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Collaging colours, textures and fabrics, Paul Smith Spring/Summer ’20 takes inspiration from Paul’s Seventies trips to downtown New York
Visiting New York in the 1970s, Paul experienced the vibrancy and energy of SoHo’s burgeoning art scene. At that time galleries like OK Harris, Pace and Leo Castelli digressed from the establishment in the Upper East Side and opened spaces in the bustle of Downtown. The city’s young artistic community relished how unconstrained their creativity could be in warehouse-like studios and with access to materials from Pearl Paint and the hardware shops that filled Canal Street.
On the catwalk an intentional scruffy elegance prevails. The personal wardrobes of the creative people that Paul came to know on his New York trips inspire the collection. At that time an artist’s tailored suit could double as overalls and self-expression through style came with your interpretation of everyday items like an oversized jacket or a customised cotton shirt.
The collection’s colours nod to a Pop Art palette building from pastels of dusty pink and caramel to electric hues of strong yellow and blue. A screen print floral is filled with the DIY attitude so common amongst the people Paul encountered on his Seventies trips. Flashes of a graphic rabbit are a take on Pop Artists’ re-appropriation of iconic brand logos. Famed for his love of rabbits Paul re-appropriates his own icon in Pop Art style.
