Style Icon
Men's Fitness|July 2018

British fashion legend Paul Smith talks exclusively to MF about the working-class grit that ignited his passion for cycling, how a background in mass start bike events helped him build a global brand, and why there’s a shortage of creativity in modern design.

Jon Lipsey
Style Icon

Paul Smith didn’t want to be a fashion designer when he was growing up. He wanted to be a road cyclist like his hero, the Italian rider Fausto Coppi. “My love affair with bicycles and bicycle racing began on my 12th birthday when my father bought me my first racing bike,” he tells MF backstage after his recent Paris Fashion Week Show. “He bought it from a man who was a member of the local cycling club, and I started going down there. I listened to the older members talking about the sport, I went out with them on training rides, and eventually, I started competing in time trials and track races.”

While models and event staff scurry back and forth around us, and an increasingly anxious press officer fails to marshal the pack of international media vying for the main man’s attention, Smith remains an island of calm in a sartorial sea of chaos. In fact, everything about him seems out of step with the image-driven industry he inhabits.

“What I loved about cycling was the fact that it was a sport that was about working-class men with grit, determination and strength, which really appealed to me,” he says, leaning into the conversation as his suit crumples around the creases of his long, elegant frame.

Born in Beeston, a small town in the East Midlands, in 1946, Smith left school at 15 without any qualifications and went to work in a clothing warehouse. A cycling accident at the age of 17 broke his femur and, at the same time, shattered his dreams of becoming a pro rider. His first shop, which opened in Nottingham in 1970, only traded a couple of days a week because he had to do other jobs to pay for the stock and running costs. He did things the hard way. He did things his way. And almost five decades later, he’s worth an estimated £300 million.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة July 2018 من Men's Fitness.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة July 2018 من Men's Fitness.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

المزيد من القصص من MEN'S FITNESS مشاهدة الكل
DRESS TO IMPRESS
Men's Fitness UK

DRESS TO IMPRESS

In the latest campaign from Charles Tyrwhitt, rugby player Marcus Smith and cricketer Joe Root are taking the lead and stepping up their offduty game with some sharp summer outfits. From tailored linen to comfy chinos and lightweight blazers, summer just got stylish

time-read
2 mins  |
August 2024
Sleep is crucial for both metabolic health and athletic performance
Men's Fitness UK

Sleep is crucial for both metabolic health and athletic performance

How well, and how long, did you sleep last night? It’s an important question, because in its Sleep Manifesto 2024, The Sleep Charity notes that a whopping 43% of adults sleep less than the NHS-recommended seven to nine hours.

time-read
2 mins  |
August 2024
CARDIO SWEAT
Men's Fitness UK

CARDIO SWEAT

Elevate your aerobic fitness and fast-track fat loss with this cardio workout from the Movement Blueprint founder Harvey Lawton

time-read
1 min  |
August 2024
THE LEARN ROPES
Men's Fitness UK

THE LEARN ROPES

Skipping is more than a throwback. Done right, it offers a number of serious health benefits in Skipping is more than a throwback. Done right, it off ers a number of serious health benefi ts in a budget-friendly and convenient formula that can be done virtually anywhere

time-read
4 mins  |
August 2024
MOUNTAINEERING IS ABOUT THE TENSION BETWEEN HUMAN NATURE AND MOUNTAIN NATURE.IT'S ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF DYING
Men's Fitness UK

MOUNTAINEERING IS ABOUT THE TENSION BETWEEN HUMAN NATURE AND MOUNTAIN NATURE.IT'S ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF DYING

MF meets mountaineering legend Reinhold Messner

time-read
4 mins  |
August 2024
BUDGET BEATS
Men's Fitness UK

BUDGET BEATS

Apple’s new low-price buds punch well above their price tag

time-read
4 mins  |
August 2024
FITNESS GOALS
Men's Fitness UK

FITNESS GOALS

Teddy Sheringham’s playbook for staying in shape in your fifties

time-read
2 mins  |
August 2024
Summer SIZZLERS
Men's Fitness UK

Summer SIZZLERS

Fuel your summer with these fresh, high-protein recipes

time-read
4 mins  |
August 2024
THE MONT BLANC MONSTER
Men's Fitness UK

THE MONT BLANC MONSTER

The Ultra-Trail du Mont Blanc (UTMB) is among the most challenging and prestigious trail running events in the world. Typically held annually in the last week of August, it circumnavigates the iconic Mont Blanc massif. Covering approximately 106 miles, with a gruelling elevation gain of around 32,800 feet, the race demands exceptional endurance, technical skill, and mental fortitude – as Dominic Bliss witnessed for himself at last year’s event…

time-read
6 mins  |
August 2024
FEEL THE BURN
Men's Fitness UK

FEEL THE BURN

Training for HYROX? This lung-busting workout from HYROX master trainer and Represent 247 athlete Jake Dearden will get you race ready

time-read
2 mins  |
August 2024