boys and girls of the city by the bay, the fashion gods have answered our prayers. monday, march 9th will mark the opening of the first paul smith store in downtown san francisco, just steps away from the infamous union square. after paul’s almost 40 years in the fashion industry, i’d say this move is way overdue. either way, welcome to the neighborhood mr smith.
As you can see, the store itself is a fashion statement on its own. at over 4,000 sq ft. and covered in a flashy array of reds and pinks, the store will have no problem holding its own on the busy geary st. paul smith has stores all over the world in cities like london, paris, milan, new york, hong kong and singapore, and each one is very different. paul and his team take much time to make sure each store has its own personality. while describing his vision, smith said, “all my shops have their own character. inside, as with the new york shop and the paris shop, it’s a series of rooms, and a bit of an adventure. we are also selling books and objects, some old antique pieces and some new pieces, as well as the entire collection for men and women.” i don’t know about you, but i’m just as excited about the store as i am about the clothes.
…and speaking of the clothes
i’ve always loved paul smith. one of the main reasons is because he built an empire off of menswear, a fact i greatly admire. no matter how much trends and styles change throughout the years, paul retains an old-school sophistication, a swagger per se, in his collections. smith did not show his first female collection until 1998 during london’s fashion week.
i’m particularly feelin the stuff from his spring ’09 collection (in stores now!!). its so 20’s bachelor/working class/al capone/zoot suit/ with a little carnival carnival in there. i love it
check out all of paul’s collections
<photo cred: wwd.com, style.com>
King Of Feel 