Paul Smith (fashion designer)

Sir Paul Brierley Smith[1] (born 5 July 1946) is an English fashion designer, best known for his eponymous luxury brand. Founded by Smith in 1970, it has since expanded to 130 stores in more than 60 countries. The brand sells clothing and accessories through both physical shops and online. Its fluorescent pink flagship store in Los Angeles has become a widely photographed landmark.[2]

Smith describes his clothing style as predominantly 'classic with a twist' and he is particularly well-known for adding colour to existing designs and for his 'trademark' multicoloured stripes and pinstripes. He was appointed a Royal Designer for Industry in 1991,[3] was knighted in the 2000 Birthday Honours and in 2020 he was appointed a Member of the Order of the Companions of Honour (CH), for services to fashion.

Early life

Smith was born in Beeston, Nottinghamshire on 5 July 1946, the youngest of three children.[4] He left school at age 15 without qualifications and, his father being a textile and clothing retailer, began work in a Nottingham clothing warehouse.[3] One of his early ambitions was to become a professional cyclist, and cycling has been a lifelong influence in his work. But at the age of 17 he was involved in a serious accident that kept him in hospital for over three months.[5][3] During his recovery he found the opportunity to make new friends at a local Art School and was introduced to the world of graphic art and fashion design.[6] He left the warehouse and worked as store manager for a retail clothing and fashion start-up in Nottingham, owned by one of the new friends he had made. At the age of 21 he married Pauline, who had two young children from a previous marriage and was working as a teacher at the Art School.[3] She had been trained as a fashion designer at the Royal College of Art in London and contributed to the creation of many of the articles sold at the business he was working at in Nottingham. Smith was manager there for six years.[3] He later took classes in tailoring and began working with the Savile Row tailor Lincroft Kilgour.[7]

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.[8][3] 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.[3][4]

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.[9]

The brand expanded internationally in the 1980s. The first Japanese store opened in Tokyo in 1984.[10] 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.[11]

In 1990, Smith introduced a one-off collection for boys, which marked the beginning of his childrenswear range.[12] In 2010 this developed into the seasonal line Paul Smith Junior, often including child-sized versions of adult pieces.[13] 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.[14] In 1993, also, he acquired the long-established workwear label R. Newbold, founded in 1885, and incorporated its styles into his own collections.[6]

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.[15]

The brand launched its e-commerce site in 2004.[16] In 2006 Itochu bought a 40% stake in Paul Smith, but the company remained majority-owned by Smith[17][18][19]. In January 2016, Smith combined his men's and women's fashion shows, showcasing during Paris Fashion Week.[20] 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.[21][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

Awards

Smith has received a wide range of awards. He was appointed a Royal Designer for Industry in 1991.[3][65] He was named Designer of the Year at the GQ Men of the Year Awards for four consecutive years.[66] In 2010 he received the Condé Nast Traveller Innovation and Design Award, shared with Anya Hindmarch.[67] The following year he was presented with the Outstanding Achievement Award at the British Fashion Awards 2011.[68]

In addition to industry honours, Smith has been recognised by professional bodies. He holds an Honorary Fellowship of the British Institute of Interior Design.[69] In 2015 he was included in GQ's 50 best dressed British men.[70]

Smith has also been honoured by the Crown. He was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 1994 New Year Honours for services to fashion.[71] He was knighted in the 2000 Birthday Honours[72] and in 2020 he was appointed to the Order of the Companions of Honour (CH), again for services to fashion.[73]

Local recognition

In February 1997, Smith was made an honorary Freeman of the City of Nottingham in recognition of his contribution to fashion and his ties to the city.[74] In 2013, Smith designed and made a school tie for Beeston Fields Primary School in Nottingham.[75]

In October 2024, Nottingham Express Transit named their tram number 230 after Smith. Other local figures honoured in this way include football manager Brian Clough, footballer Mary Earps, actress Vicky McClure, and cricketer Stuart Broad.[76]

Publications

• Edited by Tony Chambers, with a foreword by Jonathan Ive and a new preface by Paul Smith
• 288 pages
• 256 pages
• 40 pages
• 40 pages
• Published in association with the Design Museum, London. 272 pages

External links

• (German language website)