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Paul Smith Cranks Up the Pop Quotient
By: Godfrey Deeny
Photos by Gruber-FWD
PARIS, Jul 6, 2002/ FWD/ --- Power pop ruled the roost at Sir Paul Smith's men's show Sunday
in what was the brightest collection in Paris.
Staged in the beautiful Cité de la Musique designed by architect Christian de Portzamparc --
he of LVMH 57th Street Tower fame -- the models sauntered down the immense sliding ramp in
the building's magnificent curved atrium.
Smith opened with some great graphic star designs printed or sewn onto suede buckskin jerkins,
leather pants and snug crew neck sweaters.
The same graphic turned up on cotton shirts in Toile de Jouy and cufflinks that Smith
generously placed on guests' seats.
The designer lived up to his dictum of classic with a twist with a series of dapper suits in
coffee chalk stripe or navy pinstripe with great slanted, Western style pockets.
Smith's shoes underlined his sense of humor, especially some dandy denim brothel creepers
with a white suede wingtip toe.
Paul also tapped into a huge trend this season, non-contrasting seersucker in gray and black
or cream and ecru, before ending the show as he finishes all his men's shows -- with a phalanx
of great shirts.
Like the graphics, the soundtrack was resolutely late '70s, featuring The Ramones and James
Chance and The Contortions.
"I don't care what kind of weapons you choose just as long as you keep me amused," intoned
Chance.
Our thoughts exactly.
Paul Smith
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