Flowers, friendship and the work of Hilma Af Klint were at the root of Paul Smith‘s charming Spring Summer 2017 collection this London Fashion Week.
With a considered floral base serving as the contemporary canvas for his latest wares, the much-loved designer presented look after look of effortless, oversized suiting, voluminous dresses and graphic accessories which, quite literally, bloomed before the eye.
While the silhouette may have been maximal, the styling was far less so, with the bold pieces themselves needing little in the way of overworking. A riot of colour, shape and texture ensured that while the concept of flowers and spring is not a new one, Smith’s treatment of it couldn’t have been fresher.
For as long as one can remember, men’s fashion has been inextricably linked – and obviously inspired by – music. So it was particularly significant that the autumn winter 2016 menswear shows that recently took over the fashion capitals of the world fell in the shadow of David Bowie’s tragic death.
David Bowie was not just a music icon, he was a cultural revolution. And it is hard, nay almost impossible, to find a single designer who has not paid reference to his work at some point in their career. From the likes of Burberry to Alessandro Michele at Gucci – this season’s AW16 shows were full of acknowledgements for the late star. The former had little time to do anything other than react to the news, and so models were sent down the runway with glitter shadowing their eyes, and even ‘Bowie’ scrawled across exposed palms. While a few days later at Gucci, a simple cardigan was emblazoned with the singer’s name, which is no surprise as it was the Italian fashion house who sponsored the V&A’s 2012 retrospective of his life and style.
But David Bowie, at heart of all the glitter, hair, disguise and self-expression, was a lad from Brixton. A south London boy who knew how to wear a skinny-cut suit. And as such, it was Paul Smith who really knew how to show his creative thanks with his AW16 offering.
Featuring a melee of those aforementioned skinny suits, ankle boots which snuggly snaked their way up trouser cuffs, paisley motifs and bold stripes which adorned both outwear and cashmere knits – it was a riot of British street style from the late ’60s and early ’70s. See how it all played out – but more importantly listen to the soundtrack which so perfectly accompanied it – below.
Although still in its relative infancy when compared with some of the other international fashion weeks, London Collections: Men – or LC:M for speed and ease – is rapidly gaining momentum. And a highlight of this season was Twin favourite Paul Smith, who lived up to his iconic British status and served up a playful slice of eccentric nostalgia.
Casting his magpie eye back to 1970, when he opened his first shop, the designer presented his autumn winter 2016 wares in an exact replica of his original three metres by three metres store. In among a riot of charming bric-a-brac lay joyous prints influenced by a pile of cycling jerseys, a bold new bag inspired by the Argentine tango, as well as an array of his seasonally expected – and universally appreciated – tailoring. He even smacked the detailing from the facade of his Mayfair outpost on a selection of leather goods.
This season’s offering was staged at none other than the Pace London gallery, which has continuously served as inspiration for Paul throughout the years. Currently home to work from the like of British triumvirate John Hoyland, Anthony Caro and Kenneth Noland – it was yet another source for the acclaimed British designer to draw inspiration from.
Fashion is a business that can very often take itself a tad too seriously, so thank the stars for people like Paul Smith, who know that a sense of humour – and the ability to find inspiration in absolutely anything – are the ultimate palette cleanser.
Monday saw Paul Smith present his latest creation, A Suit To Travel In during London Collections: Men. Made from high-twist 100% wool yarn, the AW15 travel suit is constructed with quick recovery crease-resistant cloth that also repels water. Put to the test, Olympic medal-winning athlete Max Whitlock and artists from the National Centre for Circus Arts performed gymnastic sequences to show us what this ensemble can really do. And what a performance it was, we witnessed splits, backflips and many unthinkable moves.
The suit itself has a contemporary fit (called The Soho), that looked just as good on the female gymnast as it did on the men. A limited preview selection of the new Paul Smith Travel Suit is available to purchase from Paul Smith No. 9 Albemarle Street as well as online now, and will be available worldwide from May 2015. Time to start shopping in the men’s department we think.
Last night Twin headed to the Paul Smith Beak Street store to celebrate the launch of the 531 Cycling Collection, hosted by Toby Bateman and Sir Paul Smith himself. As well as the collection itself, we were introduced to a bespoke, limited edition Mercian steel-framed bike created in collaboration with Mr. Porter.
Watch the video below to see Sir Paul Smith talking about his love of cycling and the making of the limited edition Mercian bike.
Earlier this month Twin wrote about Paul Smith’s exhibition Hello my Name is Paul Smith, at the Design Museum. From last week the exhibition, which takes visitors on a journey through Paul Smith’s world, is now open for the public.
And to celebrate this the fashion designer will be signing copies of his new book ‘Hello My Name is Paul Smith’ on Friday 22 November between 12.30pm – 1.30pm in the Design Museum Shop.
The book ‘Hello, My Name is Paul Smith’ is published by Rizzoli priced £40, and is available from the Design Museum Shop.
The exhibition is open until March 9 2014 and offers an insight into Paul Smith’s creative influences and fashion designs over the last 40 years.
