Paul Smith MAINLINE - LONDON Paul Smith Tailoring
Paul Smith RED EAR - AKAMINI
Paul Smith’s Red Ear range is premium denim line using japanese fabrics and production to luxury levels. A lesser-known member of the PAUL SMITH family, the Red Ear label is something of an oddity. Rarely talked about, it has been quietly doing its thing for quite some time now. A translation of the Japanese term for selvedge, “akamini,” the sub-brand is unsurprisingly denim-centric. Taking everyone’s favourite fabric as a starting point, Mr Smith’s love for workwear is reflected in a collection utilitarian at its core. The Japanese influence plays heavy in textiles and prints, reflected in a range of unique pieces, many of which have been woven on 1920's Japanese wooden shuttle looms in order to obtain that unique texture. Lightweight tie-dye tees and knits sit beside western shirts, military-inspired jackets, gingham work shirts and of course plenty of denim for a finely-crafted line-up of casual sTYLES.
FOUNDED BY ENGINEER ROBERT BREWSTER NEWBOLD IN DERBY 1885, R. NEWBOLD CREATED RUGGED UTILITARIAN GARMENTS FOR BRITAIN'S COALMINERS, MILITARY, POLICE AND FIREMEN AND BECAME RENOWN FOR HIS HIGH QUALITY AND EXPERT MANUFACTURING. DURING THE 70'S A BUDDING YOUNG DESIGNER FROM NOTTINGHAM NAMED PAUL SMITH BECAME CLOSELY TIED TO THE NEWBOLD FACTORY, UTILISING THEIR EXPERT MANUFACTURING SKILLS FOR HIS OWN PROJECTS. SIR PAUL WAS SO ENAMOURED WITH R. NEWBOLD'S TRADITION AND CRAFTSMANSHIP THAT HE WOULD EVENTUALLY BUY THE FACTORY AND CREATED THE R. NEWBOLD CLOTHING AND ACCESSORIES LINE. IN IT'S CURRENT INCARNATION R. NEWBOLD CLOTHING IS A JAPAN ONLY PAUL SMITH SUB-LABEL with it's own retail stores
Paul Smith’s known for his use of colour and it’s used to great effect on his youth based line, ‘Jeans’. Whilst his mainline tends to keep colour restricted to linings, Jeans is decidedly bolder.