About Paul Smith

Paul Smith is Britain’s leading independent design company. Paul Smith champions positivity,

curiosity and creativity. These qualities underpin every Paul Smith design, whether its a shirt,

a shop or a special collaboration. Paul Smith is a British company with a global outlook.

What began in a small, 3 x 3 meter shop in Nottingham, England in 1970 has grown to 130

shops and counting around the world, with locations in over 60 countries.

Flagship

Continuing the company’s long-running commitment to brick-and-mortar retail, Paul

Smith is excited to announce their Thailand flagship shop.

Situated in Bangkok’s prestigious Central Embassy mall, alongside some of the world’s

most renowned and recognisable names in luxury retail, the store will represent an

exciting new chapter for the brand’s presence in Southeast Asia.

As with all Paul Smith stores, the Central Embassy shop is designed as an extension of the

company’s vibrant personality, featuring familiar visual motifs and inflections. At the centre of

the shop is a cube frame describing a 3m² space, which is significant as it was the size of Paul’s

very first shop, opened in his hometown of Nottingham in 1970. The cramped proportions of

this original shop feel particularly diminutive within the generous interior of Central Embassy

– a neat visual representation of how far the company has come in its five decades.

Furnishings are a mix of vintage and custom, with French 1970s armchairs upholstered in

Paul Smith Maharam fabric, and rugs made specifically for the space which echo the brand’s

signature colours and patterns. There are tables designed by Sergio Asti and Howard Miller,

alongside pieces made from travertine stone which add a pleasing contrast to the soft

furnishings.

And it wouldn’t be a Paul Smith shop without an impressive and eclectic selection of art.

Since the very earliest days of the company, their stores have blurred the line between retail

space and gallery, redefining what people can expect from a shopping experience. At Central

Embassy you will find Picasso lithographs, vintage Ellsworth Kelly exhibition posters, and

original paintings by British artist Peter Collins.

As well as reflecting the unmistakeable personality of Paul Smith, the shop is also a reflection

of its immediate environment. The design of the store’s interior makes extensive use of local

materials, as a nod to traditional Thai craftsmanship. Ceramic tiles – handmade in Thailand

– are used prominently throughout the space, culminating in a bespoke feature wall which

uses these tiles to replicate the brand’s iconic Signature Stripe.