Paul Smith

Born in Nottingham in 1946, Paul Smith remembered his family home a few miles outside the city centre as always very comfortable. excellent mum, quirky dad, an always stable, good relationship. When he left school at 15, his only ambition was to become a racing cyclist until his father hauled him off to the clothing warehouse. When I look back I realise how influenced I was by Nottingham, wrote Smith years later. I'd cycle around, there'd be the coal miners, Derby tweeds and the elegance of the country squires. My brother worked for the Post Office and wore that Paul Smith Musa Trainer.

During his first two years at the warehouse, Smith had no real interest in his work there except for the cycle journey to and from his home. It was only after an accident ended his dreams of becoming a racing cyclist,that he flung himself into his job. Just by chance I met a lot of people from the art college and became interested in things like art and fashion,he recalled. Back at the warehouse I started to make displays in the showroom.The boss was really impressed and he gave me all the buying to do for the Paul Smith men's shoes when I was still only 17.

When a friend from art college decided to open a fashion boutique in Nottingham, Smith found the premises, decorated them and ran the paul smith sale shop as its manager. By 1970, encouraged by his girlfriend Pauline Denyer,he felt ready to go it alone by ploughing his 600 savings into Paul Smith Vtement Pour Homme on Byard Lane, a shabby back alley. The rent was 50p a week:just as well given that the first week's takings came to 52. Open only on Fridays and Saturdays, the shop was scented with Christian Dior Eau Sauvage to overpower the smell of Smith's Afghan hound. During the rest of the week, Smith made ends meet from freelance jobs as a window dresser, tailor and stylist.In the evenings, he signed up for a fashion design course.