MR SMITH PARIS

uintessentially French label “Mr Smith” was developed in the Parisian laboratory of style
by highly respected pattern-making veteran, sartorial enthusiast, and founder Vincent Smith. This ready-to-wear line of quality is shaped by a prestigious family-owned workshop in Naples. The menswear collection is characterized by understated elegance, representing modern updates on the military’s heritage.
Garments that transcend the formule of fashion and tailoring as it is recognised today, Mr Smith is on a frontier of a new thinking in the fashion world. In his years spent learning from master tailors and pattern cutters from the best fashion houses in Paris, Vincent developed a new con- cept of menswear he calls couture for men.
It combines a extensive knowledge of move- ment, cloth and cut with a deeper relationship between the maker and the garment. This is re ected in an almost subliminal experience
for the wearer. Mr Smith; working with a small family-owned workshop in Naples to produce a small beautiful collection combining the exqui- site detail and awless cut of his couture line with wider accessibility.

After spending years learning for master tailors and pattern cutters from the best fashion houses in Paris, I wanted to develop a new concept of menswear called couture for men. So I created the company that started in a rst time under the name “Tailored by Mr Smith” in 2012, proposing essentially tailored clothes, all made in our Atelier in Paris, all the pieces were produced in Paris in limited production depending on the number of orders by the customers and department store. The keys products sold at the time were mainly suits, shirts, coats and rarely knitwear. For several seasons we were focused on tailoring until AW15 it was the season of the biggest changes we renamed the brand to “Mr Smith Paris”, we nally de ned the DNA and image, we have directed ourselves toward military inspired clothes.

How dod the company started ?

The first idea was to propose luxury product, I wanted to create a way of joining the tradition of tailoring with fashion modernising tailoring, with today’s available techniques, and beautiful and technic fabrics. For o all hand made products by using unique hand made technics. At the begin- ning everything was made in Paris in our atelier, and most of our products where hand nish, season after seasons, we have introduces many technical processes on our cloth, like the 3D pocket, we created a mould to create a unique shaped pocked using no stitches, and to obtain this results we combine handmade and machinery. I think that in the inclusion of machinery in hand made process give a more precise result and make the products more sophisticate.

What did you have in mind when you created the brand ?

The Japanese market is the only one that under- stands the values I have placed behind the gar- ment. In Paris, everything is done by hand, as to a great extent. The socks are not adjusted, that’s all. Strobel is not even used to puncture lapels. A costume costs 4000-4500 euros in shop. All the money is spent in manufacturing.

Why is the Japanese market your predominant market?

Your work is very modern but takes into account the comfort, which is almost paradoxical today.

Yes, the Mr Smith line is close to Brioni, just a little more daring in choosing materials and cuts. Bren- dan Mullane (who is a personal friend) is doing
a great job. He is making Brioni international by killing the one hundred percent Italian side. Before, Brioni’s clothes were so perfect they were bound to be boring. There was not much soul. Brendan is bringing something much more interesting; He is one of the most talented stylists today

Do you position yourself on the same market segment as Brioni?

It’s very timeless, actually. When I create a gar- ment, I assume that it costs so much. It can be put in a closet for two-three years and then come out again, with the same feeling of mat. Timeless and international: neither French, nor Italian nor English