Paris Men’s Fashion Week: Paul Smith’s hotchpotch

Paul Smith said he was inspired by the opening day of the Venice Biennale, the famed Italian cultural institution, where different artists and gallerists gather in a garden setting dressed smart-but-sShow more

Like the hotchpotch of divergent pot plants placed littering the runway — from small student cactuses, mother-in-law pillows, to large palms, bluebells and yucca trees — Paul Smith’s catwalk show threw in too many different styles, and suffered for it.

The British designer said he was inspired by the opening day of the Venice Biennale, the famed Italian cultural institution, where different artists and gallerists gather in a garden setting dressed smart-but-snazzily mixing traditional dress with “creative confidence”. This idea spawned some enviable single pieces, like a shimmering navy round-neck sweater or a loose navy tuxedo jacket with contrasting lapels.

But the collection felt a little too confident in its use of flamboyant colour, checks and leaf prints and eclectic styles — like a stripy student T-shirt with leather fringing, tuxedo jacket, shorts twinned with trainers with large cotton socks.

It would be great to see a more focused show next season from the popular fashion icon.