Six months in hospital followed and during this time Paul made some new friends. After leaving hospital he arranged to meet them again and by chance the meeting place was a local pub that was popular with the students from the local art college.

They talked of Mondrian, Warhol, Kokoshka, David Bailey and listened to the Rolling Stones, Miles Davis and much more. It was then Paul knew he wanted to be a part of this colourful world of ideas and excitement.

Within two years, Paul Smith was managing his first boutique in Nottingham and with the encouragement of his girlfriend Pauline Denyer (now wife) and a small amount of savings, opened a tiny shop in 1970. Paul started to take evening classes for tailoring and with the help of Pauline (an RCA fashion graduate), Paul was able to create what he wanted. By 1976 Paul showed his first menswear collection in Paris under the Paul Smith label.

Within 20 years of his introduction to fashion Paul Smith had established himself as the pre-eminent British designer. Paul Smith has the ability to anticipate, and even spark off trends not only fashion but in the wider context of popular culture. He manages to transmit a genuine sense of humour and mischief mixed with his love of tradition and the classics

Today there are 12 different collections; Paul Smith, Paul Smith Women, PS by Paul Smith, Paul Smith Jeans, Paul Smith London, R.Newbold (Japan only), Paul Smith Accessories, Paul Smith Shoes, Paul Smith Fragrance, Paul Smith Watches, Paul Smith Pens and Paul Smith furniture and things. Paul Smith rugs, china, spectacles and fragrance are made under license. Designed in Nottingham and London, the Paul Smith collections are primarily produced in England and Italy while the fabrics used are mainly of Italian, French and British origin.

In 2002 Paul Smith collaborated with Cappellini to create the Mondo collection of furniture inspired by observation and travel. In 2003 Paul designed an upholstery textile in partnership with Maharam, called Bespoke, which was inspired by classic pinstripe suiting.

The Paul Smith shops reflect the character of Paul and his designs, an unmistakable Englishness augmented by the unexpected. The shops house the Paul Smith collections and an extensive selection of jewellery, books, art, antiques and an array of interesting and beautiful products. Work of British designers is often showcased alongside Paul's personal collections of art or curios.

Paul Smith is global - the collection is wholesaled to thirty five countries and has fourteen shops in England. Paul Smith shops are found in London, Nottingham, Paris, Milan, New York, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, the Philippines, Korea, Kuwait, U.A.E. and over two hundred throughout Japan. Paul remains fully involved in the Japanese business; designing the clothes, choosing the fabrics, approving the shop locations and overseeing every development within the company. Paul Smith also has impressive and diverse showrooms in London, Paris, Milan, New York and Tokyo.

Paul Smith continues to be an integral part of the company; he is both designer and chairman. Paul Smith is continually involved in every aspect of the business and as a result, Paul Smith Limited retains a personal touch often lost in companies of a similar size.

Paul Smith Fall 2007 Men

January 28, 2007 When he bent his mind to his new collection, Paul Smith was thinking about the sons of his friends, boys in their late teens or early twenties who might show up for one of those posh weekend-house parties a totem of the Smith ethos with things missing from their kit. Which, in a nutshell, was the new Paul Smith collection the appropriate vs. the improvised. Crumpled suits might have been pulled straight from the suitcase in which they d been balled up. A cable-knit rollneck paired with a satin-trimmed jacket was an uneasy compromise between day and night; likewise, the black silk jacket and indigo jeans. A velvet jacket thrown over a T-shirt also embodied the improvised, dressy moment. Smith grabbed the Union Jack and broke it every which way to underline the random spirit of his inspiration: The waistcoat underneath a citron velvet jacket looked surprisingly cool. Elsewhere, the designer fell back on the most traditional elements: pinstripes, plaids, houndstooths, tattersall checks, corduroy. Smart move theres no point to subversion unless you have the original for reference. The sound track by Pete Smith and Andrew Hale certainly agreed.Tim Blanks

Paul Smith Fall 2007 Women

LONDON, February 13, 2007 Paul Smith doesn't really do theme-y collections. Whatever the season, his concept revolves around the brand of modern Britishness he has personally made accessible throughout the world. For Fall, though, he seemed almost inadvertently to have picked up the current twenties vibe in drop-waisted Deco chiffon dresses, long lean cardigans, fluid pants, and the odd shawl-collared Poiret coat. Since these were followed by a section of gamekeeper-check knickers and vests and a khaki WWI greatcoat, it was easy to think, just for a moment, "Aha, of course! Lady Chatterley's Lover," and "What a clever English spin." It was only a flash, though, because after that it was back to the natty pinstripe pantsuits, some randomly misplaced neon knits, and tux tailoring for evening. Not that any of this was a letdown particularly, but by the end, that intriguing D.H. Lawrence moment had vanished from memory among the general merchandise.-Sarah Mower

Paul Smith Spring 2007 Men

Paul Smith menswear for Spring Summer 2007 is a very English collection. Saville Row inspired tailoring, traditional English fabrics, simple elegant shirts; all mixed with old English work wear detail and design. Colours are soft and muted with emphasis on small details taken from old utility jackets and pants; hammer loops, pen pockets and work wear pockets.

Fragrance

Paul Smith launched his first fragrance "Original" for men and for women in 2000. Drawing inspiration from aromatherapy oils and energising lotions, the fragrance is relaxed for every day use, and can be summed up by the words timeless and modernity.

In 2002 "Extreme" launched. This fragrance was designed to compliment the first fragrance, being fresh and lively.

"Paul Smith London" was launched in 2004. This more sophisticated fragrance is elegantly lush with exotic twists of the unexpected and is decanted into luxuriant apothecary style bottles.

Paul Smith "Floral", a women's only fragrance completed the fragrance portfolio in September 2005. The Fragrance is a lighter, fresher and younger version of the "London" fragrance.

"Story" is a new fragrance for men. It is clean, minimal and classic but with surprising elements providing the twist in this particular tale. Which is, after all, the hallmark of Paul Smith