Paul Smith (fashion designer) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Paul Smith
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Smith in 2009
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Paul Brierley Smith
5 July 1946 Beeston, Nottinghamshire, England
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Pauline Denyer
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Sir Paul Brierley Smith (born 5 July 1946) is a famous English fashion designer. He is known for his cool and stylish clothes. His designs are especially popular for men.
Paul Smith's company started in 1970. Now, his clothes and products are sold in over 70 countries. You can find his stores in malls and airports. His bright pink store in Los Angeles is even a popular spot for taking photos!
Early Life
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Paul Smith was born in 1946 in Beeston, England. He was the youngest of three children. When he was young, he dreamed of becoming a professional cyclist.
He left school at 15 to work in a clothing warehouse. He cycled to work every day. At 17, he had a big cycling accident. He spent almost six months in the hospital. During his recovery, friends helped him discover art and fashion. Cycling has often inspired his work since then.
After getting better, he started learning about tailoring. He even worked with a famous tailor from Savile Row.
Career Highlights
In 1970, Paul Smith opened his first shop in Nottingham. It was called Paul Smith Vêtements Pour Homme. He sold clothes from other brands and his own designs. The shop was very small, only three square metres!
In 1976, he went to Paris to show his first men's collection. It had a mix of casual and dressy clothes. The Paul Smith brand grew quickly after that. In 1979, he opened his main London store. It was on Floral Street in Covent Garden.
His first collection for women, 'Paul Smith Women', came out in 1993. This happened because women were already buying smaller men's sizes to wear.
The first Paul Smith store in Japan opened in Tokyo in 1984. Now, there are 165 stores across Japan. He also opened a shop in New York City in 1987.
In 1995, the Design Museum had a special show about his business. It was called 'True Brit' and celebrated 25 years of his work.
Paul Smith published his first book in 2001. It was called You Can Find Inspiration in Everything. His company also launched its online store in 2004. In 2016, he released another book, Paul Smith's Cycling Scrapbook. It shares his love for cycling.
In 2019, Paul Smith even appeared in the movie Men in Black: International. He also designed the cool suits worn in the film!
Awards and Honors
Paul Smith has won many awards for his fashion work. Here are some of them:
- He won Designer of the Year four times in a row at the GQ Men of the Year awards.
- In 2011, he received the Outstanding Achievement Award at the British Fashion Awards.
- He was named one of GQ's 50 best dressed British men in 2015.
He has also received special honors from the British Crown. He was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1994. In 2000, he was knighted, which means he can use the title "Sir." In 2020, he was given the Order of the Companions of Honour (CH). These awards recognize his great contributions to fashion.
Local Recognition
In 1997, Paul Smith was given the honorary "Freeman" title for the City of Nottingham. This is a special way for his hometown to recognize him.
In 2024, a tram in Nottingham was named after him. This is a special honor given to local famous people.
Cool Collaborations
Paul Smith loves to work with other companies and designers. He has created many unique items. Here are some of his interesting partnerships:
- In 1997, he designed a special Mini car. Only 1,800 of these cars were made!
- In 2005, he worked with Triumph to redesign their Bonneville T100 motorbike.
- He also redesigned a classic Lasonic boombox. He gave it a white look with his famous colorful stripes.
- For the 60th anniversary of Penguin Classics books, he redesigned the cover of Lady Chatterley's Lover.
- In 2007, he designed cycling clothes with Rapha. He even made a special jersey for the Tour de France.
- In 2009, he designed a bottle for Evian water.
- He provided suits for the famous Manchester United football team.
- In 2012, he teamed up with Leica to design a special edition camera.
- He designed a set of stamps for the Isle of Man Post Office to celebrate the London Olympics.
- In 2013, he designed the official T-shirt for David Bowie's album 'The Next Day.'
- He also designed the leader's jersey for the Giro d'Italia cycling race.
- Since 2014, he has worked with Anglepoise to create new versions of their classic lamps.
- In 2016, he designed a special Land Rover Defender car.
- He also designed a new version of the cactus-shaped coat stand for Gufram.
