Label: Paul Smith

‘Legend’ isn’t a term that is used lightly but couldn’t be more appropriate for this Nottingham-born designer.

Was it fate or was it an accident? Actually, you could say it was both.

Growing up, Nottingham-born designer Paul Smith had only one passion – cycling; he dreamed of becoming a competitive cyclist. But at just 17 years old a serious accident landed him in hospital for six months. A few broken bones, a chance encounter with students from the local art college and the rest is history.
His combination of loud prints, signature multi-coloured stripes and sharp tailoring changed the way men dressed and made him one of Britain’s most commercially successful designers.
Paul Smith opened his first shop in 1970 with the help of his girlfriend Pauline (now wife) – a Royal College of Art fashion graduate – and a small amount of savings. To help him create exactly what he wanted, Paul also took evening classes for tailoring.
He made his debut in 1976 with the showing of his first menswear collection in Paris under the Paul Smith label.

Read more in the July issue of Westside.