The Paul Smith Sunglasses collection launched in 1994, featuring classic and elegant designs that stay true to the Paul Smith brand with carefully incorporated touches of quirkiness.

Paul Smith sunglasses focus on impeccable craft and attention to detail, with each pair of frames handcrafted in the Italian Dolomites. Using only the highest quality materials, including specially developed acetates from Italian experts Mazzucchelli, Paul Smith Optics provides unique colour palettes that follow Paul Smith’s passion for colour and exceptional materials. Featuring the famous emblem of Paul Smith’s design work, each set of frames comes with custom metal core wire etched with a sophisticated stripe. This feature is complemented by the unique temple shape that mirrors the ‘P’ - Paul’s signature logo offering a sincere twist of individuality that you’ll only get with Paul Smith.

The Story Behind Paul Smith Sunglasses: From Humble Beginnings to a Fashion Empire

Paul Smith left school at 15 - a member of Beeston Road Club, and his only ambition was to become a racing cyclist until his father hauled him off to work at a clothing warehouse. Smith had no interest in his work during his first two years there except for the cycle journey to and from his home. A terrible cycling accident ended his cycling ambitions, and it was only then that his career in fashion design began.

Smith started to take evening classes for tailoring and joined Lincroft Kilgour on Savile Row after being spotted by Chairman Harold Hillman when his designs were worn by celebrities, including footballer George Best. With the help of his then-girlfriend (now wife) Pauline Denyer, an RCA fashion graduate, and a small amount of savings, he opened his first shop at 10 Byard Lane, Nottingham, in 1970..

By 1976 Paul showed his first menswear collection in Paris under the Paul Smith label. He gradually expanded the retail business, being the first fashion brand to open on Floral St. in London’s Covent Garden in 1979, where his shop offered an eclectic combination of clothes and 'finds' for men, which reflected his magpie personality. Smith remains fully involved in the business and designs clothes, chooses fabrics, approves the shop locations and oversees every development within the company. In 2000, Paul Smith became knighted after nearly three decades as a menswear fashion icon. His clothing collections and accessories for both men and women were praised for their uniquely British quirkiness and are usually identified by the presence of Sir Paul Smith's multi-stripe signature.

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