and ships worldwide, including to the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Australia and Europe. The returns and delivery page sets out duties and returns for each region.