24th October - London trip

me outside a pop up gallery near Portobello Road
(shown left) 

We went as a group to London yesterday to meet Paul Smith no less!!   In the morning myself, Lotty and Lauren all went to Portobello Road for a couple of hours, and popped into this small pop up gallery.   See the cracking piece of work below of JFK.   Now that looks like a drawing from this photograph doesn't it?   Well, it's actually made up of words.   It's amazing because it was only when I reviewed this photograph did I see how much like him it was.   When I actually stood in the gallery and looked I thought mmm. that looks like JFK and then read the information.   Think you had to see it to know what I mean............



This was the first of many bikes I was to see in London ... the rest were in Paul Smith's offices !!

interesting way to display jewellery ..... down Portobello Road



Paul Smith's office offices are on Keane Street, Covent Garden.  Not obviously Paul Smith, no signs advertising it.   Anyway, he suddenly appeared in reception and said hello to us all.   No airs and grace, no big fan fare saying "I'm here".   He took us up to the 4th Floor and into a room where he has a collection of items which are inspiration for his designs.   He let us mooch around, and take photographs, happy to leave us.   It was amazing.   Paul explained that he has been sent the collection of items over the years.   There is all sorts of things from books, to full size bicycles, old cameras, pictures, boxes.   He said that for at least 20 years an anonymous person sends him something at least once a year.   All he knows is that they are in America and the gifts aren't wrapped, merely addressed to him and they find their way to him.  All these photographs are contained in the room of random objects.   This room is where Paul meets with his team to discuss ideas and get inspiration. 

Paul talked to us for about half an hour then took us on a tour of the building, all four floors, including the marketing area, the design area and the show room where buyers come to view what's on offer.  From this viewing, a buyer would then place an order and all the orders would be collated and then from this information would determine how much of a particular fabric is to be ordered. 

He does 28 collections a year and has 25 assistants.   He prompted us to think about "why should anyone buy my design?".  He also said you need your own style and think about what is my thing.  He showed us some of his designs and how they had been inspired from items in his inspiration room.  Items such as lino prints from a book inspired a scarf, vertical colours of group of books, something small v something big, on a trip to the far east in a taxi he photographed the lights as the taxi sped along and this image inspired a scarf design, a fairisle sweater inspired furniture upholstery.

When he first started, he designed white shirts with detail including mother of pearl buttons, contrasting cuff colour, top button hole stitched in different colour.  It is this staple garment and things like his jeans collection that are the bread and butter of the company.   He says that the attention seeking garments are for grabbing attention like at catwalk shows, things that are not really practical to wear.  The lining of Paul's garments have amazing designs so on the outside of a suit you have professional, smart and open up the jacket and you can have crazy.   It's fun and that's what Paul Smith's designs are all about.

We presented Paul with the pair of shoes that we made during one of our lessons and these shoes appeared on The Culture Show shortly after!   (http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/search?q=paul%20smith)

one half of the room



one of I think 6 bikes ! 



photographs of Paul and Jamie Oliver and someone I don't recognise