Paul Smith History

Paul Smith was born in Nottingham in 1946 and educated at Beeston Fields Secondary School for Boys. His father, Harry, was a draper and amateur photographer. He left school at 15 to work at a clothing warehouse but his real ambition was to become a professional racing cyclist.

He rode his cycle to and from the warehouse each day until, aged 17, he was in a serious accident, sustaining injuries that put an end to his racing ambitions. Six months of recovery in hospital followed, during which Smith made friends with people from the local art college who would introduce him to the world of art and fashion.

Paul Smith Early Years

After recovering from his cycling accident Paul began to take evening classes in tailoring. Soon after he joined Lincroft Kilgour onSavile Row where his designs were worn by celebrities including  George Best.

With the help of his then-girlfriend (now wife), Pauline Denyer, who was a Royal College of Art graduate, and a small amount of savings, he opened his first shop on 10 Byard Lane, Nottingham in 1970 named Paul Smith Vêtements pour Hommes.

In 1976 Paul showed his first menswear collection in Paris, under the Paul Smith label. He gradually expanded the retail business, being the first designer to open on Floral Street in London’s  Covent Garden in 1979. His shop offered an eclectic combination of clothes and finds for men which reflected his own eclectic personality.

Smith had a key role in changing the perception of the suit in the 1980s. ‘I started my little shop in Covent Garden in 1979’, he said, ‘and it was in the 1980s when Mr Armani and I were relaxing the suit – although I’m not comparing myself to Mr Armani. We were making them softer, and making people think that they weren’t only for interviews or funerals or weddings, but were something you could wear more informally’.

In the 1980s he was credited with single-handedly reviving boxer shorts as men’s underwear of choice.

Interestingly for such an archetypally British label, Paul Smith enjoys a cult status in Japan, which is the company’s largest international market. The first Paul Smith store opened in Tokyo in 1984Track