Paul Smith, the quintessential English gentleman, presents an elegant ode is 60s Scandinavian furniture and interior design for his SS13 collection. His billowing shift dresses, calf-length skirts, blocky blazers and full, high-waisted trousers are remarkably soft and fluid. Yet his use of strong colour and thick forms recalls Alvar Aalto's wood stools and stiff canvas chairs. Like the minimalist Finnish designer's timeless furniture, the pieces on Smith's catwalk are pragmatic but also calming, durable and elegant, clothes for cerebral wearers to rely upon. Cheerful without being frivolous, soft black and white are used as support for the pure reds, yellows, navy blues and forest greens. As for texture, there are swatches of satin and sections of sheer, which add whimsy with their sheen, but, overall, this is a solid collection for together people.
