Paul Smith has been designing for over five decades, with this year marking the 55th anniversary of his eponymous label. Given Smith’s extended history that has dressed stars like David Bowie, Led Zeppelin and more alongside remaining a successful independent brand, the story is no longer about proving himself. Now, the direction is aligned with executing what Smith has accomplished for decades – well-crafted sartorial elegance, which made the designer’s return to Pitti Uomo for the Spring/Summer 2025 season all the more special.
Smith’s exhibition is already special due to its comeback nature, but to add to the spectacle, the British designer opted for an intimate presentation instead of an elaborate fashion show. However, that doesn’t mean the showing was without notes of dramatic elegance, even in its pulled-back format.
Housed at Villa Favard in Florence, which is one of Giuseppe Poggi’s major works, Smith turned the space into “Bar Paul”– embedding the space with elements of an Italian cafe. “Why I’m showing at Pitti now is because we’ve forgotten about the clothes. Everyone is trying to get bigger, better and more expensive. I thought to myself, “Why not do a presentation again? Why don’t you do something that’s from the heart where you just talk about the clothes? Make it personal,”‘ Smith said. That’s exactly what Smith did.
Smith took to Villa Favard’s golden ballroom to showcase a concise set of 16 looks. But what made the moment extra special was that Smith explained each look’s design style and creation instead of simply sending them down a runway. What came from it was a deeply personal way of design exhibition – also affirming why Smith has remained a core name.
Across the SS25 collection, Smith leaned into his affinity for sartorial dressing – setting forth suit and tailored garments that blended classic and contemporary dress notes. A three-button houndstooth suit leans into core suiting styles while slim-fitting suits with multicolored plant/floral embroidery offer a kitschy touch. What also served as a special collection driver was Smith’s decision to dig into his multi-decade archive, which boasts over 4,60o pieces. With it came key vintage pieces like a navy shawl-closure top, an oversized trench coat and even Prince of Wales fabric suits.
“The joy of being a designer is having an idea in your head and your heart and making it work,” said Smith. “What’s interesting for me is that as a company we have a relevance after all these years.”
