Mood board: Smith opened his own shop at 6 Byard Lane in Nottingham after six years working for a friend in the city’s first boutique. In a 12-foot-square back room, down a small passageway behind a moneylender’s office, Smith sought to sell clothes and things that were not available anywhere outside of London, alongside one-off pieces bearing his name, designed and made by his future wife, Pauline. His latest collection referenced this simpler time – when textiles and ideas were clashed together and the anarchy of DIY, blue-blooded style was revered the world over.
Best in show: This urgency of self-expression mixed with archetypes of Britishness. Remixed English eccentricity was key for A/W 2019 as the label’s sartorial heritage was given a new-punk lean. An unfussy, unfurled elegance, punk met regal cavalry shapes and typically British textiles. Bondage trousers in houndstooth. Leather buckles sat high at the waist on Crombie coats. Painterly florals merged with cut and paste graphics and animal prints. Riding-inspired pieces were paired with skinny trousers and biker boots. Smith’s classic, time-honed tailoring was rebooted.
Sound bite: ‘The collection is a celebration of my love of independence, individuality and self-expression,’ Smith said. When he began his now globally renowned brand in the late 1960s, he charmed expert tailors in his hometown into making two-piece suits from pairs of curtains and raffish shirts out of floral dress fabrics. ‘That was how I expressed myself! This collection celebrates self-expression in all of its different guises.’
-
Our Tech Editor's selection of new and upgraded audio players covers the full spectrum of formatsWhether it’s vinyl, cassette, CD or mp3, or even sound sources you’ve captured yourself, you’ll find a suitable device in this round-up of pocketable and portable audio players
-
This Swedish summer house is a family's serene retreat by the trees and the Baltic seaHorsö, a Swedish summer house by Atelier Alba is a playfully elegant retreat by the Kalmarsund Sea and a natural reserve
-
A new exhibition retraces 50 years of Pierre Paulin’s history around the table‘Les Tables de Pierre Paulin’ shows a lesser-known side of the designer’s creative world, accompanied by a new book tracing his wife’s hospitality around his iconic table designs. ‘A creator is never alone in his creation…’
-
Palace unites with Rapha to celebrate inaugural Tour de France FemmesMarking the first time women will compete in the historic cycling race since the late 1980s, this new collaboration sees Palace Skateboards and Rapha create uniforms for both on and off the bike – including an ‘outlandish’ pair of Crocs
-
Paris Fashion Week A/W 2022: Chanel to Miu MiuIn this extended report, Wallpaper* updates you live from Paris Fashion Week A/W 2022 shows, with rolling coverage as runway events unfold
-
Paris Fashion Week Men’s A/W 2022: Louis Vuitton to Loewe, Dior to HermèsIn this extended report, Laura Hawkins reveals 9 highlights from Paris Fashion Week Men's A/W 2022. Including: Virgil Abloh's final collection for Louis Vuitton; Rick Owen's riff on sleaze; elfin-inspired accessories; and a celebration of slouch and surrealism
-
Scene-stealing runway sets from S/S 2022 womenswear showsFrom giant roulette wheels to Olympic diving boards and multi-city synchronized extravaganzas – our pick of the best fashion show sets from S/S 2022 womenswear
-
Paris Fashion Week A/W 2021: discotheque chic to apres-ski sleek -
Louis Vuitton A/W 2020 Paris Fashion Week Women's -
Chanel A/W 2020 Paris Fashion Week Women’s -
Y/Project A/W 2020 Paris Fashion Week Women's
