Background
Mr. Smith was born on July 5, 1946 in Beeston, Nottinghamshire, United Kingdom. He is a son of Irene and Harold Smith.
1976
London, United Kingdom
Paul Smith at the beginning of his career.
2008
London, United Kingdom
Designer Paul Smith walks down the catwalk after his fashion show at London Fashion Week Spring-Summer 2009 on September 15.
2013
London, United Kingdom
Designer Sir Paul Smith acknowledges the audience following his show during London Fashion Week SS14 at on September 15.
2018
Paris, France
British designer Paul Smith acknowledges the audience at the end of the Paul Smith Menswear Fall-Winter 2018-2019 show as part of Paris Fashion Week on January 21.
Sir Paul Smith shows off the socks from his new fashion collaboration with painter John Tierney.
United Kingdom
A young Paul Smith at the start of his career in men's fashion.
United Kingdom
Paul Smith in childhood.
(Back in print! Unlike any other fashion designer at work ...)
Back in print! Unlike any other fashion designer at work today, Paul Smith has managed to combine a flair for eccentric, subversive detail, a dedication to the highest standards of craftsmanship and a business and marketing sense that has made him simply the most successful designer in British history. But this publication is not a fashion monograph; it is not a catalogue of suits. Rather, imagine Paul Smith's brain on a page: cleverly original and often humorous thoughts and ideas, perfectly executed, not just on the back of a man or a woman but in shop windows, in advertising campaigns, in toys, photographs and souvenirs brought back from travels throughout the world that became the inspiration for the look of a season.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1900828243/?tag=2022091-20
(This lively scrapbook illustrates Smith’s favorite people...)
This lively scrapbook illustrates Smith’s favorite people, races, and places in the cycling world through the images and ephemera that inspired him. From his collection of cycling jerseys and his extensive library of cycling publications and brochures of the 1950s and 1960s to the inspiration he has found in his cycling heroes (Coppi, Anquetil, Bartali) and his collaborations with bike-makers (Mercian and Pinarello) and race organizers, this is a personal and highly visual journey that connects Smith’s love of cycling with his love of design. Paul Smith’s Cycling Scrapbook is a winning combination of design and the world’s most increasingly popular pastime, sure to thrill cycling fans and fashion enthusiasts everywhere.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0500292361/?tag=2022091-20
(This volume celebrates over forty years of the playful an...)
This volume celebrates over forty years of the playful and trendsetting English fashion brand and retailer Paul Smith. It celebrates not only the line's fashion history, collections, and collaborations but also the inspirations and obsessions that have helped transform a small shop into a global forum for culture and style.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0847843181/?tag=2022091-20
(This handsome volume celebrates over forty years of the p...)
This handsome volume celebrates over forty years of the playful and trendsetting English fashion brand and retailer Paul Smith. Always in fashion, Paul Smith is not only a preeminent fashion designer but also an international retail trendsetter who perfected a classic style that exudes a sense of English tradition combined with humor, playfulness, and mischief.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0847841588/?tag=2022091-20
(Paul Smith has created one of the world’s most successful...)
Paul Smith has created one of the world’s most successful fashion brands. In this richly illustrated book - which includes many photos taken by Paul Smith himself - excerpts from interviews with the designer recount his history and explain how he approaches design. This talented creator finds inspiration everywhere: personal photographs, musicians, scrawled messages on Post-it notes, electronic gadgets, and more. From A for Architecture to Z for Zebra, this alphabetical manual not only highlights the eclectic sources of inspiration behind his unforgettable designs, but also the unique way in which Paul Smith sees the world, suggesting how he has continually been able to anticipate and reimagine trends in popular culture since opening his first small boutique in 1970.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1419703528/?tag=2022091-20
(Father & Son is a collection of photographs by British fa...)
Father & Son is a collection of photographs by British fashion designer Paul Smith and his father, Harold Smith. Pocketsize and unusually bound as a two-volume paperback, this series of photographs sums up the humor and acute observation which Paul Smith has brought to British design - few other designers have so successfully combined wit, originality and the highest standards of craftsmanship.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1900828146/?tag=2022091-20
Mr. Smith was born on July 5, 1946 in Beeston, Nottinghamshire, United Kingdom. He is a son of Irene and Harold Smith.
When Paul Smith was fourteen, he quit school to join the Beeston Road Club in hope to fulfill his dream of becoming a cyclist. However, his father dragged him to work at a garment warehouse. He relished his cycle to and from the warehouse each day until aged 17 he was in a serious accident and sustained injuries that put an end to his racing ambitions. Six months in hospital followed, during which Mr. Smith made friends with people from the local art college who would introduce him to the world of art and fashion.
Working at the warehouse, he used his newly acquired interest in art and fashion and began making displays for the showroom. Soon after, he was made menswear buyer. Mr. Smith also started to take evening classes in tailoring in Nottinghamshire where he learned to cut cloth as well as the basics. Soon after, he joined Lincroft Kilgour in Savile Row after being spotted by chairman Harold Tillman, where his designs were worn by celebrities including footballer George Best.