Read more about the exhibition and find out about the museums late night openings here designmuseum.org
Paul Smith is about to display a new series of photographic work by London-based artist Walter Hugo at the Albemarle Street shop. The exhibition, titled We Are An Island opens to the public on October 16 to coincide with the Frieze Art Fair London.
The show will bring together two major series of works that have never before been shown in their entirety. The exhibition space will host Reflecting the Bright Lights, a collection of portraits of inspirational and creative peers from the worlds of performance, art and fashion captured in silver nitrate on glass sheets. With luminaries like Eddie Redmayne, Alice Dellal, Carson McColl, Polly Stenham, Maia Norman and Jaime Winston captured by Hugo’s 1870’s lens, Reflecting the Bright Lights creates a portrait of today’s cultural pioneers.
The second series, The Nature of Interdependence, is Hugo’s 10-piece series of giant seascapes depicting the shores of Britain and will be on view upstairs at Albemarle Street.
Walter Hugo is a multi-disciplinary artist, working within the mediums of sculpture, 19th century photographic process, film and performance. He frequently teams entrancing expressions of beauty with the application of complex methodology or scientific research and process.
Yesterday the advanced ticket sale for the forthcoming exhibition Hello My Name is Paul Smith opened.
The exhibition will take visitors on a journey through Paul Smith’s world. The exhibition will showcase and celebrate the brand through collections selected by Paul. The different stages of design and production will be explored, offering a rich insight into his design process and highlighting how the principles of traditional craftsmanship of tailoring and techniques are retained but given a contemporary edge.
The exhibition draws on Paul Smith’s personal archive, from the company’s beginnings in Nottingham to its international prominence today.
The exhibition will be on display at the Design Museum in London from November 15 2013 – March 9 2014 and tickets can be booked at ticketweb.co.uk
Last week Paul Smith opened up the doors to yet another beautiful menswear-only store in the heart of Soho. It is his thirteenth store in London and in this new gentlemen wonder room one can find everything from clothes, shoes and accessories, to books, art and other interesting curios. And it is the first Paul Smith shop to offer an exclusive bespoke jeans service.
The store interprets what Paul Smith is so much about, a mix of tradition and playfulness. The shop has got an impressive facade and inside, the walls are painted in muted hues and are partly decorated with envelopes. Earlier this year, Paul invited followers, via his blog, to help decorate the new store by sending in customized envelopes. He got a tremendous response and today one can find a creative selection on the walls.
If you are in the area, it is definitely worth visiting the new menswear store, if not for shopping, then to get inspired by the beautiful interiors and the creative decorations.
Dress up like a dandy seemed to be Paul Smith’s motto for his A/W 12 collection.
Plush sapphire blue velvet trousers, iridescent dégradé burnt orange and grey dresses, as well as boyishly tailored pea coats and blazers defined a collection that stayed true to Smith’s self-described signature of ‘classic with a twist’.
Tweed and plaid prints paired with low slung, front-pleated trousers and silk draped tops kept the feel of the collection more feminine rather than borrowed from the boys, while the injection of colours such as deep fuchsia, emerald green and garnet punched up the chromatic factor for coming winter months.
Paul Smith may be a permanent fixture on the London Fashion Week schedule, but he sure knows how to keep things fresh.
The heart of London’s design community beats faster than ever this week, as Clerkenwell hosts its own dedicated design festival. The first ever Clerkenwell Design Week, although actually only three days, packs in big names like Paul Smith, Tom Dixon and Tord Boontje as well as big ideas – like how to make clouds, snow ice-cream and the Chairless seat.
Look out for product designer Bethan Laura-Wood, and jewellery artist Wendy Ramshaw’s metre high brass and aluminium towers. Plus shoe designer Tracey Neuls has made two pairs of heels using Patricia Urquiloa and Tord Boontje fabrics that will be auctioned off. With new talents, ideas, exhibitions, food and pop-up shops – design junkies will be tripping out across the streets of EC1 in all directions.
Design blog It’s Nice That is a daily fix for discovering new talent and inspiring ideas from across the creative industry. In their biannual printed magazine the team bring together the best online posts from the past six months for us to physically thumb our way through, as well as treating us to some specially written interviews and features from top creative figures.
Check out April’s issue for interviews featuring the likes of graphic design legend Milton Glaser, fashion designer Sir Paul Smith and artist Maisie Broadhead amongst others. Designer Ken Garland rifts on his love of rust, while artist Johan Lofgren’s expounds on his impressive collection of vintage board games.
It’s Nice That Issue #3 with Parra print is available to pre-order only from the It’s Nice That for £10. www.itsnicethat.com/shop
The super style of the ‘Gentlemen of Bacongo’ is celebrated this month with a brief but brilliant exhibition. Photographer Daniele Tamagni’s images provide a fascinating insight into the vibrant street style of ‘The Sapeurs’ – the immaculately dressed dandies from the heart of the Congo. As King Kester Emenya, the Congolese musician says, “The white man may have invented clothes but we turned it into an art”. Apparently, Sir Paul Smith, who prefaced the original book based his spring collection on the images. Nuff said.
From 27th – 29th November, London Newcastle Project Space, 28 Redchurch Street, London E2 7DP. www.trolleybooks.com
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