A British fashion figurehead, Paul Smith was born in Nottingham in 1946 and is known for stylish clothes and eye-catching accessories.
His first job in the fashion world was in a clothing warehouse when he was only 18.
His first shop was opened in 1970 with the help of his own limited savings and he took evening classes in tailoring to create his own look.
On to 1976 and he was already a consultant for an Italian shirt maker and to the International Wool Secretariat. The same year he ran his own collections in Paris in his own name – the now-famous Paul Smith label.
There are now around 225 shops in the Paul Smith empire and 200 of them are in Japan, where he commands big popularity.
Today the companys turnover stands at more than £100 million and he finds time to advise and run each division personally while also overseeing the running of the shops.
In 1994 he was awarded a CBE for services to the fashion industry and followed this up in 1995 with a Queens Award for Export.
Londons Design Museum even dedicated an exhibition to him to celebrate his 25 years in the industry, called Paul Smith True Brit.
In 1998 he hit the headlines by creating the shop-in-a-house in Notting Hills Kensington Park Road.
He received a knighthood in 2000 and his acclaim led to him being awarded Designer of the Year for four years in a row by GQ readers.
