Paul Smith – AW18 Collection

Dark shades of blue and red combine with floral chinoiserie in the new campaign to launch Paul Smith’s autumn/winter 2018 collection.

The mood of the new campaign is darkly romantic, as models Malgosia Bela, Roch Barbot and Henry Raush meet in a derelict West London hotel. Inspiration is taken from Nick Cave, Dutch still life painting and 1970s British films such as Performance.

With tailoring forever at the heart of Paul Smith, the campaign focuses attention on sharply cut suits and wool overcoats, presented in bold colours and strong check patterns.

Length is accentuated in this season’s outerwear. The timeless Epsom coat, cut from traditional English cloth, is given an unexpected burst of vibrancy with deep red or vibrant turquoise.

Women’s tailoring is relaxed but has form. Suit jackets are deconstructed, yet always follows the female figure, hugging the waist to give a naturally confident shape that is never masculine.

Leather tool bags look back to Paul’s first visits to New York in the 1970s and his shopping excursions to the hardware stores on Canal Street – a favourite of young artists and designers at the time.

The work of French Illustrator Edmund Dulac inspired a key motif this season. The Dreamer print features on a collection of wonderfully detailed clothes and accessories – from men’s shirts to flowing women’s dresses.

A romantic colour palette of midnight blues, deep purples and other jewel-tones is drawn directly from Edmund Dulac’s work and finds vivid expression in this season’s woven lambswool and mohair knitwear.

Paul Smith
16, The Royal Arcade
W1S 4SR
Tel: 0203 205 1135
www.paulsmith.com