Paul Smith
Paul Smith was born in 1946. He left school at 15 and then got a job in a clothing factory. Here, he actually had a dream of becoming a professional cyclist, and he also trained intensively, but a bad cycling accident two years later, when he was 17, put him in hospital for close to six months. It was here he was inspired by his friends to take up a career in art and fashion.
This inspiration eventually led him to start a brand for himself in a small shop in Nottingham of just three square metres. From there he sold clothes from various established brands, side by side with his own designs. In '76, he presented his first full collection, and in '79 opened his first dedicated store. Paul Smith has since made a name for himself on his high-end menswear, which he himself describes as being somewhere between high fashion and formalwear.
As a brand, Paul Smith proudly brandishes their British roots, and Paul Smith has, among other things, helped design a building for a city center in his old local area of Nottingham. Paul himself describes his designs as containing a bit of the humour characteristic in England, eccentric but not silly. In 1994, Paul Smith received an award from the British Royal Family for his contribution to the fashion world, and in 2000 he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II.
Paul Smith is the company's main line and contains the clothes that best represent their brand. Today you can buy Paul Smith products in over 70 different countries, in dedicated stores, various high-end clothing stores, as well as smaller stores, often located in airports, worldwide. One of the most popular stores is the brand's dedicated store in Los Angeles, which, with its massive pink-painted walls, is an iconic location. Today, the store is a popular destination for bloggers, models and tourists who all like to use the solid pink wall as a backdrop for their photographs, whether they're going in a photo album at home, on Instagram or somewhere else.
In addition to his main line, Paul Smith also produces women's clothing under the brand 'Paul Smith Women', a line that was started in 1993 after they heard reports of women coming into their stores and buying smaller sizes to use for themselves. In 2010, a children's line came into the world called 'Paul Smith Junior', a line that often features remixed versions of classic Paul Smith products in smaller sizes. Finally, Paul Smith has created a more casual and youthful clothing line that goes by the name PS Paul Smith and which of course we also sell here on the page.
