Paul Smith at Harbour City, Hong Kong

This early experience proved what Paul had already suspected – that being able to pique someone’s curiosity is a very powerful thing. When Paul later opened his first shop, followed by another, then another, he always kept this idea in mind. As a result, each Paul Smith shop has always been filled with unusual items, unconventional art, and bizarre curios, often taken from Paul’s personal collection.

The blurring of lines between retail space, art gallery, and personal museum is now relatively commonplace, but in those early days of Paul Smith it was a unheard of. And this is what a new installation at Hong Kong’s Harbour City shopping complex celebrates. Found on the Ocean Terminal Deck overlooking the city’s famous port, the installation consists of three three-by-three metre spaces, representing the dimensions of Paul’s very first shop in his hometown of Nottingham. One cube contains items relating to Paul’s dual passions of cycling and photography, while the next contains a collection of specially made neon signs – inspired by Hong Kong’s unmistakeable technicolour glow – which refer to key aspects of the brand’s history. The final cube is ‘Barber Paul,’ a recreation of a traditional barber shop, paying tribute to the art of shopkeeping. Taken together, these three ‘shops’ reflect how Paul’s natural inclination as a collector dovetails with his role as master shopkeeper.

Rounding out the installation is Bar Paul, our touring café pop-up serving alcoholic beverages, soft drinks and food.