A Frame Around a Picture:

Six Decades of Paul Smith Tailoring

The second part of our global tailoring exhibition opens in Tokyo, charting the evolution of the Paul Smith suit over the course of almost six decades.

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A Frame Around a Picture: Six Decades of Paul Smith Tailoring

The second part of our global tailoring exhibition opens in Tokyo, charting the evolution of the Paul Smith suit over the course of almost six decades.

Share this story

Last week we launched the first part of A Frame Around a Picture, our global celebration of the Paul Smith suit. Part one, entitled Dressing the Greats, opened at our Melrose Avenue shop in LA, featuring an array of red carpet looks made for the likes of Cillian Murphy, Matt Smith, and Jenna Ortega. This was shortly followed by Six Decades of Paul Smith Tailoring, which began in Tokyo on 2^nd October. Over the last few years, the central Paul Smith archive has been extensively reorganised and newly catalogued, an undertaking which has allowed us to draw on decades’ worth of tailoring for this exhibition.

We chose almost 20 pieces from across our men’s and women’s collections, dating from the 1980s up to present day. Together, these items tell the story of Paul Smith’s role in reinventing tailoring for the modern era, combining traditional manufacturing techniques and classic fabrics with unexpected pops of colour, playful design touches, and inventive details.

The physical exhibition has now closed, but you can explore the full assemblage of archival tailoring below.

A classic British flannel is given a daring twist courtesy of a windowpane overcheck in bright magenta. Taken from the AW97 collection.

A men’s jacket – from the Paul Smith SS99 season – with an unconventional construction, putting elements usually concealed inside a jacket on the outside.

Debuting as part of the SS03 collection, this inventive skirt is designed to look like an assortment of men’s neckties.

A highlight from the SS00 collection, this unconventional suit pairs a traditionally cut jacket with matching shorts.

A women’s pinstripe wool jacket from AW06. Its classic exterior hides a bold orange lining, adorned with jumbo polka dots.

An undated item from the Paul Smith archive, this men’s jacket draws attention to its construction with intricate contrasting embroidery.

A green velvet jacket from the SS98 collection, with an intricate floral pattern achieved by using a devoré technique.

A men’s jacket from SS97, in a rich golden colour. There is a detailed floral paisley woven into the fabric itself.

From the Paul Smith SS14 collection, this shirt is printed with a colourful and vibrant mushroom pattern.

Taken from the SS04 women’s collection, this textured linen jacket is embroidered with a spectacular nature motif, featuring various flora and fauna.

A women’s tailored jacket, belonging to the AW98 collection. Its fabric references nature with a wood grain effect cleverly created by the weave.

For this men’s jacket from AW91, a photoprint of ivy leaves has been applied to a brushed moleskin cotton.

A tailored waistcoat – part of the AW03 collection – is embroidered with words and sentence fragments, designed to look like handwriting.

From the AW91 collection, this simple pinstripe waistcoat has been adorned with tiny metal badges depicting various tools and flowers.

A tunic-style jacket from AW04, inspired by regimental dress. Its fabric is a sombre monochrome, but each buttonhole is sewn in a different bright colour.

For AW98, this women’s tailored jacket is given a unique look thanks to an embroidered botanical motif.

Appearing in the SS02 women’s collection, this jacket is cut from coarse military surplus cloth.

This men’s jacket from AW98 appears simple but features a bright green lining and decorative embroidery.

An undated item from the Paul Smith archive, this men’s jacket and matching waistcoat are cut from a cloth with an eye-catching two-tone pinstripe.

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