Paul Smith's 50th Anniversary Capsule Collection Reimagines the Brand's Iconic Prints

This has been a landmark year for Sir Paul Smith, the legendary British designer. His label completed 50 years in an industry that’s known for its fickle memory and short attention span, where many brands have run their course in few years and fallen by the wayside. But Paul has remained relevant for good 50 years and his company is still independent (he owns majority of the stake). Had the world not been forced into a standstill due to Coronavirus pandemic, he would have travelled, had more shows and events to mark his 50th anniversary. Nevertheless, to mark the milestone year there’s a 50th anniversary book titled Paul Smith, which celebrates his work through 50 presented objects. The brand also released a new capsule collection for men and women featuring archive graphics from 1988 to 2002; and a namesake foundation was launched.

The new capsule collection for both men and women that was showcased to the media through a virtual press conference on December 15th, bears testimony to Paul Smith’s distinctive style—simple with playful and colourful details—anchored on fine, traditional British tailoring. Paul aptly describes his clothes being “classic with a twist”. With a strong nod to atheleisure, the collection comprises interesting jackets, joggers, sweatshirts, bomber jackets, skirts and suits. This capsule collection revives and reworks graphics from the Paul Smith Archive.

Long before, Paul became a designer, he aspired to be a photographer. He started off with a Kodak Retinette that his father bought him, when he was just like any other boy growing up in Nottingham, England. He used the camera to see patterns, textures and beauty around him. It’s isn't surprising that he is among the first to introduce photographic print to menswear in the 1980s, establishing his reputation as a pioneer in print design. The archive graphics showcased through this collection span a period from 1988 to 2002. The key print in the collection is the spaghetti print, which was first seen in Autumn/ Winter ’94, inspired by a plate of fake shop display spaghetti that Paul discovered during a visit to Tokyo in the 1980s. Other prints feature a shiny green apple and a floral rose motif. Besides clothes, a series of trainers, bags and small accessories complete the range.

The collection also includes playful suits like the devoré velvet one with an intricate floral pattern on the jacket and trousers. Inside the jacket, a bright rainbow stripe lining pays homage to Paul’s famous design signatures.

The collection is available at all Paul Smith stores.