Paul Smith on Imbuing Clothing With Joy and Humor

The cheeky, happy-go-lucky spirit of the British fashion designer Paul Smith can be felt across everything he does, from his own clothing designs to his multifarious collaborations—Maharam textiles, Mini cars, Burton snowboards, and a suite at the Brown’s Hotel in London among them. Though Smith may run a business with expert tailoring and a mastery of color at its core, everything he creates seems to suggest, with a wink, “Don’t take yourself too seriously.” Beyond designing clothes, Smith also serves as a mentor to the next generation of designers. In 2020, he launched Paul Smith’s Foundation, through which he helps guide young creatives as they develop their careers. Fifty-four years into his business, which opened its first store in Nottingham, England, in 1970, Smith now operates shops in more than 70 countries around the world, from New York and Los Angeles to Paris and Hong Kong.

On this episode, he discusses his deep, 40-plus-year engagement with the country of Japan; his long-view approach to building a business that transcends time; his ever-growing collection of rabbit ephemera; and the metamorphic impact of music and humor on his life and work.

Special thanks to our Season 9 presenting sponsor, L’École, School of Jewelry Arts.

Show notes:

[3:31] Paul Smith

[6:33] Rei Kawakubo

[12:55] Elle Decor Japan

[21:41] Deyan Sudjic

[21:41] John Hegarty

[23:48] Paul Smith’s Foundation

[24:00] Studio Smithfield Fashion Residency

[24:00] John Galliano

[24:00] Alexander McQueen

[24:22] Jony Ive

[31:30] Bauhaus

[34:50] Beeston Road Club

[40:30] The Mini Strip

[48:24] Paul Smith Nottingham Store

[53:30] Maharam collaboration

[53:30] Burton collaboration

[53:30] The Rolling Stones

[54:19] Brown’s Hotel Sir Paul Smith Suite

[54:39] David Bowie

[54:39] Patti Smith

[54:39] Eric Clapton

[54:39] Jimmy Page

[1:01:57] Jean-Luc Godard