The idea is to die young as late as possible. — Ashley Montagu — Friday July 3rd — —

“A wealth of information creates a poverty of attention.” – Herbert Simon — Friday July 3rd — —

“What art does — maybe what it does most completely — is tell us, make us feel that what we think we know, we don’t. There are whole worlds around us that we’ve never glimpsed.” Greil Marcus — Friday July 3rd — —

Paul Smith Autumn/Winter 2015

After we wrote about the inspirational presentation of the summer version of his A Suit To Travel In, Paul Smith once more shows his remarkable vision in the campaign of his Autumn/Winter 2015 collection. Capturing the confident use of color in the designs, the campaign for the inspirational designer’s collection is the first Paul Smith collection to be shot by the photographic artist Viviane Sassen, who we have been admiring ourselves for years. And what a wonderful hybrid of worlds the campaign has become – both creatives having an eye for exquisite stand out colors and the beauty of aesthetic contrast. As part of the campaign one can spot that the signature ‘Paul Smith’ logo is re-imagined with a playful sense of scale and positioning. A sense of modernity and wit is present throughout the campaign, echoing the essential qualities of Paul Smith, making the campaign a clear season favorite of ours.

Presenting the men’s and women’s collections together highlights the thematic similarities between the two this season, with geometric check patterns, 1970s silhouettes and dusty colors drawn from the work of Josef and Anni Albers central to both.

Next to Viviane Sassen, another of our countrywoman is present in the campaign: iconic face Saskia de Brauw perfectly encapsulates the effortless elegance of the Paul Smith women’s collection, while the young, George Koh, brings a youthful energy to the campaign. The campaign’s final co-star, Rocco the bunny, nods to Paul’s love of rabbits. On the morning of every catwalk show, Paul’s wife Pauline gives him a miniature bunny and the designer has now a rabbit for each of his shows going back forty years.

As the location of the editorial, Tate Britain’s iconic Manton staircase designed by David Tremlett – which was created by hand over 12 days by rubbing pastel crayons directly onto the walls – plays off the blocks of autumnal color that sit at the heart of the new collection. In a neat link to the imagination and inventiveness that underpins all Paul Smith pieces, Tremlett’s color artwork has the title ‘Drawing for Free Thinking’.

David Tremlett is an English artist of the highest esteem. His extensive exhibition history includes solo shows at the Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris; the Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam; and the Museum of Modern Art, New York, among others. His work is also featured in many prominent collections including the Tate Gallery, London; Cartier Foundation, Paris; Kunsthalle, Hamburg; and the Panza Collection, Varese. Tremlett has numerous catalogues and artist books to his credit. He was short listed for the prestigious Turner Prize in 1992.

The first Autumn/Winter 2015 men’s pieces have already begun to arrive and are now available to buy online and in select Paul Smith shops. New-season women’s arrivals are expected to begin in September.

For more work by the amazing Viviane Sassen see here.
For more work by David Tremlett see here.

For more information on the incredible Paul Smith Autumn/Winter 2015 collection, campaign and to buy the first pieces online see here.