Paul Smith (78): Fashion Legend Breaks Boundaries on Milan Catwalk
Milaan, maandag, 23 juni 2025.
The renowned British fashion designer Paul Smith has taken a surprising step by making his debut on the Milan fashion catwalks at 78 years old. Inspired by a vintage photo book from Cairo, he presented a collection that perfectly reflects travel, nostalgia, and youthful creativity. With over 4,600 archive pieces, Smith created a series of vibrant looks with bold prints, light tailoring, and vintage elements that demonstrate his inexhaustible passion for fashion. This collection is more than a fashion statement - it is a testimony to his ability to transcend boundaries and surprise the industry, regardless of age.
Paul Smith’s Milan Debut
Sir Paul Smith surprised the fashion world last Friday with his first collection on the Milan catwalk at 78 years old. The collection was inspired by a vintage photo book of Egyptian sights that he purchased in Cairo approximately 25 years ago [1]. Smith himself revealed about this source of inspiration: ‘I bought it in Cairo before we went up the Nile in a felucca’ [2].
Collection Details
The spring collection for the 2026 season was characterised by vibrant fish prints, floral motifs on crêpe shirts, and decorative elements such as metal shells and coins [2]. Smith used fabrics ranging from 280-gram wool mohair to silky linen, with striking silhouettes like wide shorts and oversized smocks [3].
Artistic Vision
During the presentation, Smith declared: ‘It’s about combining things in an unusual way’ [3]. He drew from an archive of more than 4,600 looks that he had collected over the past two years [1][2].