Paul Smith and Pop Trading Company collaborate on a capsule collection combining utilitarian ease with a colourful palette and graphic prints.
Inspired by a selection of 1990s pieces discovered in the Paul Smith archive as well as the trademark style of Amsterdam-based Benelux skate and streetwear store Pop Trading Company, this collaborative project effortlessly combines easy, utility-inspired silhouettes, with a playful palette and graphic prints — a street-informed take on the workwear-meets-tailoring trend that is perfect for a summer wardrobe refresher.
With Paul Smith’s Signature Stripe being the starting point for the collection, the collection sees graphic and logo tees, technical outerwear, a skate-inspired belt, sandals and notably, a skateboard, filled with the stripes boldly and in multifold. A thicker, block-like iteration of the stripe is also spread across knitwear, socks and jersey, complete with a Signature Stripe trimming to top it off, while the quintessentially “Paul” palette of orange, lime green and plum keeps things lively as the visual of the linings.
Pop Trading Company’s relaxed, skate-style comes in to define a relaxed and baggy silhouette. This means cargo bottoms, technical jackets, sleeveless knitwear and laid back polos — one shirt happening to be a direct reproduction of an archival Paul Smith style, only maximised in size.
This skater-appropos meets Paul Smith’s rich tailoring heritage with ease, an oversized, unstructured cardigan-esque blazer and wide-legged trousers in a cotton-corduroy fabric to pair offering a modern take on the suit with an almost Millennial sensibility. Even archival waistcoats translate into utility vests with virtually no effort, the Tulip print which appears on this a welcome addition of liveliness that nods to Paul’s fondness for the flower, as well as is a symbol of Pop Trading Company’s Dutch roots.
The Paul Smith + POP Trading Company collection is available exclusively at Paul Smith Singapore stores. Once you are done with this story, click here to catch up with our April 2023 issue!
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