| Everyone loves Paul Smith. Spend any time with him and even the most jaded cynic cannot help but crack a smile. He’s so bloody silly for starters. Whether producing rubber chickens from his briefcase, pratting about beside Peter Capaldi or pulling goofy faces, there are few things Sir Paul won’t stoop to in order to get a laugh. He’s also a guest of honour – with Peter Capaldi – at this weekend’s FT Festival. You may just be able to catch a last minute ticket by clicking here . . . 
© Paul Wetherell Yet it would be too easy to dismiss the designer as a joker. Part of Smith’s armour is playing the fool. It belies a steely work ethic and sense of duty that have seen him nurture and sustain an independent brand for more than 50 years. Having turned 80 in July, he’s finally publishing his autobiography, telling of his ascent from Nottingham amateur cyclist to British fashion mogul, with all sorts of adventures on the way. For HTSI, we have gathered some of the people he has dressed over the decades: Samantha Morton wore Paul Smith when she was nominated for an Oscar, while Sir Gary Oldman wore a PS brown suit for his investiture last year. What is most touching about their stories, however, is the authenticity of their relationships. Many brands have paid ambassadors on whom to hang their creations; in Paul Smith’s orbit, the group are clearly friends. Our shoot, by Paul Wetherell and Julian Ganio, quickly took on the atmosphere of a happening – Sheku Kanneh-Mason MBE was practising the cello, Peter Capaldi was dancing and Oldman was doing his best Mick Jagger impression on the set. Even more impressive was Smith’s penchant for punctuality: the whole thing was dressed, documented, done and dusted before the clock struck noon.  <img width='1' height='1' style='display:none;border-style:none;' alt=' src='https://images.passendo.com/t/2/8448/npxlpxnaph@niepodam.pl/3730586696656631/0/0'><img width='1' height='1' style='display:none;border-style:none;' alt=' src='https://images.passendo.com/extt/2/8448/npxlpxnaph@niepodam.pl/3730586696656631?pid=1'><img width='1' height='1' style='display:none;border-style:none;' alt=' src='https://images.passendo.com/extt/2/8448/npxlpxnaph@niepodam.pl/3730586696656631?pid=2'><img width='1' height='1' style='display:none;border-style:none;' alt=' src='https://images.passendo.com/extt/2/8448/npxlpxnaph@niepodam.pl/3730586696656631?pid=3'><img width='1' height='1' style='display:none;border-style:none;' alt=' src='https://images.passendo.com/extt/2/8448/npxlpxnaph@niepodam.pl/3730586696656631?pid=4'> |  |
A first look at Luca Guadagnino for Zara | | | | 
© David Sims As a figure, Smith has command over a vast spectrum that covers music, film, fashion (obviously), design and sport. So too Luca Guadagnino, the director who has overseen a burgeoning architectural design practice alongside his film career. This month he announced a new endeavour with Stefano Baisi, his long-standing production designer, a homeware and fashion line for Zara. The collection draws on a host of cinematic references as well as his heroes of Italian design. We got the first look at it. I’m especially taken by the fashion, which echoes the lush retro aesthetic I have come to love in all his films. Geordie Greig – the wellness guru of Fleet Street | | | | 
© Julian Broad Geordie Greig wears many hats – an editor of Tatler, The Mail on Sunday and now The Independent, he has also written several books. He is a person of all sorts of talents and interests, but I never supposed him to be a “wellness” man. Nevertheless, his latest venture is At Winterbourne, a spa and wellness destination within the grounds of his Somerset home. As he writes in a personal essay, his “journey” towards ice baths and yogic breathing was actually spurred by the ambitions of his wife. But while he may be an unlikely guru, he’s still happily switched on to the great salve of being tuned in to the natural world. 22 ways to wear polka dots | | | | 
© Rob Verhorst Lastly, it has come to our attention that the world has gone wild for polka dots. A colleague walking around the capital last weekend counted 32 people wearing spotted clothes between Battersea and Tottenham. Could it be the Olivia Dean factor (her fans pledge a dotty allegiance via their wardrobes) or is the ubiquity simply the result of a perennial seasonal trend? Aylin Bayhan has rounded up some of her favourites. As to whom I look to for inspiration – it’s got to be Sade. My forever polka queen. |
