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How colourful stripes (and rubber chickens) helped Paul Smith conquer the fashion world

From BBC News · () English

Summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

In-depth Named sources Context piece
  • Sir Paul Smith says rubber chickens helped him communicate with Japanese business partners when he began working in Japan in 1982.
  • Nearly 45 years later, his brand has more than 20 stores in Japan and operates across 50 countries.
  • In his autobiography Threads: My Life in Style, Smith traces his path from an abandoned cycling ambition to fashion, beginning with his first shop in Nottingham in 1970.

Sir Paul Smith is waving two large rubber chickens around his London office, making them squeak with gusto. He says those absurd props helped him build a connection in Japan, where he began working in 1982.

At the time, only one person in his circle spoke what Smith calls schoolboy English. Communication depended on gestures, drawings and humour. When he grew tired in the afternoon, he would pull a rubber chicken from his bag and squeeze it. The laughter did the rest.

The chickens are the reason I was successful in Japan

· Sir Paul SmithSmith explained how humour and rubber chickens helped him communicate when he began working in Japan.

Nearly 45 years later, Paul Smith has more than 20 stores in Japan and a global business spanning 50 countries. As he publishes his autobiography, Threads: My Life in Style, Smith invited BBC News to his London headquarters, an office packed with books, gifts, clothing and curiosities.

For about 45 years, I've been receiving interesting things from a fan in America, and this is one of the latest ones

· Sir Paul SmithHe described a plastic goose sent to his London office.

He calls the room his “minimalist executive suite”. Among the objects are a plastic goose covered in stamps, a clockwork toy drummer, nativity scenes made from nuts and the bicycle Chris Froome used to win the Tour de France. Smith says an American fan has sent him unusual items for about 45 years. The gifts arrive without a box or message, so he does not know who sends them.

Every morning, after his 5:30 swim, Smith writes a thank-you postcard to anyone who includes an address. “Good manners is really important in business, especially for longevity,” he says.

Good manners is really important in business, especially for longevity

· Sir Paul SmithSmith explained why he writes thank-you postcards to people who send him gifts.

Smith’s career began after a crash at 17 ended his ambition to become a professional cyclist. He opened his first shop, a tiny windowless store in Nottingham, in 1970. “The first day I took £38, and my dear lovely wife bought most of it just to please me,” he recalls. His wife, Pauline Denyer, bought much of the stock on the day the shop opened.

The first day I took £38, and my dear lovely wife bought most of it just to please me

· Sir Paul SmithSmith recalled the opening day of his first shop in Nottingham in 1970.
About this summary

Originally published by BBC News. Summarized and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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