Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Paul Smith: A British Icon of Fashion

Paul Smith was born inNottinghamin 1946. Smith left school aged just 15, and his main ambition at the time was to be a racing cyclist. However, he was sent by his father to work in a clothing warehouse, but for the first two years still harboured ambitions of cycling professionally.

Around this time he suffered a serious accident while out cycling and spent two months in hospital recovering. Smith made a number of friends from the art and fashion world during his time in hospital. When he finally made a full recovery, Smith decided to enter the world of fashion and started taking night courses in tailoring.

His talent was first noticed by Harold Tillman, the chairman of Lincroft Kilgour. In 1970, with the help of his girlfriend (now his wife) Pauline Denyer, he saved up to open his first store, inNottingham. In 1976, Smith got the chance to show his collection inParis. After this, the retail side of his business continued to expand. He opened numerous stores, including the first fashion store in the now famousFloral Street,CoventGardens. In 1998, Smith showed his first collection of women's wear, which is still a popular arm of the brand today.

The appeal of the Paul Smith brand reaches across the globe. There are showrooms inLondon,Paris,Milan,New York,Dubai,Bangalore,Los Angeles,Antwerpand many more. His clothes are particularly popular inJapan. His range of clothing now includes men's wear, women's wear, accessories, luggage, shoes and sunglasses. The majority of his pieces include the famous multi coloured stripes, which are a cornerstone of the brand's image. 

In 2000, Paul Smith became Sir Paul Smith, after being included on the Queen's New Year's honours list. Even today, at 65 years old, Smith is still actively involved in all parts of his business; regularly visiting stores to offer a personal touch that many other high-end fashion labels can no longer offer. 

There have been numerous famous faces seen modeling Paul Smith, and there are many more that are simply fans of the brand. Some of Smith's very early work, while working for Lincroft Kilgour, was worn by footballing legend George Best. Other, more recent celebrities spotted wearing the Paul Smith label include Alexa Chung, Jamie Foxx, Charlize Theron and Brandon Flowers. Just this year, Paul Smith outfitted the entire Manchester United team for their match day suits, for their Champions League Final meeting withBarcelona

 Paul Smith sunglasses are a key part of the overall brand and are typically reminiscent of Smith's design ethos in other areas of his fashion empire. They retain their classic styling, but include modern twists to cater to today's generation of fashion followers. One of the most noticeable and iconic factors of Paul Smith sunglasses is the nod to classic British design touches. Each pair is made of the highest quality materials to provide superior comfort and durability.

To become part of the considerable Paul Smith following, visit Red Hot Sunglasses. The Paul Smith Romiley sunglasses are the perfect example of Smith's classic design. They're available in dark mahogany, grey, onyx pewter and beige silk, which create a particularly striking look.

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