Paul Smith on the Past 50 Years

The Business of Fashion Podcast

The Business of Fashion

Fashion & Beauty, Business, Arts

4.6 • 770 Ratings

🗓️ 22 October 2020

⏱️ 50 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

The designer speaks with BoF Editor-at-Large Tim Blanks about how the current moment is shaping the future of creativity. LONDON, United Kingdom — It’s been 50 years since Paul Smith opened his first shop in Nottingham. Now, he has 200 shops worldwide. In the latest episode of the BoF Podcast, the celebrated designer speaks with BoF Editor-at-Large Tim Blanks about the last five decades, his latest book and how the current moment is prompting a return to craft.

Reflecting on the past 50 years, Smith emphasises the importance of making the most of any luck or opportunity by working at it. “For a lot of people opportunities come their way but they don’t embrace them,” he said.
To celebrate the brand’s 50th anniversary, Smith has released a book. In it, he tells the story of the last 50 years through 50 objects. “Instead of it just being a coffee table book with pictures of clothes in it, [I wanted it to] be a little bit lateral,” said Smith. “I very quickly chose 50 things — and I say ‘very quickly’ because I wanted it to be spontaneous.” Each object signifies a particular time or a memory that has shaped Smith's life and brought him to where he is today.
Despite the challenges 2020 has presented, the designer says he is excited about the industry’s return to craft. “What’s been inspiring for me is the construction,” said Smith. “Instead of the inspiration coming from a Matisse or a Basquiat, going back to how we make things has been really wonderful.”

Related Articles: Restructuring and Redundancies at Paul Smith Streamlining Collections, Paul Smith Reveals Own Fashion Calendar Fix Watch and listen to more #BoFLIVE conversations here. To contact The Business of Fashion with comments, questions or speaker ideas please email [email protected].

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Your world of fashion, it shouldn't just be pictures from runway shows.
0:07.0	It should be to show the way you think about things and the way you look at things.
0:12.0	It should be a bit more alateral and a bit more unusual.
0:15.0	What's been the impact of the pandemic?
0:18.0	All the stuff that has happened in the world, that fashion reflects. Have you ever felt
0:22.8	frightened or intimidated at any point? Never because I've got a beautiful lady at home. And we've never
0:29.8	gone like a rocket as a company. We've always been within our means. We've never overdone it.
0:38.8	Hi, this is Imran Ahmed founder and CEO of the Business of Fashion and welcome to the
0:43.7	BOF podcast. There are very few fashion businesses, let alone an independent fashion business
0:50.4	that makes it to the 50 year mark in fashion. But Paul Smith is one of the rare designers
0:56.1	to have done so. He opened his first shop in Nottingham 50 years ago and now has more than
1:01.8	200 stores worldwide. In the latest episode of the BOF podcast, Paul Smith speaks with BOF's
1:08.9	editor at large Tim Blanks about the last five decades in fashion,
1:13.3	his latest book and how the current moment is prompting a return to craft.
1:18.8	Here's Paul Smith, Inside Fashion.
1:26.1	Hello, good afternoon. Welcome to BOF Live. Today our guest is Sir Paul Smith, who is incredibly,
1:34.6	to me, celebrating his 50th year in business, which is just stunning. And I mean, that achievement
1:41.9	in this industry is obviously massive.
1:45.0	And I'm looking at Paul sitting there and I'm thinking that does look like 50 years piled up behind him.
1:53.0	It's only 20 years.
1:55.0	It's only 20 years, Tim.
1:58.0	But I've got a big warehouse in the north of England that's got the other 30 years
	...

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