Mood board: To call this a greatest hits collection would be accurate in the sense that Sir Paul Smith pointed to various looks and said they re-interpreted clothes he had designed for David Bowie or Talking Heads decades ago. This wasn't a 45-year retrospective (even if he noted that the young studio team voraciously went through the archives in Nottingham) so much as a toast to individuality, hence the title 'Independent Mind'. Aside from David Hockney-esque colour accents - which frequently converged as vibrant lining - the collection got its kick from new fabrications such as linen printed with lurex and graphic shirting. Pants came slouchy, skinny, high-waisted, low-slung, pleated or polka-dotted. But none surprised as much as the pair animated with oversized ants.
Sound bite: '"Independent mind" means being yourself and dressing the way you want rather than the way the big institutions say, "Wear this and you'll be fashionable,"' Sir Smith told us post-show. 'You dress within your character… individuality is always something that has been really important to us.'
Scene setting: We couldn't resist asking the designer about the near-skittish selection of multi-generational rock - nearly one track per outfit - and how this aligned with the variety within the show. Sir Smith gladly volunteered his iPhone, showing off a list that included The Kinks, Bo Diddley, The Strokes, The White Stripes, Dick Dale and more. Turns out, the man who cuts his hair weighed in on the final cut, 24 songs in total.
Photography: Jason Lloyd-Evans
-
The Park: step inside Jeremy King's mid-century dinerOne of several 2024 openings from restauranteur, Jeremy King, food critic Ben McCormack books in at The Park
-
Six brilliant bars for your 2025 celebrations, hot off the Wallpaper* travel deskWallpaper’s most-read bar reviews of the year can't be wrong: here’s inspiration for your festive and new year plans, from a swanky Las Vegas lounge to a minimalist London drinking den
-
Misfires and Monstrosities: three vehicular design disasters that show taste is in retreatFrom a multi-million dollar piece merchandise to a wretched Rolls-Royce, these are the low points of the year in transportation design
-
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