Paul Smith opened his very own shop called Paul Smith “Vêtement Pour Homme” in Nottingham in 1970, which sold established clothing labels, alongside pieces that Paul Smith had designed himself. The store was just 3 square meters and was located at 6 Byard Lane in Nottingham.
By 1976 Mr. Smith showed his first menswear collection in Paris, under the Paul Smith label. He gradually expanded the retail business, being the first fashion brand to open on Floral Street in London's Covent Garden in 1979. His shop offered an eclectic combination of clothes and finds for men which reflected his own magpie personality. The designer opened his second London store in 1982, his third in 1983 and fourth in 1987 - the same year he unveiled his first New York boutique.
In 1990 Paul Smith created his first children's collection. After discovering that 15 per cent of his clothes were bought by women, who were attracted to his modern use of fine and classic materials, he first introduced a women's collection in 1993. In the same year, Mr. Smith took over the traditional (established in 1885), but bankrupt workwear company R. Newbold and quickly incorporated many of their famous cuts into his collection.
In October 2001 Mr. Smith published his first book, entitled You Can Find Inspiration in Everything. In May 2002 Paul Smith accessorised the England team for their World Cup matches in Japan and Korea. Working with the FA and Umbro he designed a selection of leather wallets, cufflinks, shoes, eyewear, watches and luggage. Since May 2008 he has contributed to VOGUE.COM as a guest blogger.
Despite his earlier accident, Mr. Smith has maintained his interest in cycling and is an avid follower of professional racers. He dressed professional cyclists and Olympic winners Sir Chris Hoy and Bradley Wiggins CBE for their various official engagements, following their successes at the 2008 Beijing games. In May 2009 Sir Paul Smith dressed football team Manchester United ahead of their Champions League Final against Barcelona. He created two suits - one in a grey Prince of Wales check and the other in black wool - which both featured specially created red lining and stripe piping, accompanied by a black raincoat and luggage set for each player.
He launched Paul Smith Junior in the autumn of 2010. Staying true to his unique vision showcasing a bright, punchy colour palette and silhouettes inspired by the men's and women's catwalk offerings. The same year he presented a collection of photographs of The Royal Ballet's Principle Dancers, which he later exhibited at his Albemarle shop.
In September 2011, Mr. Smith designed a limited edition copy of John Le Carré's novel, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, featuring a design from his collection of limited edition screen printed posters, in conjunction with the release of the film adaptation. Only 250 copies have been made, making it a collector's item for fans of the author and the film. In 2016, Mr. Smith's second book, Paul Smith's Cycling Scrapbook was released. In January 2016, Paul Smith combined his men's and women's fashion shows, showcasing during Paris Fashion Week.
Throughout his long-term career, Mr. Smith has been involved in numerous collaborations, including those with Cappellini furniture (2002), Oakley sunglasses, Burton snowboards (2005), Mercian bikes (2006) and Triumph motorbikes (2005). Besides, he has released several fragrances including Extreme, Paul Smith London, Floral and STORY. His company continues to be an independent company, which Paul Smith owns a majority of to date.
(Back in print! Unlike any other fashion designer at work ...)
(This lively scrapbook illustrates Smith’s favorite people...)
(This handsome volume celebrates over forty years of the p...)
(This volume celebrates over forty years of the playful an...)
(Father & Son is a collection of photographs by British fa...)
(Paul Smith has created one of the world’s most successful...)
Despite being one of the most financially successful fashion businessmen in the world, Mr. Smith has spoken many times about his hatred of society's pursuit of wealth. Paul Smith takes a more relaxed approach to his business, appealing people to enjoy their life and to take it slow.
Quotations:
"My top tip is to take it slow. Life is a joy. You don't have to be rich and famous straight away. Take it easy, grow gently and you'll have a lovely life."
"The obsessive pursuit of status, wealth and power has done much to drag ambition's reputation into the mud. And nowhere has this been truer than in the banking industry, where ambition has curdled into greed."
"You can find inspiration in everything. If you can't, then you're not looking properly."
"What I adore is mixing the unexpected, things you don't imagine should go together."
"Stop making sense. Logic is predictable. Think differently."
"Don't dress for fashion, dress for yourself."
"I think I was really naive. I had no context to think about what I wanted to do. Each step was a next stage of exploration."
"Great stories happen all around you every day. At the time they’re happening, you don’t think of them as stories. You probably don’t think about them at all. You experience them. You enjoy them. You learn from them. You’re inspired by them. They only become stories if someone is wise enough to share them. That’s when a story is born."
"Fashion is about today and tomorrow. Nobody cares how good you used to be."
Although he is an internationally celebrated fashion artist nowadays, Mr. Smith is known to have remained very much down to earth. He frequently visits his shops, talks to customers, and learns about his clientele's needs.
Mr. Smith is married to Pauline Denyer, he met his future wife in 1969.