CINÉ LUMIÈRE
17 Queensberry Place
London SW7 2DT
We are honoured to welcome Sir Paul Smith back to Ciné Lumière to talk about inspiration and his career in fashion design and beyond.
A restless creative, his eclectic interests and creations go well beyond fashion and into the most varied fields, from clothing and accessories to furniture, vehicles and spaces.
His eclectic interests and enthusiasm have taken him into ventures collaborating with other artists, photographers, musicians, museums and established companies broadening his creative fields, always with a deep respect for traditional craftmanship and introducing graceful twists of playfulness and light humour.
How does Paul Smith work? Where does he draw inspiration from? He’ll be talking to us about this and more!
The conversation will be followed by a film of his choosing: Orpheus, directed by Jean Cocteau in 1950.
ORPHÉE
Orpheus
dir: Jean Cocteau
with Jean Marais, François Périer, Maria Casares, Marie Déa, Juliette Gréco
France | 1950 | B&W | cert. PG
In French with English subtitles
Loosely based on Cocteau’s play of 1926, which costumes were created by his friend and patron Coco Chanel, this magical retelling of the Orpheus myth turns the lyre-playing singer of Greek legend into a famous left-bank poet in post-war Paris. Fallen out of favour and lost for poetic inspiration, Orphée becomes obsessed with a mysterious black-clad princess who first claims the life of a rival poet, and then Eurydice, his wife.
With its unforgettable imagery – the dissolving mirror through which characters pass into the next world, the leather-clad, death-dealing motorcyclists, and Cocteau’s magical special effects, Orpheus is a work of haunting beauty that follows the poetic logic of a dream.
Cocteau, who curated every singe aspect of his films to best express his ideas, had Coco Chanel to create the outfits of The Princess character in his 1926 theare version of Orpheus. A few years later, for the film version, he chose Elsa Schiaparelli, whose eccentricity he praised.
Poet, playwright, artist and filmmaker, Jean Cocteau was one of the most significant artists of the twentieth century and Orpheus his finest work of cinema.
ABOUT PAUL SMITH
Sir Paul Smith is one of Britain’s foremost designers. He is renowned for his creative spirit, which combines tradition and modernity. Famous for its clothing and accessories collections, Paul Smith specialises in an inventive use of traditional craftsmanship and cutting-edge design to create beautifully made, desirable, modern pieces.
Paul Smith is loved across the world. From its origins in one small shop in Nottingham, England, in 1970, Paul Smith has grown into a global business, selling in over seventy countries. Starting with one men’s collection, the business now comprises collections for men, women and children, including, shoes, accessories, fragrance and home furnishings.
Throughout its development Paul Smith’s values of curiosity, quality and authenticity have remained constant.