Region
Maharam and Paul Smith are enhancing the existing color line of Point with six vibrant additions. While the British fashion designer's signature use of quirky color — seen in a tie, jacket interior, or sock — is often offset by classic menswear neutrals, the new colors of Point represent a departure from this approach, as primary and secondary colors push the limits of saturation.
These truly clear colors result from Point's unique construction, in which superfine nylon threads bind substantial rayon yarns with an almost metallic luster. The resulting woven structure is notable for its satisfying weight and tactile quality, as well as a gridded texture reminiscent of needlepoint.
The vivid kelly-green back of one of the original colors, 011 Peat and Mandarin, prompted the Maharam Design Studio to suggest an upending of Point's chromatic proportions. Whereas the first group of eleven featured five distinct stripes, the bold colors—crimson, mandarin, citrus, grass, cyan, and cobalt — work around a single design that allows for expanses of solid color.
Paul Smith has explored the archetypal stripe in an imaginative display of his "classics with a twist" style over a decade-long collaboration with Maharam. Never plain or generic, each stripe is remarkable for its sense of rhythm, scale, proportion, density, and color. Smith's ability to combine a flair for eccentric detail with a dedication to the highest standards of craftsmanship has made him one of the most successful fashion designers in British history. His work will be the subject of a career retrospective at London's Design Museum in November.
Point by Paul Smith
Width: 53"/135 cm
Colors: 17
Content: 97% Rayon, 3% Nylon