A little about sir Paul• Born : 5th July, 1946 in Nottingham, England.• Childhood ambition : to become a racing cyclist.• Left school at the age of 15, with no

qualifications, and began working as an errand boy on a cycle in a Nottingham warehouse.

• At the age of 17, he met with a serious accident that put an end to his cycling career.

• He acquired interest in art and fashion at the hospital, from some art school kids – returned to the warehouse to work on displays for their showrooms and soon after made menswear buyer.

• Started taking sewing classes - joined Lincroft Kilgour in Savile Row after being spotted by chairman Harold Tillman, where his designs were worn by celebrities including footballer George Best.

• By 1976 Paul showed his first menswear collection in Paris under the Paul Smith label.

• Now – 15 shops in the UK – 200 shops in fashion capitals – based In Nottingham - turnover of £325million.

Career timeline• 1969 – met his wife-to-be Paulene Denyer • 1970 – opened his first shop - Paul Smith Vêtement Pour Homme on 10

Byard Lane, Nottingham.• 1976 – Showed his first menswear collection in Paris, under the Paul

Smith label• 1982 – opened his second store in London• 1983 – third store• 1987 – fourth store• 1990 – first children’s collection• 1993 – first women’s collection• 1995 - Paul Smith Limited was awarded The Queen's Award for Industry

for export achievement- London-based Design Museum opened a retrospective of Smith's

25 years of work in the fashion business, called True Brit, marking the first time the renowned museum devoted an entire exhibition to a single fashion designer.• 1996 – was awarded the Honorary Freedom of the City of Nottingham• 2000 – was awarded a knighthood, married Paulene, his partner of 30

years• 2001 – published his first book ‘ You Can Find Inspiration in Everything’

• 2002 – accessorised the England team for their World Cup matches in Japan and Korea

• 2003 - won Menswear Designer of the Year and Women's Contemporary Designer of the Year at the British Style Awards

• 2004 - Was named Designer of the Year for the fourth year running at theGQMen of the Year awards

• 2007 - was awarded an honorary fellowship of the Royal Institute of British Architects - an organisation that rewards outstanding contributions made to the world of art, design and architecture, a lifetime accolade just handed out to 10 people annually.

• 2008 – started contributing as a guest blogger on VOGUE.COM• 2009 - dressed football team Manchester United ahead of their Champions

League Final against Barcelona• 2010 - was honoured at the Condé Nast Traveller Innovation and Design Awards - launched Paul Smith Junior• 2011 – designed a limited edition copy of John Le Carré's novel, Tinker, Tailor,

Soldier, Spy - Was shortlisted for the 2011 Prince Philip Designer's Prize

14 different collections1. Paul Smith for men and women,2. PS by Paul Smith, 3. Paul Smith Jeans, 4. Paul Smith London, 5. R.Newbold (Japan only), 6. Paul Smith Black, 7. Paul by Paul Smith, 8. Paul Smith Accessories, 9. Paul Smith Shoe,Paul Smith rugs, china, spectacles and fragrance are made under license.

Paul Smith shops • All of the Paul Smith shops have a very unique theme which

makes them stand out among other designer shops. • From a shocking pink building with movie set styling on Melrose

Avenue, LA, to a Japanese garden at the heart of the Jingumae store in Tokyo, each shop is a showcase for diverse and eccentric objects complementing the clothing collections with an extensive selection of jewellery, books, art and antiques.

• Paul explains his eclectic aesthetic: "We're a leading and uniquely British brand. We mix up one-off antiques with high quality tailoring: the chair you sit on when you buy a suit is for sale and we can wrap the suit and have the chair waiting for you when you get home.“

Paul smith store on Melrose Avenue, LA.

R. Newbold, Japan.

Characteristic aspects of Paul Smith designs • Explains his designs as "well-made, good quality, simple

cut, interesting fabric, easy to wear“• Often adds a splash of vibrant colour, a floral print or his

signature multi-coloured stripes• Inspired by traditional British menswear – as a young boy,

he admired the Post office shirts and tweeds his brother wore

• Simplicity is his greatest attribute• Puts a twist to classic school boy and school girl looks• Womenswear – very masculine silhouettes, inspired by self-

confident women.

Every designer has an inspirationSmith admires the work of Yves Saint Laurent. "I was fortunate enough to see some of Yves Saint Laurent's first haute couture shows in his Paris salon - one in particular I remember was in homage to the Vietnam War and it was all in black. Then he did the famous see-through blouse in clear silk chiffon. The audience literally took a mass in-take of breath - as if we'd been watching a firework display. Obviously the fact that he pioneered le smoking for women proved how modern his thinking was," he said on his VOGUE.COM blog in 2008.