Paul Smith SS24 Schooled us In a Tailoring Masterclass
While speaking to a younger, more playful audience that’s not afraid of color or reshaping traditions.
Paris Fashion Week has enrolled at the Paul Smith Spring/Summer 2024 school for tailoring.
Today’s show was different for the legendary British designer; tailoring was in abundance, but this was no one-note moment — instead, the UK House shifted gears for summer, welcoming a more youthful, energetic edge that was matched by the runway show’s bass-enhanced soundtrack.
By using such music, Smith spoke to a younger crowd that his brand seldom resonates with. So, will SS24 change things?
We’d like to think so. It echoed the silhouette of the season, serving suit jackets with shorts à la Dries Van Noten, AMI, and AMIRI. Smith, however, used boxer pants, adding a get-up-and-go touch to an outfit comprising tonal layers of blazers, shirts, and ties, paired with shoes and loafers sporting colander-esque holes in the vamp.
Schoolboy cues came to the fore with a double-breasted suit jacket in gray, livened up with Smith’s use of color — notably dusty pink — beneath, and texture was added in the form of details, rather than physical bulk. For example, jeans were covered in white rays of light, while a sweater vest used shadow-like contouring to add dimension.
Smith delivered a collection of two halves, but it still felt like one cohesive wardrobe for the new Paul Smith man. From workwear-inspired light blue boiler suit-style two-pieces to a graphic trio to close, this was yet another extension of the designer’s playful take on formalwear. It’s everyday sartorialism, and SS24 made a good argument to get dressed up no matter the occasion.
Take a look at the Paul Smith SS24 collection above, and find more Paris Fashion Week SS24 coverage across Hypebeast.
Elsewhere, AMI got all refined for SS24.
