Paul Smith boldly challenges the suit’s primordial form in his Spring/Summer 2024 collection. Reimagining the gentleman’s armor with a nuanced interplay of structure and informality, the collection redefines conventional wisdom on tailoring and design, reaffirming Smith’s trailblazing status in men’s fashion.
Smith’s latest offerings ignite a conversation, a philosophical contemplation of the suit as we know it. “What is a suit after all? Does it always need to be a matching tailored set?” Such questions resonate with a modern audience, increasingly blurring the boundaries of formal and casual as they adapt to shifting social and professional landscapes. Men’s fashion post-pandemic has grown fluid and malleable, reflecting an appetite for style that is adaptable yet assertive.
As men worldwide reconceive their relationship with the suit, Paul Smith contends that the classic garment remains vital and relevant. His London store’s robust sales affirm this conviction, as do the multitudes of men breathing new life into long-discarded elements, such as ties. “We sold 20 suits just last Saturday in our Albemarle Street store,” Smith shares with a knowing smile. The man himself continues to interact with the customers, ensuring a firsthand understanding of the evolving sartorial tastes.
The Spring/Summer 2024 collection presents an arresting spectrum of the suit’s potential. Ranging from unstructured vests to long military-inspired jackets, the collection shuns the rigid confines of a single-breasted jacket. In lieu of the conventional, Smith delivers a kaleidoscopic vision filled with bold colors, intriguing prints, and fabrics like Fresco – a lightweight blend of English wool, cotton, and silk.
Smith’s redefinition of the suit explores every aspect, from the formal to the workwear-inspired. He presents suits in vivid hues like tomato red and sky blue, elevated by zigzag contrast stitching. A glimpse of a tank top from under a gray waistcoat whispers rebellion, while the shimmering three-piece suit with stirrup pants screams audacious style.
As for the more traditional options, they undergo Smith’s ingenious deconstruction. He pairs a black satin jacket with a signature striped shirt and jeans, lending a casual flair to formal wear. Pinstripe suits shed their age-old seriousness, as trousers transform into shorts, a daring, yet timely move for the summer heat.
Paul Smith, a veteran with over five decades in the clothing industry, reinvents the wheel with this collection. His perspective and ingenuity bring versatility and variety to the forefront, challenging the norms and inviting men to participate in a sartorial revolution.
© Photos: Paul Smith
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