Paul Smith Headlines Rakuten Fashion Week in Tokyo

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After five decades in the fashion industry, Paul Smith continues to demonstrate unyielding energy and creativity. This year alone, he has displayed his Fall/Winter 2025 menswear collection in Paris, collaborated on an exclusive capsule collection with Lee, and most recently, he returned to Japan as a guest designer for Tokyo Fashion Week. The event, held last Wednesday, was part of the Japanese tech company Rakuten’s “R Project,” an initiative aimed at nurturing the growth of Japan’s fashion industry.

100 or more trips to Tokyo have made it seem like a harmonious match for the Smith’s enduring heritage. Even though the FW25 collection was first presented at Paris Fashion Week this year, the Rakuten runway show chose a mixed format, including extra women’s fashion pieces.

Drawing inspiration from the craft of picture creation, the vibrant and luxurious choice of colors honored the work of American photographer Saul Leiter, whose photography significantly influenced mid-20th-century magazines. Hues reminiscent of orange, cyan, and silver echoed the conventional dimensions of early color photographs.

Moving beyond just colors, the collection embraced loose styles and casual layering, mirroring the casual attire of renowned photographers such as David Bailey, Terence Donovan, and William Eggleston. Striped sweaters with crew necks were teamed with relaxed trousers, while suits opted for a simple, tonal look, matching shirt colors to ties. The catwalk showcased the latest partnership between the brand and Barbour, offering wax jackets, shoes, and knitwear that cater to the mobile, stylish photographer.

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2025-03-19 20:26