Paul Smith's Menswear Salon Show: A Celebration of Heritage and Innovation
The menswear fashion week in Milan has been missing a familiar constant since Giorgio Armani's passing last September, but Paul Smith is determined to fill that void. The 80-year-old designer showcased his latest collection on Saturday evening at the brand's Italian headquarters, with all the hallmarks that fans have come to love – bold prints, great suiting, and bright colors.
Smith himself served as compère for the show, introducing each piece with descriptions of the designs and inspirations over a microphone. It was a personal touch that paid homage to his own experiences in the fashion industry, having started out at the ateliers of Coco Chanel and Yves Saint Laurent in the 1970s. "I really wanted to do a salon show," he said. "Because we're still an independent company, and I still own it, it's so personal in today's corporate world."
The collection was partly inspired by collaborating with new design director Sam Cotton, who brought his explorations of 5,000 designs found in the Paul Smith archive to the table. The result was a range that included items like jackets first seen in 1999 and rust-colored grandad shirts – "I dyed on a gas cooker in a saucepan," Smith recalled.
Despite the challenges posed by the post-pandemic luxury slowdown, with turnover falling 7% in 2024, Paul Smith remains optimistic. He warned that results for this year won't be great, but insisted that the brand is working hard to get back on track and will come out "fine."
In contrast, Ralph Lauren's menswear show was a celebration of success, with sales up 11% in the first quarter of 2025. The label has practically patented preppy style over nearly 60 years, and its latest collection felt like a masterclass in blending Polo with the more upmarket Purple label.
The show on Friday evening featured clothes to suit every aspect of the wealthy American archetype – fleeces, sweatshirts, rugby shirts for weekend wear, suits for the office, and even puffer jackets and boots for skiing. It was a lifestyle that has become synonymous with the brand, and one that will be showcased again in Milan this February when Team USA dons Ralph Lauren for the Winter Olympics.
While Paul Smith's show may not have been as flashy as its predecessor, it showed that heritage and innovation can still go hand-in-hand – even at 80.
The menswear fashion week in Milan has been missing a familiar constant since Giorgio Armani's passing last September, but Paul Smith is determined to fill that void. The 80-year-old designer showcased his latest collection on Saturday evening at the brand's Italian headquarters, with all the hallmarks that fans have come to love – bold prints, great suiting, and bright colors.
Smith himself served as compère for the show, introducing each piece with descriptions of the designs and inspirations over a microphone. It was a personal touch that paid homage to his own experiences in the fashion industry, having started out at the ateliers of Coco Chanel and Yves Saint Laurent in the 1970s. "I really wanted to do a salon show," he said. "Because we're still an independent company, and I still own it, it's so personal in today's corporate world."
The collection was partly inspired by collaborating with new design director Sam Cotton, who brought his explorations of 5,000 designs found in the Paul Smith archive to the table. The result was a range that included items like jackets first seen in 1999 and rust-colored grandad shirts – "I dyed on a gas cooker in a saucepan," Smith recalled.
Despite the challenges posed by the post-pandemic luxury slowdown, with turnover falling 7% in 2024, Paul Smith remains optimistic. He warned that results for this year won't be great, but insisted that the brand is working hard to get back on track and will come out "fine."
In contrast, Ralph Lauren's menswear show was a celebration of success, with sales up 11% in the first quarter of 2025. The label has practically patented preppy style over nearly 60 years, and its latest collection felt like a masterclass in blending Polo with the more upmarket Purple label.
The show on Friday evening featured clothes to suit every aspect of the wealthy American archetype – fleeces, sweatshirts, rugby shirts for weekend wear, suits for the office, and even puffer jackets and boots for skiing. It was a lifestyle that has become synonymous with the brand, and one that will be showcased again in Milan this February when Team USA dons Ralph Lauren for the Winter Olympics.
While Paul Smith's show may not have been as flashy as its predecessor, it showed that heritage and innovation can still go hand-in-hand – even at 80.
It's so refreshing to see a designer who's not afraid to get his hands dirty and show off his personality. I mean, who else can say they dyed their own grandad shirts on a gas cooker? 
, was really cool how he mixed old & new vibes 
his new design director sam cotton brought a fresh perspective to the brand 
also gotta respect paul smith himself for still being so passionate about fashion at 80 years young 
. Overall, it's all good vibes for the menswear scene right now 
his collection was so cool i loved how he incorporated old designs with new ones - like who wouldn't want a rust-colored grandad shirt? 
He's like totes still got it!! I loooove his new collection - the prints r so sick!!! 
Ralph Lauren's show was cool and all but it feels like they're rehashing old stuff 
Paul smith's collection felt fresh & innovative even at 80 lol he's def proof that age is just a number 
He showed his menswear collection in milan and its all about his heritage and innov8ing new designs 
I mean who doesn't love a good rust-colored grandad shirt? 
my friend's cousin actually has a whole shelf dedicated to them, with each one meticulously polished and displayed like it's a precious gem 
it's wild. anyway, back to fashion... paul smith's show was cool i guess