Paul Smith
It was a cycling accident as a teenager that sparked racing enthusiast Paul Smith’s interest in fashion. The renowned Nottingham-born designer, famed for his impeccable tailoring and eccentrically British personality, opened his first boutique in Nottingham in 1970, after training at Lincroft Kilgour on Savile Row. The designer launched a womenswear line in 1993, and a youthful PS diffusion line in 2016. Awarded a knighthood in 2000, Smith is one of the most cherished and playful members of the British fashion industry. Here you will find runway reviews and round-ups, a roster of Smith’s extensive design and lifestyle collaborations and retail openings, and even a recipe for Paul Smith’s favourite dish – beans on toast with HP sauce.
Paul Smith’s S/S 2018 men’s and women’s runway show at the Lycée Carnot in Paris was presented against a backdrop of multicoloured screens. The kaleidoscopic show set nodded to the London-designer’s decision to partner with Instagram and paint the west wall of his famed LA store with a rainbow flag in honour of that year’s LA Pride. Photography: Sonny Photos
Paul Smith’s S/S 2019 men’s and women’s show in Paris looked to tailoring synonymous with British subculture, and featured photograph’s from Smith’s own collection and his father’s archive. Photography: Jason Lloyd-Evans
Paul Smith’s A/W 2018 men’s and women’s show featured suiting with patchwork mismatched jacquards, panelled houndstooth, alongside Prince of Wales check. Photography: Jason Lloyd-Evans
Rare jewels from Bentley & Skinner’s current Compendium inspired a silk-blend print in Paul Smith’s S/S 2018 womenswear collection. Photography: Aylin Bayhan
In May, British art director Tom Hingston joined forces with Paul Smith to celebrate his studio’s 20th anniversary. The result was ‘Progress’, an exhibition in Smith’s flagship store on London’s Albemarle Street, and a collection of band merchandise, created in collaboration with Del Naja, Nick Cave and The Chemical Brothers. As originally featured in the May 2018 issue of Wallpaper* (W*230)
Artist’s Palate: Sir Paul Smith’s beans on toast. As originally featured in the September 2016 issue of Wallpaper* (W*210)
To celebrate Brooks England’s 150th birthday in March 2017, designer Ron Arad, Sir Paul Smith and photographer Martin Parr (along with a veritable peloton of others) have contributed to a new tome celebrating cycling culture
To celebrate Swiss pen makers Caran d’Ache’s 100th birthday in 2015, king of colour Paul Smith customised the brand’s iconic 849 design with ten limited edition colours. Photography: Charlotte Crowston and Mihaela Berbecar
2013’s ‘Hello, My Name is Paul Smith’ exhibition at London’s Design Museum, the inspirational showcase included a replica of the designer’s famed Covent Garden office
Paul Smith is featured as part of our next generation shoot in the January 2017 issue of Wallpaper* (W*214). He wears jacket, £775; trousers, £300, both by Wooyoungmi. She wears jacket, £880; shirt, £125, by Paul Smith. A Note on Methodology sculpture, DKK30,000 (€4,030), by Pettersen & Hein. Photography: Liam Warwick. Fashion: Jason Hughes. Interiors: Maria Sobrino
