Paul Smith Remembers the Self-Expression of the ’60s

Photos Credit: Paul Smith

Sir Paul Smith

has never been one to do thing subtlety, and this was especially true at this weekend’s

Spring 2017 Menswear show

, held at the Bourse de Commerce in Paris. With a runway composed of a rainbow-striped carpet and a Bob Marley track, the lineup was a hippie blend of Caribbean soul and the psychedelic age of London, which Smith first experienced as a teenager in the ‘60s. “They were always full of an eclectic mix of people," the designer said of the nightclubs of the age, like Whiskey-a-Go-Go and Flamingo Club. "Self-expression was the thing.”

This season, Smith elevated those ‘60s and ‘70s looks with modern cuts and a contemporary color palette that brought both the tropics and swinging London together beautifully. It was warm and happy, a theme brought to life through a number of models that couldn’t help but grin when walking down the candy-colored runway. A few basics, like jeans and t-shirts were emblazoned with the word peace, driving home Smith’s idea of a global community of love and prosperity. A sentiment perhaps, even closer to the British designer’s heart with the current climate in England.