In 2020, Paul Smith celebrated 50 years of independent design.

Having reached this landmark, the focus was on ensuring that the next fifty years of Paul Smith would be as creative, individual and colourful as the first.

Sir Paul Smith, a pillar of the London design scene and a seasoned designer, has built a global British brand that now has 12 lines, including ready-to-wear for men and women, a denim line, a watch line, accessories, shoes and fragrances, and has licensed a range of work with Rapha, Maharam and Cappellini.

Known for his signature multi-colored stripes, with designs sold in flagship stores in London, Paris, New York, Milan, and Tokyo, among more than 200 other stores, Smith is widely recognized for his eye-catching storefront designs and the vibrant aesthetic that goes with it. The brand’s Los Angles store, with its signature bright pink facade, was named “the most Instagrammed building in California” by GQ in 2019.

Smith initially hoped to become a cyclist; his first job in the fashion industry was in a clothing warehouse, which he had no interest in, the only enjoyable aspect of the job being the cycle to and from work. During a six-month stay in hospital following a cycling accident, Smith made new friends who, after he recovered, introduced him to a pub popular with art and design students at the time. It was here that Smith decided he wanted to be part of the creative world and become a fashion designer.

With the help of his then-girlfriend, now-wife Pauline Denyer, a Royal College of Art fashion graduate, and £600 in savings, Smith opened his first store in Nottingham, England, in 1970, stocking not only his own designs but also well-known brands. In 1976, Smith debuted his first menswear collection in Paris under his eponymous label.

He showed his first womenswear collection at London Fashion Week in 1998 and has since expanded into denim, footwear, accessories, fragrances, childrenswear and homeware. Today, Paul Smith is a global brand, sold in over 70 countries and through 3,000 retail doors.

In 2020, the brand celebrated its 50th anniversary with the release of Paul Smith, a book of 50 objects that inspired the designer, and the launch of the Paul Smith Foundation, an online archive of the best advice Smith has given and received over the decades, aimed at helping young creatives.