LIKE A ROLLING STONE: Paul Smith, who got his start selling t-shirts to bands performing in pubs, or at student unions, has returned to his old ways.
On Friday, he revealed a collection of limited-edition t-shirts, a vinyl design, and an album cover, to mark the release of Hackney Diamonds, The Rolling Stones’ first album in nearly two decades.
A longtime fan of the band, and a friend of Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood, Smith had no problem coming up with the two new designs.
One is a Rolling Stone’s tongue covered in Smith’s signature stripes pattern, and the other is a photoprint rendering of smashed glass, a nod to the album’s title.
In London east end slang, “Hackney diamonds” refers to the broken glass left after thieves smash a window. Hackney may be a hipster haven now, but it was a rough neighborhood for much of the past century.
Photoprints have been a Paul Smith hallmark since the 1980s, when the designer pioneered the use of them in clothing.
Paul Smith‘s photoprint design, part of a collaboration to mark the launch of The Rolling Stones’ new album, Hackney Diamonds.
“We’ve always had a close relationship with the music business, and I count The Rolling Stones as one of my all-time musical heroes,” said Smith.
“Hackney Diamonds is a phenomenal album with a fearless spirit. For this launch, I wanted to create something that stayed true to the vision that the band set out – with a few subtle Paul Smith twists,” he added.
The t-shirts are made from 100 percent organic cotton and were released on Friday, Oct. 20 to coincide with the launch of the album. A limited number of vinyls, signed by Smith, will also be for sale.
Smith has a long history working with musicians.
He collaborated on the re-release David Bowie’s 1969 album, and worked on an exhibition and capsule collection with the graphic designer Tom Hingston, who created album covers for the likes of Bowie, Lady Gaga and Grace Jones.
As a young entrepreneur, Smith would regularly drive from his home in Nottingham to London to attend gigs.
“Then, you could see quite important bands in small venues like a student union, or above a pub. I got to know a lot of the guys from my era, like Eric Clapton or Jimmy Page from Led Zeppelin,” the designer told WWD in an interview in 2020.
“With my character, I used to just go up and say, ‘Hello, really liked the new album.’ Unknown to them, a friend from Nottingham had taught me how to make silkscreens. So I’d buy some Fruit of the Loom T-shirts and then silkscreen a Union Jack, and have them in my bag or pocket.
“As soon as they’d say, ‘Oh hi, man, what do you do?’ I’d reply, “My name is Paul Smith, I’m a young designer. Would you like to buy a T-shirt?!’”