Sir Paul Smith’s great legacy is making high fashion amenable, injecting colour and pattern into the consumer’s monochrome wardrobe. He introduced suiting to those who didn’t wear suits and pleasing, streamlined casualwear to stuffier dressers.
Born in Nottingham in 1946, Smith, the son of a draper left school at fifteen to work at a clothing warehouse, with a real ambition to become a professional racing cyclist. However, this was cut short, following a serious accident aged seventeen, which was followed with six months of recovery in hospital, during which time he made friends with people from the local art college who would introduce him to the world of art and fashion. This led Smith into taking evening classes in tailoring, and then with the help of his then-girlfriend (now wife), Pauline Denyer, he opened his first shop on 10 Byard Lane, Nottingham in 1970, named Paul Smith Vêtements pour Hommes.
In 1976 Smith showed his first eponymous menswear collection in Paris, and went on to gradually expand the retail business, opening his first London store in 1979, on Floral Street in Covent Garden, when he was 33. It wasn’t until 1993 when he branched out into womenswear, after Grace Coddington shot the same men’s shirt on female models in US Vogue for six consecutive issues. This led to the growth of a business based on numerous diffusion lines, offering a wide variety of products and price points which sat in line with the company’s wholesale channel. However, he recently streamlined the collections, merging his design teams, and collapsing the many lines into two collections, comprising both men’s and womenswear, with four drops a year.
Sir Paul is known for his idiosyncratic take on traditional British styling, having coined the term ‘classics with a twist,’ and here he shares with us the struggles he faces as customers’ needs change, and how he is making all of the right moves to stay at the forefront, especially with his cult classic, the suit.
Can you share with us your journey into fashion?
It all sort of happened by accident. Growing up in Nottingham, England, my dreams were of becoming a professional cyclist but I had a serious accident when I was a teenager that put an end to that. I made friends with some ‘creative’ people studying in the local art college and my life as a designer sort of grew naturally from there. Most of my early memories come from my now wife Pauline, who is trained in couture, teaching me how to pad-stitch and hand-make clothes.
Were the 1960s a particularly good time to start a creative business? How do you think growing up and launching a brand today differs?
It was certainly different to how it is today. The fishpond is a lot more crowded than it used to be. By that I mean that there’s a lot of brands and designers now trying to fish from the same pond of customers. As such the pace has changed a lot!
What has been a career highlight?
There isn’t one particular highlight. I’ve always prided myself on my continuity and consistency so the growth of Paul Smith has been pretty gradual, no sudden break-through!
Your approach to the business is very hands on, with an old-school gentleman approach. How do you feel this sets you apart from competitors, and in this climate with a more demanding consumer?
In the fashion industry, so often designers disappear into an ivory tower and lose touch with the customer that they’re really designing clothes for. I’ve always tried to design clothes that can be worn and not just clothes that look nice on a mannequin. I’m also involved in every aspect of the business, from finance meetings to shop design, to marketing, to of course designing the collections. But I also started out as a shop-keeper and so I never lose sight of who the consumer is. I love spending time in our shops and meeting the people who like our kit.
What are your views on the growing phenomenon of social media?
I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t difficult communicating our personality online through social media. What makes Paul Smith different is the individuality and the eclectic mix of high culture and low culture, rough and smooth. Communicating that on a computer screen is not easy, but we do our best, and we’re getting better and better at it.
Designing for men and women, do you tend to prefer one or the other, and which tends to be more successful for the Paul Smith brand?
We’re known for our menswear. Classic pieces such as tailoring, shirting, pieces that many people associate with menswear. Grace Coddington once shot one of my men’s white shirts on a female model in 4 or 5 consecutive issues of US Vogue. That was one of the reasons I started designing womenswear, because so many women were wearing my men’s clothes.
You recently restructured your business to unite your numerous lines under two single collections for both women and men. How has the consolidation helped you cater to the ever-shifting consumer and industry demand?
Of course, it’s been some time in the making. I’ve been working in the industry for a very long time and I’ve certainly never seen it as chaotic as it is right now. The speed with which everything is changing is very difficult to get your head around. The changes we’ve made to simplifying the collections’ structure is to give us more focus and clarity. It’s never been more important than now to have clarity for the customer.
As fashions change to having a more street vibe, does this make an impact on your suit sales?
Throughout my career, suits have changed enormously in how they’re worn, their popularity and how they’re perceived. Once upon a time they were a uniform that even people performing very labour–based jobs would wear. Now wearing suits as a uniform is contained to offices whilst other professions have altered their dress codes sometimes for functional reasons, sometimes not. I’ve always been famous for tailoring, whether that’s someone buying their first suit for their wedding, or a bespoke tuxedo for a film premiere. A good suit is essential to every man’s wardrobe!
What makes the perfect suit?
It depends on what you’re looking for, your body type, your tastes and so on. But my ‘Suit To Travel In’ is pretty definitive. I’m constantly travelling and often have to run straight from the plane to stand in front of an audience and give a talk or rush to an interview, so having a suit that can withstand all that movement and look fresh is important. I imagine that lots of other people are under the same pressure, and so I thought I’d try and make a suit that makes our lives easier! Lots of suits that are described as being ‘travel ready’ or ‘crease-resistant’ tend to have some manmade fibres in the cloth to give them elasticity, or they’re a wool and mohair mix which can be quite rough on the skin. What’s pretty unique about my ‘Suit To Travel In’ is that it’s 100% all natural wool fibres, which gives it this natural breathability.
You are known to collect art, do you have a favourite piece, or artist?
I find choosing favourites impossible as it depends on your mood and so on, but I’ve always loved the work of Alberto Giacometti and am lucky enough to own a couple of original drawings by him, so sometimes you might spot one of them. Matisse is someone else I’m a big fan of, particularly his amazing use of colour. Actually, my first ever shop was exactly the same size as his ‘Snail’ collage, so you can often see a print of the Snail in my art walls.
You are also an accomplished photographer, is this another way that you like to express yourself?
Absolutely. My father was an amateur photographer and so I’ve always taken lots of pictures, many of which influence various aspects of my designs. My iPhone is packed full of photos of all sorts of different things that inspire me. I also have my own Instagram page, @paul_smith, which sort of acts as a visual diary.
Cycling is another of your passions, together with swimming early in the morning, do you use this as a time to switch off and take time out from the fashion world?
For sure, first thing in the morning is my favourite time of the day. I get up very, very early. I swim at about 5am and normally I’m in the office before 6am. I get into my studio, listen to some music, and get to work before everyone else arrives.
Do you feel it is important to ensure you keep a sense of perspective in this fast moving, and ever changing fashion business?
Most definitely. My wife Pauline initially inspired me because she was trained as a designer at the Royal College of Art and had a very particular understanding of the construction of clothes which she passed onto me. Of course, I liked the way she looked physically but also the way that she dressed. She continues to inspire me because she’s always kept her feet on the ground, and she’s very calm.
Can you share with us your secret to success?
Since it all began I was determined to never let the job change me. I’m blessed with a sense of humour and the ability to keep my feet on the ground. Happiness to me is all about balance. I try to maintain balance in everything that I do. The balance between the creative and the commercial, the balance between your work life and your personal life and so on.
By Eliza Scarborough
