Paul Smith fashion chain
Smith opened his first shop, Paul Smith Vêtements Pour Homme, in Nottingham in 1970. The shop, located at 6 Byard Lane, had a floor area of only twelve feet by twelve feet (less than fifteen square metres) and sold a mix of established labels alongside Smith's own designs. [9] [4] His shop was open on Fridays and Saturdays only, and for the rest of the week Smith did freelance work in Nottingham and London. It was during this time that he took classes in tailoring and worked as a buyer for Browns in London. [4] [5]
In 1976 he presented his first menswear collection in Paris, featuring a combination of casual and semi-formal clothing. Three years later, in 1979, he opened his flagship London store on Floral Street in Covent Garden. [10]
The brand expanded internationally in the 1980s. The first Japanese store opened in Tokyo in 1984. [11] Smith opened a shop in New York City on Fifth Avenue in 1987, followed by additional locations, including a flagship on Greene Street as well as Williamsburg, Bleecker Street and Brookfield Place. [12]
In 1990, Smith introduced a one-off collection for boys, which marked the beginning of his childrenswear range. [13] In 2010 this developed into the seasonal line Paul Smith Junior, often including child-sized versions of adult pieces. [14] He launched his first womenswear line, Paul Smith Women, in 1993, following demand from female customers who had been buying smaller sizes of his menswear for their own use. [15] In 1993, also, he acquired the long-established workwear label R. Newbold, founded in 1885, and incorporated its styles into his own collections. [7]
In 1995, the Design Museum in London exhibited 'True Brit', a show marking 25 years of his business. The exhibition later travelled to Glasgow for the 'Festival of Design' and then moved to his hometown of Nottingham and was put on display in Nottingham Castle. [16]
The brand launched its e-commerce site in 2004. [17] In 2006 Itochu bought a 40% stake in Paul Smith, but the company remained majority-owned by Smith [18] [19] [20] . In January 2016, Smith combined his men's and women's fashion shows, showcasing during Paris Fashion Week. [21] As of November 2025, the brand Paul Smith claims 130 stores in over 60 countries, including the USA, Japan and South Korea, in cities including New Dehli, Seoul, San Francisco, Paris, Amsterdam, Milan and Copenhagen. [2] [22] There are also stores dotted around England, in Nottingham, Manchester, Bicester, York and Ellesmere Port, as well as eight in London and three airside at Heathrow Airport, in terminals 2, 3 and 5. [22]
Partnerships and other business pursuits
Furniture, interiors and product design
Smith has undertaken a number of projects in furniture and interiors. In 2002 he worked with Cappellini on a small homeware collection, [31] and in 2006 collaborated with Mercian Cycles on a series of bicycles. [32] He also designed seating for Broadway Cinema in Nottingham that year. [33] In 2014 he began a collaboration with Anglepoise, reimagining the Type 75 lamp as “Edition One”; further editions followed in 2016 and 2018. [34] [35] [36] He has also produced designs for Gufram, creating a new version of its cactus-shaped coat stand in 2016. [37]
Fashion, textiles and accessories
Smith's textile and fashion collaborations include his long-running partnership with US brand Maharam, which began in 2003, [38] and work with Rapha, the cycle clothing company, from 2007. [39] In 2010 he collaborated with Burton Snowboards, adding his signature stripe to boards and apparel. [40] In 2012 he joined with John Lobb to produce a series of Oxford, derby and loafers. [41] He has also worked with Kask on the design of cycling helmets (2015, 2018), [42] with Caran d’Ache on two editions of its “849” pen (2015, 2016), [43] [44] and with Berry Bros & Rudd on a limited wine collection (2016). [45] Further accessories projects include limited edition eyewear with Cutler & Gross in 2018, in tribute to his close friend Tony Gross. [46] The same year Smith collaborated with the Globe-Trotter by redesigning their 20" trolley case to celebrate its 120-year anniversary, first showcased at the Salone del Mobile. [47]
Design, culture and film
In 2005 Smith contributed to the 60th anniversary of Penguin Classics, redesigning the cover of Lady Chatterley's Lover by D. H. Lawrence. [48] In 2009 he designed a limited series of bottles for Evian, becoming a third guest designer after Christian Lacroix and Jean-Paul Gaultier to contribute to the series. [49] Smith designed sets of stamps for the Isle of Man Post Office to coincide with the 2012 London Olympics, [50] and in 2011 produced four limited-edition prints marking the release of the film Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy , whose production he had been involved in. [51] In 2013 he created the official T-shirt for David Bowie's album The Next Day , [52] and in 2015 collaborated again on designs for Bowie's final album Blackstar . [53]
In 2019, Smith made a cameo appearance in the film Men in Black: International ; he also designed the suits worn in the film. [54]
Sport
Smith has designed uniforms, kits and accessories for major sporting events. He created a jersey for the start of the Tour de France in London in 2007, [55] designed suits for the Manchester United team in 2009, [56] and in 2013 produced the leader's jersey for the Giro d’Italia, including the Maglia Rosa. [57] He also worked with New Balance in 2018 to mark the 30th anniversary of its 576 sneaker, creating footballs and boots in his trademark stripe pattern. [58]
Technology
In 2005 Smith redesigned the Lasonic i931 boombox, giving it a "crisp, white design" with a touch of "Paul Smith’s multicolor trademark seen in many of his clothes and accessories". [59] In 2012 Smith partnered with Leica to release a limited-edition version of the Leica X2 camera. [60]
Writing
In 2001 Smith published his first book, You Can Find Inspiration in Everything. [61] In 2016, Smith's second book, Paul Smith's Cycling Scrapbook, was released, documenting a personal history of a sport about which he has been passionate all his life. [62]
Since 2019, Smith has collaborated with the book illustrator Sam Usher to produce two illustrated children's story books featuring animals, travel and the pursuit of inspiration, published by Pavillion Children's Books. [63] [64]
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