Paul Smith was awarded the London Design Medal 2009 for his contribution to design and the city. The London Design Medal is awarded to designers who have distinguished themselves within the industry and demonstrated consistent design excellence across all disciplines.

Paul Smith is an English fashion designer, whose business and reputation is founded upon his menswear and his signature multi-colour stripe pattern. One of the few British-based fashion designers to combine commercial success with critical credibility, Smith creates 'classics with a twist' and celbrates eccentric British styling. 

Born in Nottingham in 1946, Smith's story started out after leaving school with no qualifications and starting in a clothing warehouse; falling into fashion 'by accident'. By 1976, he had shown his first menswear collection in Paris under the Paul Smith label. Smith was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2000, after nearly three decades as a menswear icon.

Nowadays, Paul Smith clothing have grown into a premium British designer label, featuring classic menswear design and the iconic multi-colour stripe.The fashion designer now has products sold in over 200 shops and through 500 wholesale customers in Japan alone, where his label out-sells every other European designer.