Combining tradition and modernity, Sir Paul Smith, one of Britain’s stalwart designers, is renowned for his creative and construction aesthetic. In fact, the guiding principle of Smith’s company continues to be ‘classic with a twist’ – a value that he had set down way back in 1970.

Smith believes that one could find inspiration in everything, from high art to everyday life and the banal events that form it and hence, the references in the collection are often eclectic. That’s not all, however. Another classic indicator of a Paul Smith design is that it is always underlined by a British sense of dry humour – frivolous and eccentric without being silly.

Keeping with that vein of thinking, Paul Smith reaffirms the relevance of tailoring and fabric with their Autumn/ Winter 2018 collection presenting sharp silhouettes, traditional British fabrics and – surprise, surprise – bright and contemporary colours. It is no secret that Paul Smith has a reputation for innovation, at least where fabrics are concerned. After all, one of the house’s most recent successes include the revolutionary A Suit To Travel In and Sir Smith’s passionate championing of British fabric mills.

Coming back to Autumn/Winter 2018, a series of new fabrics were developed using English wool, and a series of brightly coloured suits were presented on the catwalk in damson, red and teal, all of which were cut from a unique fresco wool fabric. And the story doesn’t end here – this season, Paul Smith has also chosen to present a series of dreamscape prints titled ‘Dreamer’.

The prints, rightfully titled, are psychedelic and hypnotic. Exploring the illustrations created by French artist Edmund Dulac in the book The Dreamer of Dreams, prints align with the optimistic and bright mood of the collection. It must be mentioned that Dulac’s illustrations for the rare collectible book (from 1912) inspired Sir Paul Smith quite a bit. While the print is optimistic, it also has hints of darkness and an edgy mystery to it – at once dark as it is divine. Across the Autumn/ Winter 18 men’s collection, Dreamer appears from jersey and knitwear, in bright and bold colours and motifs from the main Dreamer print, to offer a comprehensive and in-depth take on the inspiration for the season.

To sum the collection up, psychedelic colours, a graphic ‘Dreamer’ logo and a menagerie of wild animals come together to create a magical and optimistic world. Knitwear is bright and bold, borrowing colours and motifs from the main Dreamer print. Across the Autumn/Winter 18 men’s collection, Dreamer appears from jersey and knitwear, to offer a comprehensive and in-depth take on the inspiration for the season.