Mood board: Paul Smith is not a man to rest on his laurels and just as he has recently cut back some of his key menswear cash cows, the designer businessman seems to have taken a similarly punchy approach to womenswear for S/S 2016, opening with an array of fluid dresses interspersed with the odd example of his signature tailoring. In a burnt, Seventies colour palette of teal, amber, brick brown and crimson these sundresses were drawn long to the mid calf and spliced with organic colour blocked panels, creating uneven hems while allowing for movement without fullness. Voluminous culottes walked in a similar direction, while pencil skirts were straight until below the hip and then flared with flair as though Smith’s design team had been given the directive to experiment with shape above all.
Finishing touches: Platform beachcomber sandals offered a soft landing for each artsy look, while concertina clutches, just like old school filing systems, provided plenty of room to file away life’s modern conveniences.
Best in show: Sir Smith may have notably cut back on suiting for this spring excursion, but his double-breasted blazers, drawn in at the waist with a leather rope belt, felt as fresh as ever in the season’s coastal colour palette. Ditto for his nectarine satin trench. Smith may not have wanted to push his tailoring might here, but there’s no escaping the formidable skill set.
