Introducing Blended Stripe, designed by Paul Smith in collaboration with the Maharam Design Studio. Through a bold use of scale, rhythmic composition, refined texture, and masterful deployment of color, Paul Smith delivers yet another inventive take on the classic stripe.
Always looking for new ways to showcase interesting applications of color, Paul Smith seized on a quality sample presented by the Maharam Design Studio that allows for many colors to coexist within a single design. While ombre stripes have appeared in past ready-to-wear and accessories collections, Smith specifically referenced a blanket stripe men’s shirt and scarf from a few seasons ago when initiating the design for Blended Stripe.
Made entirely of cotton, Blended Stripe employs a highly detailed and durable epingle construction in which yarn passes over a smooth rod that is then extracted to create an even field of allover loops. This domestically woven quality is distinguished by its fine, low, dense pile as well as its dry, matte surface.
A full-width ombre punctuated by variably crisp or gradual transitions, Blended Stripe reflects Smith’s signature specificity through precisely rendered shifts of analogous or complementary color. With each variation requiring its own dedicated loom, this complex warp stripe was devised by strategically combining four prototypical 13″ sections into one harmonious full-width progression. Wide bands of saturation dissolve into nuanced admixtures created by alternating pinstripes. Moving fluidly from light to dark and cool to warm across a range of vibrant solids, subdued pastels, and distinct neutrals, Blended Stripe invokes a sense of chromatic discovery through pairings of goldenrod and violet, scarlet and ochre, periwinkle and endive, and azure and turquoise, resulting in four artfully variegated, matchless stripes.
About Paul Smith
Paul Smith’s ability to combine a flair for eccentric detail with a dedication to the highest standards of craftsmanship has made him among the most successful fashion designers in British history. In business for over forty years, Smith continues to be an integral part of every aspect of the company as both chairman and designer, producing 14 collections sold in 66 countries worldwide. With an enthusiasm for wide-ranging cultural references and idiosyncratic combinations of pattern and color, applied with understatement, Paul Smith expresses a truly contemporary aesthetic.