Information On Paul Smith

Paul Smith is a great British success story. Paul Smith's smart and cool clothes and distinctive accessories have earned Paul Smith a place in the front ranks of British fashion.

Paul Smith was born in Nottingham in 1946. Paul Smith started as a gofer in a local clothing warehouse at the age of 18. In 1970 Paul Smith opened his first shop with a few hundred pounds of savings and took evening classes in tailoring, gradually developing his own style. By 1976 Paul Smith was playing consultant to an Italian shirt manufacturer and to the International Wool Secretariat. In the same year Paul Smith showed his first collections in Paris under the Paul Smith label.

Today Paul Smith Ltd boasts a chain of around 225 shops and concessions. 200 of which are in Japan where Paul Smith is a local celebrity. In May 1998 Paul Smith won endless column inches and credit for introducing a new retail experience in his shop-in-a-house on Notting Hill's Kensington Park Road. And, although his company's annual turnover is over £100 million it still manages to retain Paul Smith personal touch. A true man of the people, Paul Smith advises and pilots each division himself as well as finding time to oversee the running of the shops.

Paul Smith was made a CBE in 1994 for services to the fashion industry and won a Queen's Award for Export the following year. To celebrate 25th anniversary in fashion, London's Design Museum dedicated an exhibition to Paul Smith, entitled Paul Smith True Brit. Paul Smith was named Designer of the Year for four years running by the readers of GQ. On 24 November 2000 Paul Smith was granted the ultimate honour, a knighthood and his wife's hand in marriage.