‘I’ve got more of a sense of humour than Ralph Lauren’ – nine things we learned from Paul Smith’s new memoir

<p>He put personality into boxers, collaborated with the pope (sort of) and is to thank for novelty socks. The British designer’s new book reveals there’s more to Smith than his stripes</p><p>In July, the British designer Paul Smith celebrated his 80th birthday and he has now released a memoir to mark the occasion. Threads: My Life in Style tells Smith’s story, from growing up in Nottingham and leaving school with no qualifications to selling suits to celebs, including Gary Oldman and David Bowie.</p><p>Here are nine of our favourite lesser-known takeaways from the book.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2026/sep/10/paul-smith-the-designer-who-put-personality-into-menswear">Continue reading...</a>