Paul Smith has finally arrived on the Upper East Side.
Nearly 40 years after planting a flag in the U.S. with a shop in the Flatiron District, the British designer on Wednesday opened a flagship at 929 Madison Avenue. The two-story shop on 74th Street marks the company’s second store in the city, joining the one on Wooster Street in SoHo, which opened in 2020.
The 2,850-square-foot Madison Avenue shop is inspired by Smith’s home in London’s Holland Park, sporting a design intended to feel like a London town house. The stucco façade features a handcrafted mosaic of a needle and thread created by French artist Alexandra Carron. It is intended to pay homage to Smith’s heritage in tailoring.
Inside the front door, octagonal floor tiles replicate those from his home hallway, and there are antique furniture and reclaimed wood paneling. Key features include a large 19th-century draper’s table once used for measuring fabrics that is now used to showcase hundreds of pairs of Smith’s trademark socks, shoes and accessories, along with a vintage spoon chandelier.
Next up is the study, which houses the men’s and women’s ready-to-wear collections. It pairs oak paneling with a pink-fringed area rug and vintage walnut library chairs reupholstered in the brand’s signature stripes by Smith’s longtime textile partner Maharam. The mantlepiece holds a collection of postcards and letters Smith has collected over the years, with an 18th-century folk art model in the center.
The second floor is home to Paul’s Jet Lag Room, a dedicated space for tailoring, occasion wear and made-to-measure. The walls are wrapped in natural hessian and hung with paintings, alongside ceramics by contemporary British artist Charlotte Salt. A brutalist side table and tan leather tub chairs are also included and the floor is finished with reworked parquet flooring by British craftsmen Parquet Parquet. There’s also a rug from Smith’s latest collaboration with British luxury brand, The Rug Company, and a faux window that offers a glimpse into Smith’s private garden in Holland Park.
Artwork and curiosities such as a mirror made from dominoes, cast iron banana-shaped door handles and a functional speaking tube that links the Jet Lag Room to the cash register on the main floor provide the whimsy the designer has long been known for.
Danny Power, Paul Smith’s president North America, said: “Paul Smith has proudly been part of the fabric of New York for nearly 40 years, a much-loved brand by those in the know. Our new flagship on Madison Avenue is an incredibly exciting next step as we embark on a new chapter for our business in North America. The opening signals a moment of real focus and energy as we sharpen what we stand for. The shop is a commitment to our ambitious plans for growth in North America.”
Founded in Nottingham in 1970, Paul Smith today operates more than 100 stores in 20 countries including four full-price and two outlets in the U.S.