Smith takes second stab at China market
Print Edition
PAUL Smith has never been so ready to share his viewpoints and quirky character to China’s fashion scene.
With the recent opening of the sprawling Kerry Center in Shanghai, the charismatic designer showed his determination to succeed in China even though a decade ago the local market didn’t treat him too well.
One of Britain’s most loved designers, Smith’s strong entrepreneurial spirit led him to open his first shop in Nottingham in 1974. Now he oversees a global fashion empire with Paul Smith designs sold in 66 countries worldwide.
Quirky enough to make the traditionalist feel rebellious and corporate enough to make the individualist blend in, his style is classic with a fun twist. Bold prints and colorful stripes are often found in his collections or even in the shop decorations.
The design tastemaker sat down for a talk with Shanghai Daily after the opening.
Your headquarters is full of bikes, books, cameras, toys, pictures and clocks. Are they a source of inspiration?
We do not collaborate with other designers but with brands in areas which we do not cover. For instance, bikes and cameras. We do this for two reasons; one is I find it very challenging — it pushes me to design in areas I’m not used to and with materials I’m not used to — and secondly because it enhances Paul Smith in design, architecture and art magazines, which widens your audience.
What has contributed to your success in fashion?
I’m most proud of the continuity of my business. Many businesses have great fame or success but unfortunately go down very quickly. Mine has always progressed and so I am very proud of that.
What’s your philosophy toward fashion, business and life?
Fit in with your lifestyle, your job, your age.
What have been the biggest challenges in China?
There are many established brands in China currently, some of which have been here for many years. There are of course many people in China but probably only a small amount are interested in fashion. The challenge is to show what point of view you have and what your character is.
Describe a normal working day for you.
I start by getting up at 5am. I always swim at 5:30am and get to work at 6am. I then spend two hours alone collecting my thoughts and doing lots of work. I listen to some vinyl music and then the days start with meetings from about 8am. There isn’t a typical, normal day that I could describe to you as it can be so varied. I always have meetings with my various teams to work on various projects such as shop design, designing my collections, retail meetings, and of course doing various media interviews, like this one now.
Not everyone is aware you are also a great photographer. When did you start your passion for photography?
If I wasn’t a designer, I would probably be a photographer as I take photos on a daily basis. I photograph all our advertising campaigns and also do some work for magazines as a photographer. I started taking photos at the age of 11 because my father was an amateur photographer and the founding member of the camera club in our hometown (Nottingham). It was then that I started to become really interested in photography.
You’ve opened a brand new shop in Kerry Center Shanghai. What’s you future plan for China?
Our strategy is to take our time, to open shops in good locations with very strong individuality with regards to interior design. To go for quality, not quantity.
What exhibition are you bringing to Shanghai this time? And why?
I think the point of the tailoring exhibition and my talk is to reassure Chinese customers that my history is very much about having a good knowledge of tailoring. I studied with a military tailor at night school in England, where I learnt a lot and that enabled me to have a bespoke service at my Notting Hill shop in London. Being privileged to go to the couture shows in Paris at the age of 23 was a great experience.
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