I became a fan of Sir Paul Smith after watching the video of him below, where he goes over how he designs his clothing line. He is known for “classics with a twist”. In the video he talks about how men want small and interesting touches. The colorful stripes are a signature Paul Smith design element. An example of a twist is the use of these stripes on the inner lining of a classic white shirt.
“The privilege of freedom is luxury for me, the privilege of silence, the privilege of being able to make your own decisions.” – Paul Smith Quote on Luxury
Another area of his design philosophy that I found interesting is how he views digital as lifeless and flat. Instead he uses yarn to view color combinations which he talks about in his collaboration with Leica cameras (see below).
A colored button hole on a jacket, purple pocket lining on a pair of pants, the lining of a jacket featuring a map of London, stripes hidden on the cuffs of a shirt, and a purple vintage backpack.
The same design principles can be seen in the collaborations he does.
Paul Smith & His Design Process: The Leica X2 Camera
Traditional Shoes with Purple Laces: A Paul Smith Collaboration
