deas can come from anywhere, you can take inspiration from anything. Paul Smith
I took myself off to the Design Museum to see the exhibition ‘Hello, my name is Paul Smith’. It was fab. It takes you on a journey through Paul’s life, from standing inside a 3×3 metre blank shell – the size of his first shop in Nottingham, right up to present day to watch super-HD video footage of his recent catwalk show in Paris.
In one section, screens streaming different colours, graphics and images are overlaid with Paul’s voice. He speaks about his inspirations and work routines. You will also see replicas of his office, first showroom and impressive collaborations with big name brands, including Mini and Evian. Smith is man with fingers in many pies.
The thing that I took away from the exhibition was Paul Smith’s sense of resilience and ambition. He is a risk taker and his first ever collection in Paris was laid out on felt paper on a hotel bed. That takes guts.
Another highlight was a glimpse at Paul’s personal archive of prints and reference material. His creativity seems to be triggered by the world around him. His passion for design and seeing existing things in a new way hasn’t waned throughout his career. There are many strings to Smith’s bow and I hadn’t realised that his keen interest in photography has seen him shoot some of his own campaigns.
Now, I’m a bit of a fashion exhibition fiend but I have to say that this is the first one where I’ve come away feeling like I’ve found out about the designer as a person, rather than appreciating a beautiful showcase of their work.
A giant post-it on the wall reading ‘ Every day is new beginning’, and other inspirational quotes from Paul dot the route. Thanks is given to his wife for her on-going support and design insights and this lends a personal touch as you walk from section to section. You get the sense of his lifestyle and work ethos and that is one of the reasons that I loved visiting. The breathtakingly gorgeous clothes are a given.
The exhibition runs until 22 June 2014
