Nottingham-born Sir Paul Smith is a truly great British success story, being a self-made man who epitomises good taste in clothing and accessories, an area where the French and Italian usually reign supreme.
Sir Paul began working in a clothes store after leaving school aged 18, and after saving up just a few hundred pounds, opened a shop of his very own, whilst also taking night classes in tailoring. Whilst building up his own style, he became a consultant to a maker of Italian shirts, and to the renowned International Wool Secretariat.
In 1976, at the tender age of 30, his first collection went on display in Paris, under a label of his own name, and he has never looked back.
Now, Paul Smith Ltd is a chain of over 200 shops and concessions, with the majority of these being in Japan, where Smith is considered a national icon.
In 1998, he created a shop-in-a-house experience on Kensington Park Road in Notting Hill,, earning nationwide acclaim for his innovative idea.
