Hello, Paul Smith.

Paul Smith. Legendary fashion designer and true gentleman. As Wednesdays go, I have to say that Wednesday 24th February 2016 will go down as one of my all time favourites.

When I received the invite to go and hear Paul Smith speak about his new exhibition at The Lighthouse in Glasgow in early February I was beyond excited. Getting to sit in a room and hear from the legend himself, hear about how he works, the knowledge he wishes to pass on and find out all about his journey. I could not believe how lucky I was.

On Wednesday I skipped out on my lunch break and headed down to The Lighthouse. I bought the new Paul Smith book about his career and collection before joining the queue of other excited fashion students, fashion lovers and general fans that had managed to get tickets. As we bustled into the room I noticed a seat in the front row and quickly plonked myself down. Not only was I know in the room but I was going to be front, centre and ready to learn.

The event was incredible. Paul had everyone hanging on to his every word, taking notes and listening intently to what he had to say. A charismatic character his personality shined through and you show the quirky, interesting character that was behind the collections.

A few of my favourite quotes from the day were “Effort is free” and “It’s all about looking and seeing. There is a big difference, looking is one thing and seeing is another”.

When speaking about these things I could see what he was saying. Effort doesn’t take much and the impact of effort can go a long way. Sometimes it is the little bit of effort that gets you to where you want to be. It is something that you can do everyday without spending a penny! The second quote was an eye-opener for me (Excuse the bad pun). Paul talked in-depth about how in life we often look at things but don’t see. It made me realise that instead of walking about with my head in my phone I should look about and SEE things. You can get the best inspiration from most everyday things! And, as Paul said “you can find inspiration in everything, if you can’t then your not looking properly”.

After the talk the floor was open to Q&A. We were told that if we asked a question we would receive a present. I already had a question and shot my hand up straight away. I was luckily picked and asked Paul what he would rather do instead of fashion shows (which he is known for not liking). He said he was rather talk to people and show his collections to a select few personally which he will be doing in a few weeks in Paris. As I asked I got to pick a present and picked the beautiful ‘Soho Psycho scarf – I almost cried.

If my day couldn’t get any better, after the talk I joined the queue to get my booked signed with my wonderful friends from WearEponymous. After waiting for around 30 minutes I got to meet Paul. He welcomed me remembering me from my question and happily signed my scarf (twice) and my book. In the book he wished me a Happy Birthday as well as giving me a kiss on the cheek and cuddle as a birthday wish. I was on cloud nine.

I still can’t believe I meet Paul Smith. Not only that but he was a true gentleman and inspiration to everyone in the room. I will cherish my scarf and book forever and tell the story for years to come. Actually, on that note, I am off to frame the scarf and stare at it forever!