For AW09, the relaxed elegance of the summer season is echoed but this time with a more eclectic edge.  The collection stems from the incessantly influential period around the late sixties and early seventies.  A muse is found in Janis Joplin, the rock and roll misfit with a confident, miscellaneous sense of style.  Vibrant use of colour displayed in distinctive stage pieces, clothes often heavily embellished and her body frequently adorned with an overabundance of jewels.

Paul Smith X AW09

Prominent silhouettes like the cape, the swing coat and the cocoon are softened by large pussy bows and cinched in by sash belts.  Attention is placed on the high waist enhancing a traditional feminine ideal, the peg leg trouser being a key look.  Garment detailing is heavily inspired by the chosen period, with hints of smocking, dip dying in vivid colours and intricate embroideries.  Core prints for the season come in the shape of attractive batiks and elaborate bohemian florals and a collaboration with Alan Aldridge.

“As a young designer starting out, he was somebody who impressed me with his exotic and dream like art work and so many years later it is a real privelege to work with him on his collaboration.” Paul Smith

Alan Aldrige is often referred to as the founding father of psychedelia, known for his illustrations and iconic album covers.  The collaboration with Paul Smith has enabled some of his finest works to be cleverly reinterpreted in the shape of placement prints.

Paul Smith X AW09

Paul Smith X AW09