British designer, Paul Smith has been having a good old moan about 'the culture of today', and maybe I'm getting old or something, but I think he has a point.
"I've always preferred the creative process of designing and selling clothes to the idea of putting on a poncey fashion show," the 63-year-old explains, "It would be wonderful if fashion shows died out completely. They're so time-consuming and costly."
He went on to ramble that "the fashion world is a dangerous, superficial and fickle place."
Sir Paul built his global brand, which boasts an annual turnover of £346 million, without resorting to any gimmickry. He lured in the men first with his "classic with a twist" concept – or "Savile Row meets Mr Bean", as he puts it: serious-looking suits with a lime-green trim or a flashy lining, and plain white shirts with his signature candy-striped motif beneath the cuffs. Seemingly despite the recession, the brand has doubled its turnover in the past five years, posting a 15 per cent rise in profits to £150 million in 2008.
"So many brands are too conscious of what everybody else is doing. I like to get my inspiration elsewhere: from exhibitions, books, or even a stained-glass window."
Sir Paul's spring/summer 2010 collection bears testament to those multifarious influences. Inspired by The Gentlemen of Bacongo, all pinks, oranges and reds against earthy tones of black, taupe and ochre hints at a change of direction. Moving away from traditional tailoring, he has chosen jersey bandeaus, designed to be wrapped closely around the body and worn with voluminous printed voile skirts that billow out above the knee. On the runway last month, Sir Paul had the models in plaited top knots and wired wooden beads to complete the look: "I loved the feminine silhouette all that wrapping around creates," he smiles.
There is a self-consciousness verging on embarrassment when Sir Paul talks about fashion, which I suspect comes from the same place as his loathing of the catwalk. "At work, we don't talk about fashion – we talk about clothes."
"Frankly, I don't care what people wear. If a person is nice, with good manners, I couldn't give a damn if he's wearing a shell suit."
Yes yes yes Sir Paul some good points, but a Shell Suit? Really???
