15 November 2013 - 9 March 2014
Design Museum
“This Paul Smith exhibition gets to the fundamentals of design and how it can and should be not exclusive, but available to all.”
- Suzy Menkes, The New York Times, 2013
“A must-see for anyone interested in design and creativity.”
- Metro
Paul Smith has established himself as a leading and uniquely British designer. Famous for its clothing and accessories collections, Paul Smith specialises in an inventive use of traditional craftsmanship and cutting-edge design to create beautifully made pieces that combine tradition and modernity.
‘Hello, My Name is Paul Smith’ revealed insights into Paul Smith’s creative process following the rise of his quintessentially British label from the company’s beginnings in Nottingham, to its international prominence today. Drawing on the fashion designer’s personal archive, the show illustrated how Paul Smith’s intuitive and imaginative take on design, together with his deep understanding of the roles of designer and retailer, have laid the foundations for the company’s lasting success.
The exhibition included a recreation of Paul Smith’s first shop in Byard Lane, Nottingham, which measured just 3 x 3 metres, together with a recreation of Paul’s personal office in Covent Garden, London containing a myriad of books and objects that are a continual source of inspiration. An immersive digital room rich in still and moving image with thoughts narrated by Paul himself, helped to place the visitor in the mind of the designer. The final room of the exhibition presented a specially commissioned film, ‘A Day in the Life of a Fashion Show’, which explored the concept and preparation behind the Paul Smith Men’s Spring/Summer 2014 show in Paris.
Since 2015 the exhibition has toured to:
Mode Museum, Hasselt: 30 January - 7 June 2015
The Lighthouse, Glasgow: 21 January - 27 March 2016
The National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto: 06 June - 18 July 2016
Ueno Royal Museum, Tokyo: 26 July - 24 August 2016
Matsuzakaya Museum, Nagoya: 10 September - 16 October 2016
Huashan 1914 Creative Park, Taipei: 17 June - 3 September 2017
Museum of Modern Art, Shanghai: 10 October 2017 - 7 January 2018
Today Art Museum, Beijing: 7 June - 7 October 2018
CR Land Art Centre, Shenzhen: 7 December 2018 - 15 April 2019
Dongdaemun Design Plaza, Seoul: June - September 2019
Asia Culture Centre, Gwangju: September - November 2019
Moscow, Russia: Dates to be announced
