New Collaboration
Commission &PaulSmith
* Tribute to Archival Style & Generational Fashion
written Sarah Arendts
In the vanguard of sartorial innovation, a new collaboration emerges, blending the storied heritage of British design with the pulsating edge of New York's modern aesthetic.
The &PaulSmith series, renowned for its discerning partnerships, presents its latest venture: a limited-edition collection with the NYC-based label Commission, a dynamic fusion of archival inspiration and generational homage.
The inception of this alliance took root through the CFDA's discerning eye, planting seeds of creative camaraderie between Paul Smith and Commission's co-founders, Dylan Cao and Jin Kay. Smith, with his repository of British design ethos, finds kinship in the diasporic narrative of Cao and Kay, whose design philosophy is a tender nod to their East Asian heritage and the professional panache of the 90s.
The collection, christened ‘Commission &PaulSmith,’ unfolds as a narrative thread, binding the familial bonds of 'Father & Son' — a photographic anthology by Paul and his late father Harold Smith. The book's visual dialogues mirror the collection's essence, where Harold's "light, witty juxtapositions" meet Paul's poignant snapshots. This correlation with Cao and Kay's generational musings solidifies the collection's undercurrent.
Diving into the Paul Smith archives, the duo resurrects the vigor of the late 90s — a period Smith himself describes with evident zeal: “Tapping into new ideas is exactly why I wanted to start the &PaulSmith series, and Commission is brimming with them.” The admiration is mutual, as Dylan and Jin reflect on the archive's "mash-up of preppy, sex, and post-punk" aesthetics that profoundly resonate with their own ethos.
The tangible fruits of this collaboration are 22 masterpieces. From the sweeping wool-cashmere overcoat to the butter yellow leather field jacket, each piece is an exaggerated echo of the past, reimagined for the contemporary wardrobe. The designers inject a sense of nostalgia into the oversized silhouettes, while the color palette, rich in browns, yellows, and blacks, is electrified with vibrant reds, blues, and greens.
Commission &PaulSmith
collaboration campaign
Distinctive to Commission are the "fatherly stripes" and the audacious red flourishes, alongside coats that reinterpret the classic mac in fabrics like padded cotton-jersey and gabardine. Their signature back yoke shape design stands as a testament to their inventive tailoring. Commission's roots in punk aesthetics intertwine with Americana through raw denim and embroidered monograms, evoking Paul Smith's own handwritten logos.
The collection will be an emblem of sartorial storytelling and a homage to cross-generational dialogue. It's not merely about the garments but the stories they embody. As Smith himself mentors Commission in business development, one sees not just a collection being crafted but a legacy being woven.
creative visuals
(c) Paul Smith