Paul Smith‘s return to Florence after a 31-year hiatus was a triumphant showcase of his signature style, effortlessly blending Italian craftsmanship with the bohemian spirit of 1960s London. The Spring/Summer 2025 collection, presented at the stunning Villa Favard during Pitti Uomo 106, drew inspiration from the artist haunts and jazz clubs of Soho, where Smith spent many a naughty night in his youth.
The collection was a masterclass in soft formal dressing, with workwear inflections that perfectly captured the current menswear zeitgeist. Models donned loosely knotted ties with souvenir motifs, paired with chore jackets, carrot denim pants featuring tone-on-tone floral motifs, silky pajama shirts, and pleated, oversized tailored bottoms in houndstooth and Prince of Wales fabrics. The looks were a nod to the arty types Smith envisioned commuting to school, their effortless style a testament to his keen eye for detail.
Paul Smith’s collaboration with Lee, the iconic denim brand, added a touch of rugged charm to the collection. The designer’s signature use of color was on full display, with jazzily toned outerwear like turquoise field jackets and yellow Harringtons creating vivid punctuation marks against a backdrop of checked trenches and striped shirts.
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The presentation itself was a semi-trunk show, semi-lecture format, with Paul Smith guiding the audience through the 16 looks worn by a small group of models. Despite his initial nerves, Smith delivered a smooth and professorially accomplished commentary, casually dropping insights on intarsia knits and wool fresco while discussing the collection’s inspirations.
White-painted shoes and a linen smock shirt revived from a 1979 Smith collection paid homage to the louche shenanigans of Francis Bacon, Lucian Freud and Frank Auerbach, the brush-wielding habitués of Muriel Belcher’s bohemian dive bar, the Colony Room. A grip bag, designed to be soft and flexible enough to carry an artist’s portfolio, further emphasized the collection’s artistic roots.
Paul Smith’s expertly modulated menswear was achieved through the harmonious arrangement of informal bohemianism, workwear, and tailored propriety. The specially embroidered shawl collar evening wear pieces, reportedly in high demand at his famous pink Los Angeles outpost, showcased his mastery of menswear standards, while the collection as a whole demonstrated his ability to create cool, effortless looks that resonate with the modern man.
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©Photo: Paul Smith