Paul Smith finds inspiration in Mayfair architecture for new leather collection

The relationship between architecture and fashion is a well-noted one. For years the two have mirrored one another, and the fact that certain cities evoke particular ideas about style is as much about architecture as it is about culture. With its assortment of architectural styles, spanning gothic to Regency to brutalism, and everything in between, London in particular has a reputation for fashion that mixes classic and modern elements. There are few better torchbearers of this eclecticism than Paul Smith, a name synonymous with quintessential British style and quirk.

Inspired by the Mayfair surroundings of the label’s London flagship shop, Paul Smith’s colourful new collection of leather goods takes inspiration from the building’s cast iron facade, and mirrors the area’s many railings, grates and balconies. The repeated elliptical motif emblazoned across the Georgian townhouse – which turns Regency forms into a modernist pattern – has become the signature design for the No. 9 leather collection. Cleverly putting a modern twist on a design reference taken straight from the streets of London, it’s a prime example of what Paul Smith does best.