The London and Amsterdam-based brands have joined forces on a skate- and stripe-inspired collection, celebrating colour, print and workwear-meets-tailoring silhouettes.
The new collaborative collection seamlessly blends codes from both brands. Defined by its easy, utility-inspired silhouettes, playful palette and graphic prints, the collection is inspired by a selection of 1990s pieces discovered in the Paul Smith archive as well as Pop Trading Company’s trademark style.
Paul Smith’s Signature Stripe was a starting point for the collection and is seen across graphic and logo tees, technical outerwear and reimagined accessories – including a skate-inspired belt, sandals and notably, a skateboard. Elsewhere, more graphic and block stripes come into play across knitwear, socks and jersey, with Signature Stripe trimming.
Pop Trading Company’s trademark relaxed, skate-inspired style defines the silhouette, with baggy cargo trousers and shorts, a reversible pop-over hooded technical jacket, sleeveless knitwear, laidback polos, bucket hats and casual shirts, one of which is a direct reproduction of an archival Paul Smith style.
Meanwhile, a quintessentially “Paul” palette of orange, lime green and plum provides a foundation and acts as an unexpected pop of colour on linings.
In a nod to Paul Smith’s rich tailoring heritage, an oversized, unstructured cardigan-esque blazer and coordinating wide-legged trousers in a cotton-corduroy fabric with a seersucker-like finish, offer a truly modern take on the suit, tapping into the workwear-meets-tailoring trend.
The Tulip print, which is seen on a workwear-inspired utility vest (inspired by a waistcoat found in the Paul Smith archive) and trousers, serves as a key print and unexpected accent in the collection. The boldly graphic pattern is a reworking of one of Paul’s iconic photoprints from the 1990s that was used on a vintage show invitation and nods to his fondness for the flower as well as symbolising both Pop Trading Company’s Dutch roots and Paul Smith’s heritage.
“The thing that really excites me about this collection is that Peter and Ric from Pop Trading Company were able to see the archive with fresh eyes and were inspired enough to create something that feels thoroughly contemporary but with roots in the past. The way we’ve blended Paul Smith codes like colour, stripes and tailoring with Pop’s more relaxed silhouettes is seamless” says Paul Smith.
