Featuring photographs taken by Smith’s father, the collaboration sees the two designers united by a love of nature and a dedication to their craft
Collaborations in fashion are usually loud, headline-making affairs, so there is something satisfying about the intimacy – and relative quiet – of a new collaboration between British design legend Paul Smith and Gabriela Hearst, whose eponymous label is known for an environment-first approach (the Uruguayan designer was also creative director of Chloé from 2020-2023).
Indeed, the contemplative collaboration has deeply personal roots: two photographs taken by Paul’s father, Harold B. Smith, of the British countryside. A perennial reference for the designer, Harold – who was a member of the Beeston Camera Club in Nottinghamshire – was the subject of the two-volume book Father & Son (2000), which featured his amateur photography alongside his son’s. An A/W 2025 collection from the designer also featured Harold’s photographs as prints.
Here, the images are of the ‘quiet majesty of a mountain’ and the ‘fluid movement of a waterfall’, featuring not only as prints across tailoring and outerwear, but also inspiring the more abstract, painterly motifs on knit sweaters, or the ‘mountain’ hue of a pair of virgin wool trousers. In total, there are 14 pieces – spanning both men’s and womenswear – including new iterations of Hearst’s ‘Nina’ and ‘Demi’ top-handle bags.
Though what is perhaps most notable about the collaboration is the use of fabric – something specific to Hearst, who has long been meticulous in material-sourcing, with transparent supply chains which are traced from field to factory floor. Here, this includes virgin wool barré for the tailoring, silk satin and cashmere, the latter used to create jumpers hand-knit by Manos del Uruguay, a non-profit cooperative in the country which helps women craftspeople, particularly in rural communities, find financial independence.
‘It was a real privilege to work with Gabriela, we share a lot of common ground – neither of us has had a formal training in design, so learning by doing is what connects us, and I really like that,’ Paul tells Wallpaper*. ‘We have a lot of love and passion for what we do, and I hope that people enjoy this collection as much as we enjoyed creating it.’
Hearst agrees that the highlight of the collaboration was working alongside Paul on the collection, which will be available through their respective stores. ‘Sir Paul Smith is so many things: a national treasure, a fashion icon, an original punk, the coolest man on the planet, a revered design god, but overall a creative genius with his feet on the ground – he still describes himself as a shopkeeper,’ she says. ‘He has the joy of a child and the humbleness of the great.’
The collection is accompanied by a series of serene images photographed by Cathy Kasterine and styled by Camilla Nickerson, setting the natural landscapes of the clothing against ‘a raw New York sensibility’. Inspiration comes from Patti Smith in the 1970s, and the contemporary Brooklyn musician Cameron Winter, who fronts the New York band Geese.
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By Jack Moss
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SWOW SWAG
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