While Paul Smith’s latest line of printed tops, wrap coats and sculptured drapes was delightful, the best clothes on the eminent British designer’s catwalk were actually the ones he was wearing when he came out for the finale.
Smith, 69, looked debonair in a blue check suit — most certainly designed by himself — worn with a crisp white shirt, stylish spectacles, a black belt and a pair of tattered trainers.
It’s effortless dressing from one of the industry’s foremost tastemakers, a look that evoked his enduring creative spirit of combining traditional tailoring with a contemporary aesthetic.
Backstage after the show, a New York Times reporter quizzed Smith on his thoughts about digital printing, which has become all the rage this season — and why the designer still chooses to construct his prints the traditional way.
His answer reflected his inspiring style philosophy: “I wanted to turn away from it and hold true to the elegance of work done by hand. I had one foot in the past and one in the present this season. It’s exactly where I wanted to be.”
