1.From modest beginnings
Just about wherever you go in Japan, there is one thing you can be certain to find is a Paul Smith shop. With over too hundered throughout the country, Paul Smith has succeeded in one of his key ambitions: to bring his view of fashion and design to as wide an audience as possible.
Born in Nottingham in the Midlands region of England, The design career of Paul Smith started in October 1970 when he opened his first shop in that city, using all of his ￡600 savings. With a natural eye for fashion style, Paul soon added his own designs to the Margaret Howell and Kenzo products he sold in the shop. From then on, the Paul Smith brand has blossomed, with shops now in the UK, the USA, France, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, the Philippines. But his most obvious success is in the Japanese market, where he now has two hundred outlets. This makes him easily the most successful menswear designer in the East.
2.Unique design philosophy
Paul Smith has always anticipated trends. He popularised the boxer shorts, Filofax, and the eight-button polo shirt. But it is his intuitive take on design which has laid the foundations for his success. He describes the Paul Smith look as "classic with a twist" - a combination of quality, wearability and wit. The principles of traditional craftsmanship and tailoring are retained, but given a contemporary edge. He is one of the few working designers who manages to transmit a genuine sense of fun and mischief, lending character and humanity to his designs.
"I have always tried to design clothes which allow the person to be an individual, rather than make them part of a fashion group" explains Smith.
3.British through and through
Smith, who takes conspicuous pride in his origins, has transformed his idea of Britishness into an international language of fashion. "Compared with many other countries, the British have a much more lateral way of thinking about everything, from the way we dress to the music we make, to the things we consume. We are free-spirited."
The ultimate symbol of Britishness, the Union Flag, has made its way into his designs down the years - some of his first silk-screen T-shirt and handkerchief designs were based on it. Over the years he has continued to adapt the flag to a number of design styles, involving among other things the innovative use of colour and context.
4.From clothing to cars
Although his early focus was on clothing and fashion, Paul Smith's talents has extended far beyond the kind of designs he produced for his first shop nearly 30 years ago. The supreme accolade must be the celebrated Paul Smith Mini. The Mini has long been viewed as a true design icon of Britain. In the 1960s it epitomised the spirit of the country. Manufactured by Rover, the Paul Smith Mini was launched in Tokyo in April 1998. With his flair for colour and style applied rigorously to the vehicle design, the car was an immediate success.
Whatever the object of his interest, Paul Smith's designs rely on achieving a critical balance. Between formality and eccentricity; exuberance and sobriety, the traditional and the contemporary.
5.More than anything, a success
Building on his very individual style, Paul Smith has become one of the top names in fashion design. Today he heads up an impressive international fashion empire of over two hundred and twnty shops and ten clothing collections. Annual turnover of his business is estimated at ￡171 million, earning him the prestigious Queen's Award for Export Achievement, granted to only a handful of companies each year by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
Despite his steady expansion, Paul Smith continues to be deeply involved in the running of the company, including, of course, producing innovative and unique designs for his many discerning fans world-wide.
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